Jonette Helms Shelton's Obituary
Jonette Helms Shelton passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at the age of 93. The daughter of Jessie Hood Helms Brown and John Foy Helms, she was born in Lake Charles, LA on April 13, 1924 and came to Covington at the age of 3. She attended Brenau College and LSU, earning a Bachelor in Music Education. She taught private piano lessons for some time before opening Dunning's Flowers and Gifts in 1949, where she was a talented and highly regarded florist until retiring in 1979. She was twice honored to be a guest soloist with the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony in 1956 and 1958, and was also involved in bringing the Symphony to Covington for annual performances, originally in the old Covington High School gym.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Richard Shelton of Clarksdale, MS. Jonette is survived by her daughter Janis Dunning Caserta (Ronald); three grandchildren - Ashley Caserta Scheuermann, Joseph Scott Caserta (Melissa), and Catherine Caserta Maestri (Gary, Jr.); and seven great-grandchildren - Camryn Caserta, Scott Caserta, Lily Scheuermann, Eve Scheuermann, Christian Scheuermann, Madeline Scheuermann, and Mary Catherine "Cate" Maestri.
Friends and family are invited to a memorial service from the Chapel at Christ Episcopal Church, 120 S. New Hampshire St. Covington, LA 70433 on Friday, September 22, 2017 at 1:00 pm. Interment of her ashes will follow in the Memorial Garden adjacent to the Chapel.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra or Christ Church. Special thanks go out to Ann Rushing and all the angels at Christwood Assisted Living facility who cared for "Miss Jo" with love and respect
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