Esther Monroe

Sunrise October 30, 1926​
​Sunset October 6, 2025


Born October 30, 1926, in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, to Razly and Viola Monroe, Erastus Monroe, known as Esther Monroe, was a man of unwavering faith, deep devotion to family, entrepreneurial vision, and steadfast commitment to community. He accepted Christ as a pre-teen, baptized at St. Matthew Baptist Church in Ringgold, Louisiana, and ordained as deacon at Greenwood Acres Missionary Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Born during a time when opportunities for Black Americans were severely limited, Deacon Monroe’s life was a testament to perseverance, innovation, and service. He was raised on a farm near Ringgold, Louisiana, where he learned the values of hard work and self-reliance within the context of a tightly knit community. He understood that true independence meant being strong enough to lift others, and that working for the greater good strengthened everyone. These principles would guide him through nearly a century of remarkable achievements.

Education and Lifelong Learning
Education held profound importance for Deacon Monroe throughout his life. He completed his high school studies at Sumner High School in St. Louis, Missouri. While pursuing his high school studies, he worked various jobs including as a waiter and in the service of affluent families, where he learned bartending, formal table service, and the art of hospitality—valuable skills he would carry throughout his life.

In the fall of 1948, he began his studies at Grambling College toward a degree in Elementary Education, continuing his pursuit of knowledge even while working various jobs – ice truck driver, milkman, pulpwood hauler, construction worker, and insurance agent – and raising a family. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Christian Education, from Greenwood Acres Christian College and School of Ministry, when he was in his 60s, showing that learning was a lifelong commitment, not just a youthful pursuit.

Deacon Monroe’s dedication to education created a powerful legacy—one forged in the knowledge that his ancestors had risked death for the crime of literacy. Born just 61 years after slavery ended, when the memory of enslaved people being killed for reading and writing was still living history, he transformed that legacy of forbidden knowledge into one of academic achievement. He took immense pride in witnessing all his children graduate from college—a remarkable achievement for a Black family in the segregated South, where education remained both a pathway to freedom and an act of resistance. That legacy continued as he saw each of his grandchildren earn their college degrees. As he approached his 99th year, he looked forward with joy to knowing that his great-grandchildren would begin their college studies in 2026, carrying forward across four generations a value that his ancestors had died trying to claim.

He served his country with honor, including deployment to Yokohama, Japan, where his ship transported American soldiers home following Japan’s surrender in 1945. Despite facing the limitations placed on Black servicemen at the time, due to widespread racial segregation and discrimination, he fulfilled his duty with dignity. Decades later, his legacy of naval service would continue through his grandson, Jeremy Monroe, who chose to serve in the United States Navy, carrying forward his grandfather’s example of duty and honor.

A 75-Year Partnership
On August 27, 1947, Deacon Monroe married Jessie Mae Bradley, beginning a remarkable partnership that would last 75 years until her passing in August 2022. Together, they built a life centered on faith, family, and service. The couple first lived in Chestnut, Louisiana, in what was fondly remembered as “The Little Red House,” before moving to Poland Street in Shreveport in 1953 with their first four children. In 1957, they moved to the developing community of Greenwood Acres, where they would spend the rest of their lives and welcome their fifth child. Deacon Monroe often shared the secret to his long marriage was just two words, “Yes Dear.”

Entrepreneurial Spirit
Throughout his life, Deacon Monroe demonstrated an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit and determination to create opportunities for himself and his family. While working his primary job at the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant for 32 years, he simultaneously pursued many business ventures that showcased his versatility and work ethic. Deacon Monroe’s entrepreneurial journey began with learning the hardwood floor business, where he mastered the art of laying, sanding, and refinishing floors during his five years with a floor company. Recognizing an opportunity, he bought professional equipment from New Orleans and launched his own floor refinishing business, serving customers throughout Shreveport.

His ventures expanded to include a cleaning business serving professional offices, a vending machine business that ran for several years and eventually made the Monroe home the neighborhood’s unofficial snack shop, real estate work where he earned his license and worked with local firms, rental property management beginning in the late 1970s, and studies in electrical work and small engine repair, always seeking to expand his skills. Though not every venture achieved the success he hoped for, Deacon Monroe never stopped working, innovating, or looking for the next opportunity. His children grew up watching their father’s tireless work ethic, learning that success came from persistence, multiple income streams, and the courage to try new things.

Community Leadership and Church Involvement
Deacon Monroe was a founding member and pillar of Greenwood Acres Missionary Baptist Church (later Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church), established in 1957. Along with his wife Jessie and neighbors like Emma Pearl Tisby-Brown and Bernice Palmer, Deacon Monroe helped create a spiritual home for the Greenwood Acres community when none existed. Beyond Sunday worship, Deacon Monroe was instrumental in the church’s role as a community center, particularly during the civil rights era when the church became a hub for social justice activities.

His church involvement was deep and sustained. He served faithfully under the leadership of Elder Willie Earl Brown, Pastor M.M. Flynn, Bishop Fred Caldwell Jr., and Pastor Reginald Dodd. Deacon Monroe served as a deacon and chair of the deacon board, providing spiritual leadership and guidance to the congregation for years. For many years, he taught the Senior Adult Sunday School Class, sharing biblical wisdom and life experience with his peers. When Bishop Caldwell passed away in 2022, Deacon Monroe played an instrumental role in facilitating the election of Pastor Reginald Dodd during a time of deep grief and significant change, ensuring the church’s continued stability and mission.

One of Deacon Monroe’s most significant community contributions came in the 1960s when he helped establish and served as president of West Caddo Community Action Program. Under his leadership, the organization brought Head Start programming to Greenwood Acres, providing early childhood education to children in the community. The preschool ran out of Greenwood Acres Missionary Baptist Church and served as an integrated program at a time when such efforts were groundbreaking. His leadership required navigating complex relationships with white and Black community leaders, state representatives, and funding sources—work he approached with wisdom and determination.

Deacon Monroe also served as PTA president at Walnut Hill High School for five years, where he was known for his direct approach with teachers and his unwavering support of his children’s education. His philosophy was simple: trust the teachers and hold the students accountable.

His commitment to youth extended to organizing community baseball teams in Greenwood Acres, enlisting the help of former professional players including Charlie Progue (who played for Grambling) and John Wyatt, former outfielder of Baltimore Orioles. Under their coaching and Deacon Monroe’s organization, the Greenwood Acres teams became formidable competitors, teaching young people not just baseball fundamentals, but discipline, teamwork, and the value of preparation.

Civil Rights Era
During the 1960s, Deacon Monroe was actively involved in civil rights activities in Shreveport. He attended the historic meeting when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Galilee Baptist Church, where police issued parking tickets to attendees in an act of intimidation—tickets that were later dismissed when an attorney proved there were no “no parking” signs posted. He worked alongside community leaders like Reverend Flynn on voting rights initiatives.

These were dangerous times, and Deacon Monroe witnessed both the hope and the tragedy of the movement. When President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, followed by Dr. King’s murder in 1968, Deacon Monroe saw firsthand how these losses devastated the community and the nation. He also experienced workplace racism directly, including at the ammunition plant where he was hired as a “film viewer” but assigned janitorial duties, and later told by his supervisor that if he didn’t like how things were run, he could go home.

Despite these challenges and the pervasive segregation and hostility of the era, Deacon Monroe persevered, working to create change through community organizing and political action. He and other Greenwood Acres residents successfully fought for road improvements and infrastructure, even when it meant challenging local politicians who had long taken their votes for granted.

Professional Career
Deacon Monroe worked at the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant for 32 years before retiring in 1993 at age 67. His path to this stable employment illustrated both the racial barriers of the era and the informal networks that helped Black workers navigate them. After initially being told he “failed” employment tests, a helpful acquaintance advised him to use his Ringgold address instead of his Shreveport one—the plant was prioritizing hiring from smaller rural communities. The strategy worked, and Deacon Monroe began a career that would provide stability for his growing family.

His work ethic was legendary. Throughout his 32 years at the ammunition plant, he maintained multiple side businesses and ventures, often working seven days a week to provide for his family and build a better future.

Family Life and Legacy
Deacon Monroe —with his wife, Sis. Monroe — raised five children, instilling in them the values of education, hard work, faith, and service. Family gatherings often featured Deacon Monroe’s quiet presence, steady wisdom, dry wit, and watchful care over his growing family of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In the Greenwood Acres community, the Monroe home became a gathering place. The pine tree on the corner of Morrison Drive and Scott St was the meeting spot for many children in the community. Deacon Monroe’s various ventures—from raising cows and pigs to keeping rabbits and chickens, —made the Monroe property a unique and memorable part of many childhoods. Sunday evenings meant Baptist Training Union (BTU), which the entire family attended faithfully, even when it meant missing once-a-year television specials like “The Wizard of Oz” and “Cinderella.”

Deacon Monroe lived to see the election and re-election of the first Black president, the transformation of Shreveport, and nearly a century of American history. Through it all, he maintained his faith, his work ethic, and his commitment to family and community.

Throughout Deacon Monroe’s life he showed a deep commitment to honor of parents and living a healthy lifestyle, which included regular exercise and juicing - a practice he introduced to his children.

Survivors
Deacon Monroe leaves to cherish his memory: four children, Gerald Glen (Evelyn) Monroe, Brenda S. Monroe (late Benny James) Moten, Marvin Lane (Mary) Monroe, and Monica Gail (Otis) Houston; eleven grandchildren: Marcus (Tina) Monroe, Burl Thomas Jr., Angela Racquel Russell, Carmen Thomas (Kevin) Salone, Jeffrey (Stephanie) Monroe, Kimberlee Monroe Pinkney, Ashlee (Eric) Gilbert, Spencer Monroe, Joshua Moten, Erin Houston (Garrett) Jensen and Jeremy S. Monroe; eighteen great-grandchildren: Preston Salone, Bradley Salone, Jessie Thomas, Joi Thomas, Thomas Monroe, Hamilton Monroe, Mallory Monroe, Kayla Monroe, Benjamin Russell, Rebecca Russell, Lane Pinkney, Addison Pinkney, Jasmine Gilbert, Logan Gilbert, Aria Gilbert, and Jeremiah Gilbert, Clementine Jensen, Cullen Jensen; and the many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who knew him as a mentor, advisor, and steady presence.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Razly and Viola Monroe; his beloved wife of 75 years, Jessie Mae Bradley Monroe; his daughter, Barbara Jo Monroe Thomas; and his siblings: brothers Atkers, Hugh, and Lucious, and sister Audrey Jean Williams.