Brad Mathis - Submitted for the USGenWeb by Richard P. Sevier 5/21/2012

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Brad Mathis - Madison Parish, Louisiana 

From Tallulah Madison Journal March 9, 1994

Youth with local ties dies from rare bacterial illness

A 15-year-old Ouachita Parish High School student with Madison Parish roots died in Vicksburg last 
Tuesday of a rare disease.

Brad Mathis died of Waterhouse-Friderischsen syndrome, a type of bacterial infection closely related to 
meningoPoccal meningitis, according to the Warren County Coroners office. Instead of entering the cerebral 
spinal fluid, the bacteria entered the teenager's bloodstream, affected his adrenal glands and shutting 
down the production of hormones and chemicals necessary to sustain life, Warren County Coroner L. W. Callaway 
said.

The meningococcus bacteria probably exist in 2 or 3 percent of the population at any giventime, according 
to Louisiana Public Health officials. But only 35 u-50 people actually get sick. Less than 10 percent of 
these illnesses are fatal, officials said.

The disease is spread through close contact with someone infected, but public health officials say there 
is no cause for alarm. People who had close contact with Mathis should visit their family doctors to determine 
if preventative medicine is needed, officials said.

Mathis lived in Monroe with his mother Cynthia Mathis. He was a member of the Ouachita Parish High School track 
team and football team.

He was in Tallulah to visit his father Cleve Mathis and do some fishing when he became ill March 1, officials said.


Funeral services for Mr. Brad Mathis, 15, were held Friday with Rev. John Rushing officiating. Burial 
was at Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Crothers-Glenwood Funeral Home.

Mr. Mathis, a freshman at Ouachita High School, died March 1 in Vicksburg.

He is survived by his parents Cleve Mathis of Tallulah and Cynthia Mathis of Monroe; two brothers, 
Eric Mathis of Tallulah and Brian Mathis of Monroe; one half-brother; Tommy Mathis of Delhi; his maternal 
grandfather; Charles R. McKinnie of Tallulah; and paternal grandfather, Robert Mathis of Tallulah.

Pallbearers were Bean Taylor; Casey Robinson, Carter Hay, Ryan Mahoney, Lee Ledart and Kirk Davis.

Honorary pallbearers were the freshman football team of Ouachita High School.