Prelude
“Fucking Partin. I should have killed him that night, when I had the chance.”
Chuckie O’brien, adopted son of Jimmy Hoffa, and step-father of Jack Goldfinch
New York Times, Feb. 28, 1973:
ATLANTA, Feb. 27 (UPI)—Edward Grady Partin, a former Louisiana official of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was convicted today of extortion in trying to fashion a monopoly in the concrete business in Baton Rouge by using violence against a competitor.
The jury deliberated about three hours before finding Partin guilty in his third trial on charges of using threats and violence to try to help a pipe manufacturer, Ted F. Dunham, set up a monopoly. The two previous trials resulted in mistrials.
Partin, who was ordered returned April 6 for sentencing, was a key Government witness in the trial of the former teamsters’ union president, James R. Hoffa[m] for jury tampering.
The defense attorney James Neal of Nashville, cited the record of Dale McClanahan, the Government’s chief witness, and asked the jury; “Can you believe a man with three felony convictions?”
He said that McClanahan previously gave affidavits to the effect he knew of no wrongdoing by Partin.
McClanahan testified that he had been paid by Partin to lead a “goon squad” attack against a construction crew of a Dunham, conmpetitor, W.O. Bergeron.
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Desico, Robert M.
Died 4:50 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15, 1989, at his residence in Baton Rouge. Hew as a native of Canada. Memorial Services at St. George Catholic church at 10 a.m. Friday. Survived by wife, Lois H. Desico, a sister and brother-in-law, Rose D. and Clarence Petipren, Florida; a niece, Wendy Partin, Baton Rouge; and a great-nephew, Jason Partin, Baton Rouge. Preceeded in death by parents, Phillip and Blance Provinceal Descioc. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity.
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Los Angeles Times, March 13th, 1990:
BATON ROUGE, La. — Edward Grady Partin, the labor leader whose testimony sent Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa to prison in 1967 and who himself was convicted of extortion, has died at 66.
Partin, who died Sunday at a nursing home here, suffered from heart disease and diabetes.
A native of Woodville, Miss., Partin was business manager of Teamsters Local 5 in Baton Rouge for 30 years.
Partin, a close associate of Hoffa, helped then-Atty. Gen. Robert F. Kennedy convict the Teamsters boss in 1964 of jury tampering. Partin testified that Hoffa had offered him $20,000 to fix the jury at Hoffa’s 1962 trial on charges of taking kickbacks from a trucking company. That trial ended in a hung jury, but Hoffa eventually was convicted of jury tampering and mail fraud and served nearly five years in federal prison.
James Neal, a prosecutor in the jury-tampering trial in Chattanooga, Tenn., said that when Partin walked in the courtroom, Hoffa gasped, “My God, it’s Partin!”
The government later spent several years and three trials prosecuting Partin on labor corruption charges before he went to prison in 1980 for conspiracy to obstruct justice by hiding witnesses and arranging for perjured testimony.
While in prison, he pleaded no contest to conspiracy, racketeering and embezzling $450,000 in union money. He was released to a halfway house in 1986.
Union members at one time voted to continue paying his salary while he was in prison. He was removed from office in 1981.
Survivors include his mother, two brothers, a sister, five daughters, two sons and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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Rothdram, Joyce
Died 2:40 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, 1990
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Desico, Lois M.
Died 12:03 a.m. Sunday, July 25, 1993
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Barbee B. Abrams
BIRTH 1945
DEATH 1994 (aged 48–49)
BURIAL Greenoaks Memorial Park
Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, USA Show Map GPS-Latitude: 30.4600130, Longitude: -91.0823664
PLOT Azalea Garden.
MEMORIAL ID 127676946
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The Baton Rouge Advocate, published Mar. 26 to Mar. 29, 2014:
Dale Glenn Ketelsen, 78, Retired Teacher and Coach, passed away March 22, 2014 at Ollie Steele Burden Manor with his wife by his side. A Memorial service will be held Saturday, March 29 at University United Methodist Church, 3350 Dalrymple Drive. Visitation will begin at 10 am with a service to follow at 12 pm conducted by Rev. Larry Miller. Dale is survived by his wife of 52 years, Pat Ballard Ketelsen, 2 sons: Craig (Emily) Ketelsen of Covington, La; Erik (Bonnie) Ketelsen, Atlanta, Ga and one daughter, Penny (Lee) Kelly, Nashville, TN; 5 grandchildren: Katie, Abby, Brian and Michael Ketelsen and Graham Kelly; a Sister-in-Law, Karen Ketelsen of Osage, Iowa, and numerous neices and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 sisters and a brother. Dale was born in Osage, Iowa where he attended High School, lettering in 4 sports. Upon graduation, he attended Iowa State University as a member of the wrestling team where he was a 2 time All American and won 2nd and 3rd in the NCAA finals in Wrestling. He was a finalist in the Olympic Trials for the 1960 Olympics. After graduation, he joined the US Marine Reserves and returned to ISU as an Asst. Wrestling Coach. In 1961, he took a job as Teacher/Coach at Riverside-Brookfield High School in Suburban Chicago, Ill. While there, he also earned a Masters Degree from Northern Illinois University. In 1968, he was hired to start a Wrestling program at LSU in Baton Rouge, La. He was on the Executive Board of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and a founding member of USA Wrestling. He was the wrestling host for the National Sports Festival in 1985, He was instrumental in promoting wrestling in the High Schools in Louisiana. He was head Wrestling Coach at Belaire High School for 20 years and Assistant Wrestling coach at The St. Paul’s School in Covington, La. He was devoted to Faith, Family, Farm and the sport of Wrestling. Among his many honors were induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and being named Master of Wrestling (Man of the Year) for Wrestling USA magazine. He was a long time member and Usher of University United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Alzheimer’s Services, 3772 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, La. 70806.
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Published by The Baton Rouge Advocate from April 08 to April 09, 2019:
Wendy Rothdram Partin, a resident of St. Francisville, LA, passed way on Friday, April 5th, 2019 at the age of 63. Wendy attended Glenoaks High School in Baton Rouge, LA, and retired from Exxon Mobil. She is survived by her son, Jason Ian Partin, of San Diego, CA. She was preceded in death by her mother, Joyce Rothdram, and her aunt and uncle, Lois and Robert Desico, all of Baton Rouge, LA. During her retirement, she became a master gardener and enjoyed helping people with their lawns. She enjoyed cooking, and took food to anyone she knew who was ill or grieving. Wendy loved animals, and worked with local shelters to foster dogs until they found permanent homes. She passed away unexpectedly from liver failure. In lieu of gifts or a service, please spend time sharing what you love with your neighbor, listen to what they love, and help each other.
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