A note from Bill, Diane, and Jim

Happy 94th Birthday, Mom.

This is the story of your life, as we know it so far. We built it from family photographs and records, from the stories you have told us, and from a great deal of digging. Some of it is in your own words. The rest is our best effort to gather the people, places, and moments that have made your life yours.

It isn’t finished, and we hope it never quite is. We can keep adding the stories and photographs that come back to you, and correcting the names and dates we did not get quite right. You have spent 94 years making these memories. For your birthday, we wanted to give them a home.

We made it because we love you.

Minden · Ruston · New Orleans · Biloxi · Longview · Bossier City

Gwendolyn Almond McKellar

Gwen has never been one to stand still.

Born in Haynesville, Louisiana, on September 19, 1932, Gwen’s life has been marked by curiosity, family, church, and friendships that have endured for decades. She married Billy McKellar, and together they raised Bill, Diane, and Jim.

What feels most distinctly Gwen is her willingness to try something new. After her children were grown, she returned to school and became a preschool teacher. In her seventies, she was still taking on new challenges.

This website is a beginning, not a finished portrait. If you know Gwen, help the archive grow with a story, correction, or family photograph.

BornSeptember 19, 1932
RaisedMinden, Louisiana
MarriedAugust 8, 1954
Magazine coverGwendolyn Almond McKellarAdd as photos/gwen-magazine-cover.png

The center of the story

A life that comes into focus.

Gwen stands at the center of two families, the Almonds and the McKellars. This site brings their records, photographs, and memories into a single story.

Gwendolyn “Gwen” Almond McKellar was the oldest child of James Turner Almond Sr. and Lalia Smith Almond. Her younger siblings were Jamie Almond Gaither, born in Minden in 1935, and James Turner Almond Jr. (Jimmy), born in Minden in 1939. Over the years, Gwen has stayed close to both siblings and their families. [2]

The dates establish the family tree, but they do not fully explain the woman at its center. Gwen grew up watching her parents treat faith, work, and responsibility to others as ordinary parts of family life. She carried that inheritance from Minden into college, marriage, motherhood, church, teaching, and the generations that came next.

Before she left Minden

Gwen was already making things happen.

Newspaper reports trace Gwen’s school years back to 1947. That year, she made the A honor roll and won second prize with Jody Harper in a PTA poster contest. In January 1948, she appeared in newspaper coverage of girls’ basketball at Minden High. That April, she joined other student journalists at a press clinic at Baylor University, representing the school newspaper, The Monitor. Another 1949 report connects Gwen to reporting and typing work for the paper. [54]

The 1950 Minden High Grig gives a lively picture of Gwen at seventeen. She was the yearbook’s editor-in-chief and took part in Girls State, the Louisiana High School Press Association, the 1948 homecoming court, pep squad, choir, Future Homemakers, and Future Business Leaders of America. The list is long, but the pattern is simple: even as a teenager, Gwen stepped forward, took responsibility, and helped make things happen. [29]

Louisiana Tech

College in Ruston

In 1950, Gwen left Minden for Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in Ruston, now Louisiana Tech University. Three consecutive Lagniappe yearbooks trace her from her freshman year in 1951 through her junior year in 1953 as a Home Economics major and a member of Phi Mu. By 1952, she was secretary of the Campus Women’s Council and active in the Wesley Foundation. In 1953, she served as Phi Mu’s secretary, represented the sorority on the Panhellenic Council, belonged to Blue Jackets, and worked as a reporter for the Home Economics Club. [51] [52] [53]

Upon graduating from Tech, Gwen was included in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 1953–1954.

Louisiana Tech mattered because it drew together so many parts of the life Gwen was beginning to build. The Wesley Foundation gave her faith a place on campus; Phi Mu brought friendship and belonging; her councils and clubs gave her responsibility. Ruston was also where family history says Gwen met Billy McKellar, who attended Louisiana Tech before entering Tulane Medical School. Their college years led into an engagement and their marriage in August 1954. [1] [9]

Her own chapters

The chapters Gwen made her own.

Marriage

From a Tech basketball game to August 1954.

As Gwen remembers it, she met Billy at a Louisiana Tech basketball game while she was a senior at Minden High School. Her boyfriend at the time, Jimmy, was Billy’s roommate at Tech. The following year, when Jimmy left Tech for medical school, he asked Billy to look after Gwen. A July 1954 index records Gwen and Billy’s engagement announcement, and newspapers report a July 27 marriage-license notice and several pre-wedding parties. Together, those records support the family’s August 8, 1954, wedding date, although no printed announcement or civil record stating that date has yet been found. [1] [9] [54]

Gwen’s firsthand account + records

Lifelong friendship

Peggy and Gwen, across the years.

An April 1948 newspaper report places Gwen and Peggy Holland together at a school press clinic at Baylor University, the earliest record yet found of them together. Peggy’s later life took her through four states and Iran before she became an elementary teacher. Through every move and change, she and Gwen remained close, keeping up through texts and regular phone calls well into their nineties. Their friendship lasted more than 75 years. [14] [54]

Documented
01

A civic life in Longview

When Billy began his private pediatric practice in Longview, Gwen joined the Junior League of Longview. Family history preserves the membership, an early civic role during the years when the young family was establishing a new home in Texas.

Family-confirmed
02

Service in Bossier City

After the family moved to Bossier City in 1966, Gwen became deeply involved at First United Methodist Church and volunteered at Bossier General Hospital. Church was more than a weekly destination for her. It became a community in which she worshiped, served, and built lasting friendships, while the hospital gave her another way to care for people.

Family-confirmed

A second chapter

She went back, trained, and taught.

After Bill, Diane, and Jim were grown, Gwen returned to school, earned the certification needed to teach preschool, and spent years working with young children at First United Methodist Church of Bossier City. The classroom gave her a new way to practice the patience, encouragement, and faith that had long guided her.

Family-confirmed
10KAges 73 & 76

A glimpse of Gwen herself

Two sisters, one finish line.

At 73, Gwen ran the 2005 Cajun Cup 10K alongside her younger sister Jamie, who finished two places ahead. Three years later, they returned. Gwen, then 76, crossed the finish line in 1:30:19.9, and Jamie followed just four-tenths of a second later. The results preserve more than race times. They show two sisters still moving through life together, almost stride for stride. [6] [7]

Magazine coverGwendolyn & Jamie CarolynAdd as photos/gwen-jamie-magazine-cover.png

A life in motion

A few dates in a much larger story.

Eight milestones give the story structure. The fuller portraits appear elsewhere on the page.

  1. Gwen is born

    Born in Haynesville, Louisiana.

    Documented

  2. A student journalist in Minden

    School records culminate in Gwen editing the Grig.

    Documented

  3. College in Ruston

    Yearbooks and family history trace Home Economics, Phi Mu, campus leadership, and graduation.

    Family-confirmed through 1954

  4. Gwen and Billy marry

    Newspaper notices trace the weeks before Gwen and Billy’s family-confirmed August 8 wedding.

    Date family-confirmed

  5. The training years

    The family moves through Shreveport, Biloxi, New Orleans, and Longview.

    Documented

  6. A home in Bossier City

    The family settles in Bossier City.

    Documented

  7. Back to school, then into the classroom

    Gwen earns preschool certification and begins teaching.

    Family-confirmed

  8. The family archive today

    Photographs and Gwen’s own answers continue to be added.

Relationships at a glance

The family around Gwendolyn.

Gwen is the point where the Almond, Smith, McKellar, and Barnett lines meet.

Paternal grandparents

Vander & Maggie Almond

Vander, 1884–1962

Maternal grandparents

Joe & Mittie Smith

Harris Community near Homer, Louisiana

Paternal grandparents

John Dougal & Hittie McKellar

1868–1960 · 1873–1952

Maternal grandparents

T. Z. Barnett
& E. M. Evans Barnett

1851–1907 · 1853–1923

Gwen’s parents

James Turner and Lalia Almond

1910–1991 · 1911–1987

Billy’s parents

William Narl
& Zuma Kate McKellar

1894–1972 · 1897–1991

Married August 8, 1954

Gwendolyn Almond
& Billy Dougal McKellar

Son

William Dougal McKellar

married Sandy Spohn

Daughter

Diane McKellar Wheelahan

married Tim Wheelahan

Son

James Garrett McKellar

partner Mark Weber

A family gathered

The family Gwen and Billy built.

Family photographGwen, Billy & their familyAdd as photos/gwen-billy-family-christmas.jpg
Billy and Gwen, surrounded by their children and grandchildren at Christmas in Bossier City, Louisiana.

The Minden household

Gwen’s parents and siblings.

Turner and Lalia raised Gwen, Jamie, and Jimmy in a Minden home shaped by Methodist faith, public responsibility, and strong family ties. Each child later attended Louisiana Tech.

James Turner Almond Sr.
Lalia Smith Almond
01

Father · civic life

James Turner Almond Sr.

August 4, 1910 – June 29, 1991

Turner was the son of Vander Almond and a brother of Mary G. Almond Garrett and Ernest Almond. A lifelong Minden resident, he and Lalia raised Gwen, Jamie, and Turner Jr. there. His obituary records his service as chief deputy in the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Department, his active membership at First United Methodist Church, and his burial at Gardens of Memory. [54]

A report on the 1962 city election names Turner Almond among the newly elected members of the Minden City Council. He led the council field in the first primary with 1,255 votes and joined an almost entirely new city government under Mayor Frank Norman. Turner’s example gave Gwen an early model of faith expressed through work, public duty, and commitment to family. [4]

A glimpse of everyday life

A June 17, 1975, Minden Press-Herald report catches Turner and Lalia away from their public roles. After a successful weekend of crappie fishing, Turner said the water was neither too muddy nor too high and that some fish were caught about five feet deep. It’s a small but welcome picture of Gwen’s parents enjoying time together. [47]

02

Mother · public and community life

Lalia Smith Almond

December 2, 1911 – April 7, 1987

Lalia was the daughter of Joe and Mittie Smith. Her known siblings included Iru Wade Smith Daugherty, Theran Smith, Hazel Ezell, and Helen Smith.

Lalia served as deputy registrar of voters in Webster Parish, helping carry out the everyday work behind local elections. In 1976, the Webster Parish Police Jury presented her with a certificate of appreciation for her service. [48]

Community life

Her involvement extended beyond the registrar’s office. In 1971, she joined members of the South Webster Women’s Participation Division in preparing for Webster Parish’s centennial celebration. [50]

Lalia offered her own example of steady participation: doing necessary work, accepting responsibility, and helping a community function. Gwen carried that same willingness to be useful into her years of church work, hospital volunteering, and teaching.

Younger sister

Jamie Almond Gaither

June 30, 1935 – January 17, 2015

Jamie Carolyn Almond was born in Minden on June 30, 1935, the middle of Turner and Lalia Almond’s three children. She and Gwen shared more than the same Minden childhood. At Minden High, Jamie sang in the Girls’ Glee Club and worked on The Monitor while Gwen edited the Grig. Both later attended Louisiana Tech and joined Phi Mu, and Jamie studied Secretarial Science. [2] [13] [29] [51]

Jamie married Robert Edward “Bobby” Gaither and made her home in Lafayette, where they raised two sons, Kevin and Michael “Mike” Gaither. In 1965, she was enrolled as an education sophomore at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, continuing her education while raising her family. [2] [38]

Family and church remained central to Jamie’s life. She devoted herself to caring for her family and was a longtime member of Asbury United Methodist Church, where she served on various committees and participated in Bible studies. She also loved playing tennis and bridge. A longtime resident of Acadiana, Jamie died in Lafayette in 2015 and was buried at Fountain Memorial Cemetery. [2]

Younger brother

James Turner Almond Jr. (Jimmy)

James Turner Almond Jr., known in the family as Jimmy, was born in Minden in 1939, the youngest of Turner and Lalia Almond’s three children. He shared Gwen and Jamie’s Methodist upbringing, and in 1951 was among the young people received into the fellowship of First Methodist Church in Minden. [2] [58]

His future wife, Yvonne Simmons, also grew up in Minden and later attended Louisiana Tech. Local school columns followed their courtship, reporting in 1956 that Yvonne and Jimmy were “on the steady list.” [54]

At Louisiana Tech, Jimmy studied accounting, served as president of the Student Senate, and was active in Omicron Delta Kappa, Beta Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Pi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Who’s Who. After graduating in 1961, he began a thirty-nine-year career with the firm that became Ernst & Young. He rose to partner and worked in New Orleans, Tulsa, Jakarta, and Fort Worth before retiring in 2000. [10]

Jimmy and Yvonne raised two sons, Brian and Brad Almond. They later bought the Almond family farm as a second home, and Jimmy became a certified tree-farm owner. Their stewardship kept the property in the family and preserved a living link to Gwen’s Minden childhood. [10]

Magazine coverGwen & Billy McKellarAdd as photos/gwen-billy-magazine-cover.png

Gwen and Billy

Sixty-five years together.

They learned early how to make a home while life kept moving.

Gwen was twenty-one and Billy was twenty-three when they married on August 8, 1954. They had met at Louisiana Tech, according to family history, and their wedding came just before Billy graduated from Tulane Medical School. His training and career explain where they went. Gwen’s life explains how those places became homes. [1] [9]

During their wedding week, friends and relatives gathered for a series of parties in Minden. At an August 3 tea given by Peggy Holland and her mother, Gwen received a silver serving tray engraved with her initials. [54]

The training years

One young family, four chapters.

Billy’s training took the family through four cities. The sequence is documented, but the exact dates still need to be pinned down. [1] [56]

  1. 01Shreveport

    Billy completed his internship at Confederate Memorial Hospital as the newly married couple began their life together.

  2. 02Biloxi

    Two years of Air Force service took them to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

  3. 03New Orleans

    Billy trained in pediatrics at Charity Hospital while Gwen made another home for their growing family.

  4. 04Longview

    Billy entered private pediatric practice, and Gwen became involved in the Junior League of Longview.

A home in Bossier City

The longest chapter of their marriage.

In 1966, Gwen and Billy moved to Bossier City, where Billy became chief of pediatrics at Barksdale Air Force Base. It was the end of the constant moving and the beginning of the place they would call home.

They raised Bill, Diane, and Jim there and became part of First United Methodist Church, where Billy was a member for more than fifty years and served on church committees. Their home became a gathering place for a family that grew to include grandchildren and great-grandchildren. [1]

Away from work, they ran, played ping-pong and bridge, followed the Dallas Cowboys, spent time with friends, and took an annual trip to the beach. The cities of their early marriage kept changing. The beach trip did not. [1] [24]

The doctor people remembered

Credentials mattered. Character lasted.

A physician’s physician

Billy was a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and led pediatrics at Barksdale Air Force Base for twenty-five years. A younger doctor remembered him as one of the kindest and most honorable physicians he had known, and as a model of how medicine should be practiced. [1] [24] [30]

By his patients

One mother recalled that her children liked Billy so much they invented ailments just to visit him. Patients trusted him, younger doctors learned from him, and his peers respected both his judgment and his gentle nature. [24]

Quick wit, long conversations

Billy’s humor could relax a tense committee room. Another doctor admitted that Billy’s own appointments often ran long because the two of them could always find thousands of things to discuss. [24]

A second career

Integrity in every case.

After retiring from Barksdale, Billy spent another twenty-six years as a pediatric consultant for Louisiana Disability Determination Services. He reviewed medical evidence and helped decide whether children qualified for disability assistance.

His colleagues remembered his patience, willingness to teach, sense of humor, and determination to reach the right decision in every case. The word that appeared again and again in their memories was integrity. He continued working until 2017, retiring at eighty-six. [24] [31]

Doc at home

Firmly on the side of the good guys.

To his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Billy was “Doc.” He was gentle, funny, unassuming, and firmly on the side of the good guys. He loved running, ping-pong, the Cowboys, and the family’s beach trips. Medicine was part of who he was, and so was being surrounded by family. [1] [24]

Billy died peacefully at home on April 7, 2020. He and Gwen had been married for sixty-five years. Behind that number were medical school, military service, four early homes, three children, decades in Bossier City, friends, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all those trips to the beach. [1] [24]

Gwen’s family

The next generations.

Three children, six grandchildren, one granddog, and eight great-grandchildren.

01

Bill McKellar

married Sandy Spohn · July 29, 1978

  • Katie Beville
  • Kristen McKellar
  • Matt McKellar
Family photographBill and Sandy McKellar
02

Diane Wheelahan

married Tim Wheelahan · December 6, 1986

  • Megan Descant
  • Mary Lauren Barcelona
  • Madeline Davison
Family photographTim and Diane Wheelahan
03

Jim McKellar

partner Mark Weber · January 28, 1998

  • Joey McWeber · granddog
Family photographJim McKellar and Mark Weber

Gwen and Billy’s children

Three lives shaped by the example they set.

01

Bill · Basketball and leadership

Leadership beyond the court.

Bill arrived at Northwestern State from Parkway High as a 6-foot-1 basketball guard. He played for the Demons and was later selected for Blue Key, a national honor fraternity recognizing academic standing, leadership, and campus involvement. [39] [40] [41] Bill went on to a long career as an accountant and financial executive, including many years as chief financial officer of Kilpatrick Life Insurance Company in Shreveport. [60] [61] The leadership first recognized at Northwestern continued in both his career and community life. In 2025, he chaired the Leadership Board at First United Methodist Church. [15]

02

Diane · Physical therapy and teaching

From patients to students.

Diane’s years at Northwestern State University were full: State Fair Queen, Wesley Foundation, Bat Girls, Purple Jackets, student government, and, in 1979, Miss NSU, the university’s highest student honor. [42] [43] She went on to a career as a physical therapist in Shreveport, working in rehabilitative services at LSU Health Sciences Center. There she cared for patients and also served as an instructor in physical therapy. Her work spanned both sides of the profession: helping people recover and teaching future therapists how to help others do the same. [44]

03

Jim · Higher education

A career spent helping students lead.

Jim spent 35 years working in higher education, beginning at Centenary College and continuing at Virginia Tech, the University of South Carolina, the University of Illinois, Harvard Law School, and Babson College. [62] [63] [64] [65] His career culminated in his role as CEO and general manager of Harvard Student Agencies, which he assumed in 2007. There, he led the world’s largest student-run company and gave students real authority while teaching them to read a balance sheet, run a meeting, recover from mistakes, and grow into responsibility. [45] [46]

Six grandchildren

Gwen and Billy at Orange Beach AL with their six grandchildren: Katie, Kristen, Megan, Mary Lauren, Matt, and Madeline.

Magazine coverGwen, Billy & the grandchildrenAdd as photos/gwen-billy-grandchildren-magazine-cover.png
Great-grandchildren

Anna Kate · Camille · James Garrett · GiGi · Maggie · Alice · Parks · Whit

K

Gwen’s granddaughter

Kristen McKellar

Kristen graduated from Airline High School in 2001 after three years with the Blue Angels Danceline. She was an honor-roll student, served in several school organizations, and went on to Louisiana Tech. During her freshman year, Kristen was killed in a hit-and-run crash caused by a drunk driver. Her friends later created a scholarship in her name for members of Airline’s Blue Angels, carrying forward the dance, generosity, and friendship for which they remembered her. [28]

Webster Parish roots

The place the family kept returning to.

“Minden Family” became shorthand for more than a place. Meals and games in Gwen’s childhood home, reunions at Toledo Bend and “the farm,” beach trips, and cousins visiting one another around the world kept the family connected across generations. [27]

01

Vander Almond and the older roots

Gwen’s paternal grandparents were Vander and Maggie Almond. Vander was born May 26, 1884, died October 9, 1962, and is recorded at Gardens of Memory Cemetery in Minden. Their known children included Mary G. Almond Garrett, Ernest Almond, and Turner Almond Sr. Mary’s obituary independently identifies Gwendolyn McKellar, Jamie Gaither, and Turner Almond Jr. as her niece, niece, and nephew. [54]

Family history from Gwen’s brother, Jimmy, gives the farm a clearer beginning. Jimmy identifies Fate as Vander’s brother and J.J. Almond as their father. According to Jimmy, J.J. received a land grant of approximately 600 acres and later sold parcels to his sons, including Vander, Henry, and Walter. Vander and Maggie purchased 120 acres. With horses and mules, they raised produce and livestock for the household and grew cotton as their principal cash crop. This was the farm Gwen knew.

A 1937 newspaper report brings Vander’s work into view. Cooperating with the Soil Conservation Service, he described successfully growing vetch and said farmers first had to prevent erosion, then rebuild the soil. He planned additional cover crops. The following year, a community column placed the Vander Almond family in Antioch Baptist women’s projects for the Baptist Children’s Home. [54]

Fate’s obituary separately records that he and Willie B. Almond raised nine children on a cotton farm in Webster Parish. It does not establish whether Fate’s farm was another part of J.J.’s original tract or a different property. [34]

02

A family geography

Vander Almond Road still exists outside Minden. Nearby roads include Almond Circle, Almond Road, Henry Almond Road, and Joe Almond Lane. Together, they preserve several branches of Gwen’s Almond family. Jimmy says Joe Almond Lane was named for Joe Almond, a son of Vander’s brother Walter, not for Fate’s possible son Joe. He identifies Henry as the namesake of Henry Almond Road and says the road led to Henry’s home on land believed to have been purchased from J.J.

A 1979 report described the old Henry Almond home off Old Athens Road as about a century old when it burned. The report supports the long history of an Almond home there, while Jimmy’s family account identifies Henry as the road’s namesake. [54]

Family-confirmed

Jimmy identifies Fate, Henry, and Walter as Vander’s brothers. He says J.J. sold land to his sons rather than giving it to them, and that Vander and Maggie purchased 120 acres. Deeds or plats could still document the exact sales and boundaries.

Family photographThe Almond Family

The Almond Family

Family history identifies Joseph Johnson (J.J.) Almond as the first Almond in Louisiana. The twelfth of twelve children in a Georgia family, J.J. came to Louisiana in 1870 and married Rebecca Elizabeth Youngblood, who already lived in Minden. He was nineteen and she was sixteen. In the photograph, Vander stands directly in front of the large tree, in the second row from the top. James Turner Almond, Sr. is at the far left of the back row. His mother, Maggie Turner Almond, stands directly in front of him wearing glasses.

Names carried forward

Threads across generations.

Names and shared institutions reappear before and after Gwen.

01

Louisiana Tech and a Phi Mu family thread

Gwen’s 1951–53 yearbook records give this family thread its documented beginning. The 1955 Lagniappe then lists Jamie Almond in Secretarial Science and Phi Mu. Jimmy later led the Student Senate, and Gwen’s granddaughter Kristen also enrolled at Tech. Louisiana Tech was not simply a chapter that ended at graduation; it became a place shared across the family. [13] [51] [52] [53]

02

The name “Dougal”

Through Billy, Gwen joined a McKellar line in which a variation of the name appears across five generations: John Dougal McKellar; his son John Dugal McKellar; John Dougal’s grandson Billy Dougal McKellar; Billy’s son William Dougal McKellar; and William's son James Matthew Dougal McKellar. [8]

03

The name “Garrett”

George Garrett McKellar, born in 1892, and William Narl McKellar were brothers. Family history says Jim’s middle name, Garrett, was chosen in honor of Billy’s Uncle Doc. The name continues with Gwen’s great-grandson James Garrett Descant. [8]

04

Five cousins, one fellowship

In 2023, Brad Almond, Brian Almond, Diane Wheelahan, Bill McKellar, and Jim McKellar established the Dr. Robert Kevin Gaither ’96 Graduate Fellowship at Texas A&M. Each gave $5,000 toward a $25,000 endowment supporting graduate study in English or history. Brad described them as five cousins from Kevin’s maternal family in Minden. The fellowship honors Kevin while preserving a bond among the next generation of Minden cousins. [5]

In Gwen’s own words

Twenty questions with Gwen.

Brief answers about the people, places, and moments she remembers. Select a question to read her answer.

In Gwen’s own words

Gwen’s story

Private family editor

Gwen’s questions and answers.

Add a question, paste Gwen’s answer, choose whether it appears on the site, and arrange the stories in the order you want.

    A shared collection

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    Sources and research notes

    What is known. What comes next.

    This is a research edition, not a claim that every question is settled. Sources are listed so later discoveries can correct or deepen the story.

    Linked sources

    1. Billy Dougal McKellar obituaryRose-Neath Funeral Homes · full biography, education, medical training, Air Force service, career, family, interests, and death
    2. Jamie Almond Gaither obituaryThe Advocate / Legacy · family, education, church life, interests, death, and burial
    3. Iru Wade Smith Daugherty obituaryTexarkana Funeral Homes · Smith family and Almond/McKellar connection
    4. “Turnover in city government not new”Minden Press-Herald · 1962 council election and city government
    5. Family honors Aggie’s legacyTexas A&M University · the five Minden cousins and Kevin Gaither fellowship
    6. 2005 Cajun Cup 10K resultsCajun Road Runners · Gwen age 73 and Jamie age 70
    View 58 more linked sourcesHide additional linked sources
    1. 2008 Cajun Cup 10K resultsCajun Road Runners · Gwen and Jamie finishing together
    2. Plain Dealing Cemetery transcriptionMcKellar burials · John Dougal, Hittie, William Narl, Zuma Kate, and related McKellars
    3. Bossier People and Places indexBossier Parish Libraries History Center · July 22, 1954 engagement citation, page 1, column B
    4. Turner Almond public professional profileLouisiana Tech leadership, accounting career, international assignments, retirement, and tree-farm stewardship
    5. The Bossier Banner archive guideOnline Books Page · historical archive routing
    6. September 2025 church newsletterFirst United Methodist Church of Bossier City · Gwen McKellar birthday listed as September 19
    7. 1955 Lagniappe yearbookLouisiana Tech University · Jamie Carolyn Almond, Secretarial Science, and Phi Mu; archival context for Gwen’s college years
    8. Peggy Holland Padgham obituaryGeo. J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home · Minden upbringing, education, later teaching career, travels, and Gwen named as a lifelong friend
    9. First Methodist Bossier lay leaders2025 Leadership Board · William McKellar listed as chairperson
    10. Pathways, Fall 2004Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services · donor records naming Billy and Gwen McKellar together
    11. History of MindenCity of Minden · the 1933 fire, bank failure, tornado, historic school site, and Louisiana Ordnance Plant
    12. Historical population of Louisiana placesU.S. Census Bureau · Minden population figures for 1930, 1940, and 1950
    13. Historic Minden High SchoolMinden Historic Residential District · campus and building history
    14. Webster Parish school yearbooksWebster Parish Library archive · digitized Minden High yearbooks beginning in 1921
    15. History of Plain DealingTown of Plain Dealing · settlement, plantation, naming, and incorporation
    16. 1950–51 Louisiana Polytechnic Institute catalogLouisiana Tech Digital Commons · the institution and its formal name during Gwen and Billy’s college years
    17. Lagniappe yearbook archiveLouisiana Tech Digital Commons · digitized volumes include 1951–53 but skip 1954, the likely location of Gwen’s senior material
    18. Billy McKellar obituary guestbookShreveport Times / Legacy · separate patient, physician, Barksdale, Disability Determination Services, neighbor, and friend recollections
    19. Minden Herald, August 18, 1950, page 3Newspapers.com OCR lead · “Gwendolyn Almond” appears in search text; the page image and event have not yet been reviewed
    20. Robert Kevin Gaither obituaryFountain Memorial Funeral Home / Legacy · the Minden Family, reunions, trips, cousins, and Gwen’s continuing place in the extended family
    21. Kristen McKellar memorial fundraising accountK945 / Bossier Parish Schools excerpt · Airline High, Blue Angels Danceline, Louisiana Tech, fatal collision, and the memorial scholarship
    22. 1950 Minden High GrigMinden High School · Gwen’s editor-in-chief role, senior activities, Press Clinic photograph with Peggy Holland, and Jamie’s freshman activities
    23. American Academy of Pediatrics memorial listingAAP News · Billy D. McKellar, M.D., FAAP
    24. Louisiana state professional-services contract reportState of Louisiana · Disability Determination Services medical-consultant work interpreting evidence for disability claims
    25. Plain Dealing Cemetery transcription, A–GBarnett burials · T. Z. Barnett and E. M. Evans Barnett buried together in Plain Dealing Cemetery
    26. Plain Dealing Cemetery transcription, O–ZCompanion page completing the cemetery inventory used with the McKellar and Barnett research
    27. Sarah A. Minter obituaryRose-Neath Funeral Homes · Fate and Willie B. Almond household, nine children, and a Webster Parish cotton farm
    28. Cajun Road Runners results archiveAvailable 2005–12 Cajun Cup results reviewed · shared appearances found in 2005 and 2008
    29. Lalia Smith Almond obituary clippingNewspapers.com · April 7, 1987 death date and April 8 publication
    30. 1962–63 Doyline High PanoramaYearbook advertisement naming “Turner Almond” as secretary-treasurer of Willis Lumber Company; identity unresolved
    31. 1965 University of Southwestern Louisiana L’AcadienJamie Almond Gaither listed as a sophomore in the College of Education
    32. 1975–76 Northwestern State Current SauceBill McKellar identified as a 6-foot-1 basketball guard from Parkway High School
    33. 1976 Northwestern State PotpourriBill McKellar photographed and named with the men’s basketball team
    34. 1975 Northwestern State PotpourriBill McKellar selected for Blue Key, the national men’s honor fraternity
    35. 1978–79 Northwestern State Current SauceDiane McKellar’s State Fair Queen title, Wesley Foundation, Bat Girls, Purple Jackets, and student-government service
    36. Northwestern State traditions archiveDiane McKellar and Terry McCarty named Miss and Mr. NSU for 1979
    37. LSU Health Sciences Center Pulse, 2008Diane Wheelahan, PT, listed as an instructor in physical therapy
    38. Harvard Student Agencies historyJim McKellar taking the reins as general manager in 2007
    39. Harvard Gazette profile of Harvard Student AgenciesJim McKellar on student decision-making, supported mistakes, and teaching practical business leadership
    40. Turner and Lalia Almond fishing reportMinden Press-Herald · June 17, 1975 · successful crappie-fishing weekend
    41. Certificate of appreciation for Lalia AlmondMinden Press-Herald · September 3, 1976 · recognition of her service as deputy registrar of voters
    42. Webster Parish election noticeMinden Press-Herald · November 15, 1979 · Lalia Almond named among polling-place commissioners
    43. Webster Parish centennial preparationsMinden Press-Herald · March 3, 1971 · South Webster Women’s Participation Division
    44. 1951 Louisiana Polytechnic Institute LagniappeLouisiana Tech Digital Commons · Gwen’s freshman portrait, Home Economics major, Minden hometown, and Phi Mu membership
    45. 1952 Louisiana Polytechnic Institute LagniappeLouisiana Tech Digital Commons · sophomore portrait, Home Economics, Phi Mu, Campus Women’s Council, Wesley Foundation, and Home Economics Club
    46. 1953 Louisiana Polytechnic Institute LagniappeLouisiana Tech Digital Commons · junior portrait, Home Economics, Phi Mu secretary, Panhellenic Council, Blue Jackets, and Home Economics Club
    47. Minden newspaper archive research setWebster Parish Library · school coverage from 1947–49, 1954 marriage-license and pre-wedding reports, Almond family and farming coverage, Turner’s civic records, and his 1991 obituary
    48. College yearbooks in the Genealogy DepartmentOuachita Parish Public Library · holdings list includes a 1954 Louisiana Tech Lagniappe
    49. Tulane University In MemoriamTulane University · Billy D. McKellar listed with the School of Medicine class of 1955
    50. Shreveport Times photographic-negative collectionLSU Shreveport Archives · inventory includes Bossier General officers, volunteers, dedication, gift-shop, and open-house photographs from 1965–69
    51. Louisiana Methodist, 1951First Methodist Church of Minden · James Turner Almond Jr. named among young people received into church fellowship
    52. Lucy Boudreaux Simmons obituaryYvonne Simmons Almond’s parents and Lucy Simmons’s service at St. Paul Catholic Church
    53. Louisiana State Board of CPAs recordWilliam Dougal McKellar’s CPA credential
    54. Mathews v. Hixson Brothers, Inc.Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal · 2002 decision identifies Bill McKellar as Kilpatrick Life Insurance Company’s chief financial officer
    55. Virginia Tech Commission on Student Affairs minutesDecember 1991 · Jim McKellar’s move from Virginia Tech to the University of South Carolina
    56. The Gamecock, November 9, 1992University of South Carolina · Jim McKellar listed as student media coordinator
    57. 1997 University of Illinois IllioJim McKellar listed as publisher at Illini Media
    58. “There’s an Agency for That”The Harvard Crimson · Jim McKellar’s University of Illinois and Babson background and his work at Harvard Student Agencies