Uvvon Serena Abbess Haymon

Uvvon Serena Abbess Haymon of Baton Rouge, La. Serena A. Haymon, born July 24, 1949 in Liberty, Texas, passed away on July 24, 2026, her birthday, and Utah’s widely celebrated Pioneer Day.

A convert, to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Serena was a pioneer in her own right.Throughout her life, she worked as a bartender, beautician, artist, keynote speaker, and lobbyist, eventually becoming an avid genealogist whose work benefited researchers across the world. She spent years locating lost cemeteries throughout the South and searching courthouses for surviving census materials.Her most significant contribution was identifying and extracting a set of school‑census documents known as the Educable Children Records—a system created to replace courthouse census documents destroyed by fire. Her work preserved names, family structures, and district information that would otherwise have been lost, helping genealogists worldwide trace their roots.

Serena is preceded in death by her siblings Diane Wood Trum, Jennie Talley, Kenneth Abbess, Dwayne Randall, and Cecil Wood. Children Christopher A Haymon and Thomas A Haymon, her granddaughter Ruth Townsend; and her parents Reda V. Randall Beard and James L. Abbess. She is survived by her uncle Ronnie Randall (Ana). Densyl L. Haymon Jr. her husband of 43 years and their children Cynthia Perry (Timothy), Andrea Townsend (William), and Jessica S. Hardy (Joseph). And her 9 grandchildren.

Funeral services and burial will be held privately. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family invites donations to The Jerusalem Baptist Church, 11109 Jerusalem Church Rd, Hammond, LA 70403