R. O. Machen

Funeral services for Mr. R.O. Machen, Jr. will be held graveside at the Springhill Cemetery in Springhill, La. on Friday, June 27th at 10:00am. Visitation will be at the Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Minden, La. on Thursday, June 26th from 6:00 to 8:00pm.

At the time of his death, Mr. Machen was officially retired as of January 2010 as Vice President and Webster Parish Administrator for Gibsland Bank & Trust. He continued to support his many friends and customers after his retirement. Mr. Machen was born in Springhill, La. on May 7, 1942, to Robert Odell Machen, Sr. and Lela Martin Machen.

He graduated from Minden High School in 1960 and is a 1964 graduate of Louisiana Tech with a B.S. degree in accounting. His banking career began in 1964 At Louisiana Bank & Trust Co. in Shreveport. He joined Peoples Bank of Minden in 1967 at their Cotton Valley Branch. Over his career, he attended numerous seminars and schools. He graduated from The Banking School of the South at LSU in 1970. In 1971, he moved to Minden to work in the main office. He joined Gibsland Bank & Trust in November of 2000.

Mr. Machen was also the owner of Machen Firefighting Products Co. and was instrumental in the establishment of the Evergreen Volunteer Fire Department and Fire District #1 in 1979. Evergreen was the first fire district formed in North Louisiana and the first to use dry hydrants, water shuttles for PIAL credit, crossing parish lines into Claiborne Parish with the fire district, to pass an ad valorem tax to fund the district, and to become one of the first to receive a class 4 PIAL rating for a rural fire district. Mr. Machen served as President and Chairman of Evergreen Fire district for some 40 years. Mr. Machen shared his knowledge of Rural Firefighting and helped establish some 30 fire districts in North Louisiana. He addressed the Governor’s Conference on Rural Fire Protection in Alexandria in 1994, and in 1995 was recognized by the Louisiana Senate for his work in rural firefighting. After eleven years, he saw his efforts come to fruition with the opening of the Pine Country Education Center at Camp Minden in 2007. This marked the beginning of the LSU Fireman Training Center for North Louisiana.

Mr. Machen was named “Minden’s Man of the Year” in 2002 for his community service work throughout the years with the Jaycees, Boy Scouts, United Way, Pregnancy Aid Center, Minden Downtown Lions Club, Leton Water System, Shongaloo PTO, and summer recreation program. Along with grant writing for summer recreation programs, and fire departments.

In 2012, he received the Chamber of Commerce “Lifetime Achievement Award” for community service. He and Barbara sponsored a little league baseball team each summer during the 80’s and 90’s. He was the past chairman of the Board of Deacons of the Evergreen Union Church. He enjoyed his Mustang Muscle cars and was a member of the Red River Classic Mustang Club.

The R.O. Machen, Jr. Fire Training and Community Center was dedicated in 2019 in honor of Mr. Machen. Located in the community of Evergreen, north of Minden, La.

Mr. Machen’s greatest enjoyment was his wife of 45 years, Mrs. Barbara Fountain Machen, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Ann Harrison and her husband Tine Harrison. Cousins, Matt Martin and Martha Jane Horne.

He is survived by his wife Barbara. Their five children, Wess Machen and wife Sonya, Audra Sadler and husband Les, Nancy Sikes and husband James, Suzanne Blackwelder and husband Pat, and Olin Machen and wife Sherri. Fifteen grandchildren, Jake, Derek, Courtney, Haley, Devin, Caid, Roper, Reiner, Jessica, Karli, Julia, Payton, Ashton, Gaige, and Tate. Twelve great grandchildren and special nieces, Kim Moak and Taci Farnam.

Pallbearers will be Kevin Miller, Jake Poole, Gary Sexton, Grover Sikes, Devin Thomas, and James Sikes.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to the Evergreen Volunteer Fire Department at P. O. Box 873, Minden, LA 71058-0873 or a Volunteer Fire Department of the Donor’s choice.