Looking for a Brown Holley Funeral Home obituary? Brown-Holley Funeral Homes publishes death notices and memorial information for families in Rayville, Oak Grove, and nearby northeastern Louisiana communities. You can search its official obituary archive by name, browse earlier months, and open individual memorial pages for funeral and burial details.
This guide brings together the obituary search process, selected recent notices, verified funeral-home addresses, service information, cemetery research steps, and Louisiana death-certificate instructions.
Recent Brown-Holley Funeral Home Obituaries
The following notices were checked against Brown-Holley’s published obituary directory in October 2026. They are a historical snapshot, not an automatically updated list. Visit the official archive for announcements published after October 17, 2026.
Name | Date of Death | Community | Funeral or Burial Information |
|---|---|---|---|
Wanda Byrd Smith | October 6, 2026 | Rayville | Memorial service October 9 at 3 PM, Brown-Holley Funeral Chapel, Rayville. |
Weston Gilley | October 6, 2026 | Mangham | Funeral October 9 at 2 PM, Mangham Baptist Church; burial at Gwin Cemetery. |
Janna L. Stokes Clack | September 30, 2026 | Rayville | Funeral October 2 at noon, Brown-Holley Chapel, Rayville; interment at McKnight Cemetery. |
William Claude Wiggins | September 30, 2026 | Rayville | Interment at Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Rayville. |
Ocie Irene Drurey | September 28, 2026 | Pioneer | Funeral October 1 at 2 PM, Brown-Holley Chapel, Oak Grove; interment at Reeks Cemetery. |
Debbie Marie Mize | September 27, 2026 | Epps | Funeral September 30 at 1 PM, Herringville Baptist Church; interment at Herringville Cemetery. |
Margie J. Morris | September 15, 2026 | Baskin | Funeral September 17 at 2 PM, Friendship Baptist Church; interment at Sunflower Cemetery. |
Benjamin “Benny” Franklin Walker | September 12, 2026 | Rayville | Funeral September 19 at 1 PM, Rayville Methodist Church; interment at Mulhearn Memorial Park, Monroe. |
For a complete obituary: Open the Brown-Holley obituary directory, search the person’s name, and select the matching memorial. Individual pages may include family information, service arrangements, condolences, and photographs.
Before traveling: The person’s hometown, funeral chapel, church, and cemetery may be different places. Use the location specifically stated for the event you plan to attend. A service listed in the table above may already have taken place.
How to Find a Brown-Holley Obituary by Name
The funeral home’s directory includes name and word searches, alphabetical surname links, month navigation, and older result pages. Follow these steps instead of browsing unrelated obituary websites.
Open the official listing page
Go to brownholleyfuneralhomes.com/listings and find the section labeled All Obituaries.
Search the surname first
Enter the person’s last name in the name field and select Search. If you get many results, narrow the search using the first name or middle name.
Try alternate names
If the exact name is missing, try a maiden surname, earlier married surname, nickname, initials, or a different spelling. The word-search feature can also help when you remember part of the memorial text.
Browse by month or first letter
Choose an earlier month or the first letter of the surname. Use the page navigation for older results. This helps when the death date is known but the obituary title is uncertain.
Open and confirm the memorial
Compare the person’s name, hometown, age, date of death, and known relatives. Then read the funeral, visitation, and interment sections.
Save the correct obituary link
Copy the individual memorial URL for relatives. If arrangements are incomplete or newly announced, check for updates or telephone the funeral home.
Brown-Holley Funeral Home Locations and Contact Details
Brown-Holley operates in Rayville, within Richland Parish, and Oak Grove, within West Carroll Parish. Contact the location handling the particular memorial when possible.
Rayville Funeral Home
Brown-Holley Funeral Homes
603 Francis StreetRayville, LA 71269
Phone: (318) 728-4167
Fax: (318) 728-4179
Mailing address: P.O. Box 812, Rayville, LA 71269.
Oak Grove Funeral Home
Brown-Holley Funeral Homes
10324 Highway 17 SouthOak Grove, LA 71263
Phone: (318) 428-9621
Fax: (318) 490-8023
Mailing address: P.O. Box 735, Oak Grove, LA 71263.
The funeral home lists telephone availability for immediate assistance. Public visiting hours should be confirmed before making an in-person visit. You can also use the official contact page for nonurgent questions.
How to Confirm Funeral, Visitation, and Burial Information
An obituary can identify multiple events at separate locations. Before attending, check these details carefully.
Information | What to Check |
|---|---|
Visitation | Date, beginning and ending times, and the exact funeral chapel or church. |
Funeral service | Date, time, church or chapel name, and complete address. |
Graveside service | Whether the cemetery ceremony is separate and when it begins. |
Interment | Cemetery name, community, and any available burial-location details. |
Flowers or donations | Family preferences and designated memorial arrangements. |
Schedule updates | New information issued after the initial obituary publication. |
For example, Weston Gilley’s published arrangements identify Mangham Baptist Church as the funeral location and Gwin Cemetery as the burial location. These are different destinations, so choosing the wrong address could mean missing the intended event.
What If You Cannot Find the Obituary?
Try This Search Checklist
- Remove extra name details: Search only the last name if a complete-name search fails.
- Try another surname: Check maiden names, earlier married names, and alternate spellings.
- Browse the relevant month: The obituary publication date may differ from the death date.
- Check older pages: The directory contains multiple pages of historical notices.
- Search the correct community: Consider Rayville, Oak Grove, Mangham, Pioneer, Epps, and surrounding areas.
- Check relatives’ names: These can help distinguish two people with similar names.
- Call Brown-Holley: Ask whether the family has authorized a public obituary and whether arrangements are available.
A recent death does not guarantee that an online obituary has already been published. Families sometimes need additional time to confirm arrangements, while some choose not to publish a detailed notice.
How to Receive New Obituary Notifications
Brown-Holley offers obituary notification options for people who wish to follow community announcements. To subscribe, open the funeral home’s official website, find the obituary email subscription option, enter your email address, and follow any location-selection or confirmation instructions shown.
Check your spam folder if an expected notification does not arrive. Email alerts are convenient, but the live obituary directory remains the better place to check for corrected service information.
Finding Cemetery and Grave Information from an Obituary
A funeral-home obituary can provide the cemetery name, but it may not identify the section, lot, or grave number. For family history and gravesite research, treat the notice as a starting record and confirm the burial details separately.
Recent Brown-Holley notices identify cemeteries such as Gwin Cemetery in Mangham, McKnight Cemetery near Holly Ridge, Reeks Cemetery near Pioneer, Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Rayville, and Herringville Cemetery near Monticello.
How to locate the exact grave
- Copy the deceased person’s full name and date of death from the obituary.
- Write down the cemetery name and location exactly as published.
- Contact the cemetery office, sexton, church, or managing organization.
- Ask for an interment record and any available section, lot, plot, or grave number.
- Compare those records with family information before assuming a match.
- If no marked grave is found, ask whether there is a burial map or unmarked-interment register.
Important distinction: A funeral notice confirms what the funeral home published. It does not always prove that a grave marker has been installed or that a burial plot is currently accessible to visitors.
How to Request a Louisiana Death Certificate
An obituary is not a legal death certificate. If you need a certified record for insurance, succession, property, or benefit claims, use the Louisiana Department of Health’s vital-record process.
Louisiana is a closed-record state. Recent certified death records generally require a qualifying relationship or another recognized legal basis, proper identification, an application, and the applicable fee.
Current Published Death-Record Fees
The Louisiana Department of Health lists:
- $7: State-issued certified death certificate per copy.
- $26: Clerk-of-court-issued death certificate.
- $0.50: Additional state charge for mail-in or VitalChek orders.
- Additional charges: May apply to VitalChek orders, expedited services, or other service methods.
Fees may change. Check the official Louisiana Vital Records fee schedule before making payment.
Who may qualify?
Eligible applicants include certain immediate family members, such as the surviving spouse, parents, adult children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. Other eligible categories include properly documented succession representatives, qualifying beneficiaries, and certain legal representatives.
Additional documentation and special submission rules may apply to some applicant categories.
Check eligibility
Open the Louisiana Department of Health death-record instructions. Identify the eligibility category that applies to you.
Prepare the application
Gather the deceased person’s full legal name, death details, identification, proof of eligibility where required, and payment.
Choose your ordering method
You may be able to apply in person, by mail, through a participating clerk of court, or through the state’s authorized ordering provider. Some applicant categories must use the central office.
Use the correct official address
Mail: Vital Records Registry, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160.
In person: 1450 Poydras Street, Suite 400, New Orleans, LA 70112. Published walk-in hours are 8 AM–3:30 PM, excluding state holidays.
Allow for processing
The state advises allowing approximately 8–10 weeks for mailed delivery. Participating clerks of court can issue eligible certificates for deaths occurring on or after July 7, 2012.
Vital Records customer service: (504) 593-5100. Confirm current requirements if the deceased’s record is older, documents are incomplete, or your eligibility category is unusual.
What to Prepare When Contacting the Funeral Home After a Death
If you are contacting Brown-Holley to arrange services rather than search its obituary archive, gathering essential details beforehand can simplify the first conversation.
- The deceased person’s full legal name.
- The place and approximate time of death.
- Your relationship and contact information.
- The person authorized to make funeral decisions.
- Any existing funeral or cemetery arrangements.
- Preferred burial, cremation, religious, or cultural arrangements.
- Military service details, if applicable.
- Questions about transport, services, visitation, and costs.
For a newly reported death, call the funeral home directly rather than relying on the obituary contact form. Ask about required documents, available options, the written price information, and the next practical steps for your situation.
Brown Holley Funeral Home Obituaries: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where can I find the latest Brown Holley Funeral Home obituaries?
Visit the official All Obituaries page. It provides recent notices, name search, and older memorial listings.
2. Does Brown-Holley serve both Rayville and Oak Grove?
Yes. Brown-Holley maintains funeral-home locations in Rayville and Oak Grove, Louisiana.
3. What is the Brown-Holley Rayville phone number?
Call (318) 728-4167 for the Rayville funeral home.
4. What is the Oak Grove funeral-home phone number?
Call (318) 428-9621 for Brown-Holley’s Oak Grove location.
5. Can I search older Brown-Holley obituaries?
Yes. Browse earlier months, use surname search, and navigate the archive’s older pages. Not every historical record is guaranteed to be online.
6. Why is a recent obituary missing?
The family may still be finalizing arrangements, may not have authorized publication, or may be using a different name or funeral provider.
7. Are burial locations included in Brown-Holley obituaries?
Many notices identify the cemetery or place of interment. Exact plot numbers are less common and may require contacting the cemetery.
8. Can I leave condolences or send flowers?
Individual online memorials may provide tribute and flower options. Follow the instructions and family preferences shown on the relevant obituary.
9. Is an obituary acceptable instead of a death certificate?
No. An obituary is an informational memorial notice. Legal and administrative uses may require a certified death certificate issued through Louisiana Vital Records.
10. How do I confirm a funeral time before traveling?
Check the individual obituary for the event’s date, time, and address. If anything is uncertain, telephone the appropriate Brown-Holley location directly.
Official Sources and Next Steps
For live searches or formal requests, use the appropriate source below. The essential search steps, addresses, phone numbers, and Louisiana death-record process are explained above so you do not have to research them from scratch.
- Brown-Holley obituary directory: Search recent and archived notices.
- Brown-Holley contact information: Verify service arrangements or ask about unavailable notices.
- Rayville location: Address and contact details.
- Oak Grove location: Address and contact details.
- Louisiana Vital Records: Official certified death-certificate application instructions.
Quick summary: Search the official Brown-Holley obituary directory first. Confirm the full name, hometown, and death date; then read the individual memorial for funeral and burial arrangements. Contact Rayville at (318) 728-4167 or Oak Grove at (318) 428-9621 if important details are missing.