Obituaries from April 2005

Cecil Pearl Hicks (04/28/05)
Cecil Pearl Hicks, 99, of Rector, died Saturday, April 23, 2005, at Paragould. Born Nov. 9, 1905, in Arlington, Texas, she was a homemaker. Preceding her in death were her husband, John Wesley Hicks Sr.; one son, John Wesley Hicks Jr; two daughters, Betty J. Young and Carolyn S. Jackson, and two brothers, Herman and Howard Sims...

Christina Marie McDonald (04/14/05)
Christina Marie McDonald, 5, of Malden, Mo., formerly of Rector, died Wednesday, April 6, 2005. She was born Sept. 3, 1999, in Hot Springs. She was a kindergarten student and had lived her life in this community. Survivors include her parents, Windell Matheney and Jessica Leigh McDonald of Malden; one brother, Austin Thrasher of Malden; grandparents, David Laxton and Katrina Laxton of Rector and Teresa Morgan of Malden; great-grandparents, J.D. ...

Edward Eugene Hamm (04/14/05)
Edward Eugene Hamm, 78, of Lafe, died Wednesday, April 6, 2005, in the V.A. Hospital at St. Louis. He was born March 5, 1927, in Cash to the late William Robert Hamm and Minnie (Broadway) Hamm Priest. He was a construction worker, a veteran of the Army, a member of VFW Post 3516 in Kinghan, Ariz., and of the Baptist faith...

Robert G. O'Dell (04/14/05)
Robert G. O'Dell, 97, of Rockford, Ill., died on Saturday, April 9, 2005. He was born May 31, 1907, in Columbus, Ky., the son of the late George Roland O'Dell and Floridia Hamilton O'Dell. He was united in marriage to Leona Bishop on Oct. 14, 1933. They had one son, John George O'Dell, who was born on Nov. 6, 1934...

Louvea Jeanne Pratt (04/14/05)
Louvea Jeanne Pratt, 71, of Rector, died Friday, April 8, 2005, at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born April 8, 1934, in Rector to the late Joe Gilkison and Julie (Layne) Gilkison, she was a special education teacher, an antique dealer, a member of the Chruch of Christ and had lived most of her life in this community...

Roy Steed (04/14/05)
Roy Steed, 70, of Marmaduke died Saturday, April 9, 2005, at his home. Born Sept. 5, 2005, in Hartselle, Ala., to the late Emmett Steed and Ruby (Woods) Steed, he was in maintenance with Rockford Tool and Die, a Navy veteran and a member of the Stonewall Community Church...

Verneal Thompson (04/14/05)
Verneal Thompson, 88, of Greene Acres Nursing Home in Paragould, formerly of Marmaduke, died Friday, April 8, 2005, at Greene Acres Nursing Home. Born Oct. 1, 1916, in Greene County to the late Moses Starnes and Nancy Bell (Staires) Starnes, she was a homemaker, a member of Ramer's Chapel United Methodist Church and a lifelong member of the community...

Dorothy Aline Jones (04/14/05)
Dorothy Aline Jones, 75,of Oak Grove died Saturday, April 9, 2005, at Oak Grove. Born Sept. 6, 1929, in Parkin to the late Jewell and Henry Fahr, she was retired from Brown's Shoe Factory and of the Baptist faith. She also was preceded in death by two brothers, Roy and Denver Fahr; one son-in-law, Dennis Robertson, and one great-granddaughter, Molly Robinson...

Ethel Marie Cruce (04/14/05)
Ethel Marie Cruce, 86, of Harrison, a native of Marmaduke, died Monday, April 4, 2005, at the Hilltop Nursing Center in Harrison. Born Feb. 26, 1919, in Marmaduke, Mrs. Cruce was a homemaker and of the Southern Baptist faith. Survivors include one daughter, Nika Cruce of Harrison, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren...

Lottie Mae Blackshear (04/14/05)
Lottie Mae Blackshear, 87, of Paragould, died Friday, April 8, 2005, at Paragould. Born April 7, 1918, in El Paso, Ark., to the late Emma and Walter Cordell, she was a retired nurse and of the Pentecostal faith. She also was preceded in death by her husband, Robert O. Blackshear; one brother, Bill Cordell, and three sisters, Virgie Sumler, Mammie Grigsby and Charlene Long...

Joe Wesley Hosier (04/14/05)
Joe Wesley Hosier, 63, of Lafe died Thursday, April 7, 2005, at his home. Born April 26, 1941, in Harrisburg, he was a truck driver, an employee of Southern Bank of Commerce and a Catholic. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Violet Hosier...

Lorena Horner (04/28/05)
Funeral services for 91-year-old Lorena Horner, formerly of Rector, who died Tuesday, April 19, 2005, in St. Elizabeth's Place in Jonesboro, were held at 10 a.m. Friday, April 23, in the Irby Funeral Home Chapel of Rector with James Henry Dortch officiating...

Patsy Ann "Pat" McClung (04/20/05)
Patsy Ann "Pat" McClung Greenway, 63, of Rector, died Wednesday, April 13, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born May 7, 1941, in Greene County to the late Earl James "E.J." McClung and Sally Marie (Eddington) McClung...

Genevieve Maxine Lovelady (04/20/05)
Graveside services for 86-year-old Genevieve Maxine Lovelady of Fenton, Mich., formerly of Rector, will be at 11 a.m. today (Wednesday, April 20) at Woodland Heights Cemetery in Rector with Rev. Larry Martineau officiating. Irby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

Gerald Dwight McDowell (04/20/05)
Gerald Dwight McDowell, 78, of Marmaduke died Friday, April 15, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. He was born Aug. 8, 1926, to the late Archie and Lucinda (Gibbs) McDowell in Greene County. He was a retired farmer and a member of Ramer's Chapel Methodist Church...

Jim Champlin (04/28/05)
Jim Champlin, husband of the late Donna Champlin and son-in-law of the late Donald and Doma McCluney of Rector, died suddenly of a heart attack Wednesday, April 6. He would have been 71 on May 24. A 33-year resident of Coronado, Calif., Mr. Champlin is survived by his life-partner Betsy Roick; his children, Jim and his wife Linda; Katie and her husband Simon, and Marcie; his sister, Carolyn, of Fredericktown, Mo.; his grandchildren, Sarah and Jake, and sister-in-law, Mary Crews of Maumelle...

Wanda L. (Austin) Schultz (04/14/05)
Wanda L. (Austin) Schultz, 74, of Perryville, Mo., formerly of Piggott and Greenway, died Sunday, April 3, 2005, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Oct. 22, 1930, in Greene County, Ark., the daughter of Nelson W. and Lillie (Mofield) Austin Sr...

Doilie Vera Wagster (04/20/05)
Graveside services for 84-year-old Doilie Vera Wagster of Rector, who died Friday, April 15, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center, were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Woodland Heights Cemetery with Kirk Benson officiating. Mrs. Wagster was born Feb. 16, 1921, to the late John and Elva (Read) Gibbs...

Everett Manning Jr. (04/08/05)
Everett Manning Jr., 77, of Denver, Ind., a native of Rector, died Thursday, March 17, 2005, at St. Joseph Hospital in South Bend, Ind. Born Feb. 24, 1928, in Rector to the late Everett Eldon and Bessie Bookout Manning, he was a member of the Denver Baptist Church and the Bunker Hill Masonic Lodge, where he was a Past Master and currently was serving as Chaplain. He was a charter member of the Denver Lions and a member of the Walton Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star...

Donnie Mack "Red" Greenway (04/08/05)
Donnie Mack "Red" Greenway, 63, of Rector, died Saturday, April 2, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould as a result of an auto accident. He was born Nov. 1, 1941, in Walcott to the late Leon and Frankie Smith Greenway. He also was preceded in death by two brothers, Webb Greenway and Jim Greenway...

Vadalia Francis Pruett (04/08/05)
Vadalia Francis Pruett, 86, of Paragould, formerly of Rector, died Friday, April 1, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. Born March 14, 1919, to the late Calvin Busby and Beulah Payne Busby, she was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church of Rector...

Amos Dalton Staggs (04/08/05)
Amos Dalton Staggs, 69, of Rector died Sunday April 3, 2005, at his home. Born Jan. 27, 1936, in Rector to the late Joe and Luvina Staggs, he worked for Emerson Electric, was a veteran and was of the Baptist faith. He also was preceded in death by his first wife, Ava Sue Staggs; two infant daughters; two brothers, Walter Lee and Nubern Staggs, and one sister, Edith Langster...

Virgie M. Rogers (04/01/05)
Virgie M. Rogers, 94, of Piggott, died Thursday, March 24, 2005, in the Jonesboro Health Care in Jonesboro. She was born May 25, 1910, in Rector, the daughter of the late William Walker and Della Irby Smith. She was united in marriage to Elbert Druie Rogers on Oct. 24, 1931. They had one son...

John O. Gordon (04/01/05)
John O. Gordon, 88, of Milan, Tenn., a native of Clay County, died Saturday, March 26, 2005, at his home. He was born June 30, 1916, in Clay County to the late Ernest Simpson Gordon and Nannie Ruth Overton Gordon. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Milan and a member of the Wylie Brewer Sunday School Class. He was a World War II U.S. Air Force veteran...

Ray Edward Underwood Sr. (04/20/05)
Ray Edward Underwood Sr., 79, of Cahokia, Ill., died on Tuesday, March 29, 2005, in Cahokia. He was born March 9, 1926, in Ullin, Ill., the son of the late Earnest and Vera Underwood. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one child...

Norman Harriss Grider (04/20/05)
Norman Harriss Grider, 68, a native of St. Louis, and a long-time resident of Mobile, Ala., died at his home in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2005. After graduating Sidney Lanier High School and Oklahoma University, he served in the U. S. Army...

Frederick "Fred" W. Allen (04/20/05)
Frederick "Fred" W. Allen, 67, died on Monday, March 28, 2005, at his home in St. Peters, Mo. He was born Jan. 7, 1938, in Pollard, the son of Rosa Leoma (Conley) Allen and the late Denver R. Allen. He was married to Margaret "Margie" Wiggi in 1956 and to this union four children were born...

Carmen Harris (Shaver) Templeton (04/20/05)
Carmen Harris (Shaver) Templeton died on Saturday, April 9, 2005, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Walnut Ridge. She was born Oct. 9, 1922, in Ingram Township of Arkansas, the daughter of Carter and Myrtle (Harris) Shaver. She was married on Oct. 25, 1941, to Cecil Keel Templeton. They had five children, Carmen Beatrice, Walter Cecil, Guy Calvin, Cecilia Sue and Mary Carol...

Joel Gilbert Muse (04/20/05)
Joel Gilbert Muse, 71, of Clarksville, Tenn., died Friday, April 8, 2005, at Gateway Medical Center. He was born on Dec. 2, 1933, in Clarkton, Mo., the son of the late Edward Gilbert Muse and Emma Morrisett Muse. Mr. Muse was a retired major in the U.S. Air Force, a veteran of the Vietnam War and a Baptist...

Delona M. Spinks (04/27/05)
Delona M. Spinks, 79, of Piggott died Tuesday, April 19, 2005, in the Gideon Care in Gideon, Mo. She was born on May 8, 1925, in Crockett, the daughter of the late Barney Richard and Ilah Bertha Goodwin Morrisett. She married Doyle M. Parrish in May of 1943. He preceded her in death in 1944. She married Harrison Houston Spinks on October 5, 1946. He preceded her in death in 2002...

Lawrence Grazevich (04/27/05)
Lawrence Grazevich, 82, of Piggott, died Saturday, April 23, 2005, in the Piggott Community Hospital. He was born on March 25, 1923, in Benld, Ill., the son of the late Carl and Augusta Grazevich. He married Maxine Showmaker in 1941. He is survived by his wife, Maxine Grazevich of Piggott, and other relatives and friends...

Bobby Ellis (04/20/05)
Bobby Ellis, 69, of Piggott, died Wednesday, April 13, 2005, in Jonesboro Health Care in Jonesboro, Ill. He was born on Sept. 14, 1935, to the late Julaish H. and Hattie Knuckles Ellis. He was preceded in death by an infant sister; and two brothers, J.R. Ellis and Randall Ellis...

Helen Crain (04/20/05)
Helen Crain, 81, of Piggott, died Tuesday, April 12, 2005, at the Green Acres Nursing Home in Paragould. She was born Aug. 28, 1923, in Crockett, the daughter of the late Austin and Ruby Hardin Dalton. She was married to Andrew Crain on May 21, 1945. They had six children...

Raymond Andrew Wright (04/20/05)
Raymond Andrew Wright, 88, of Piggott, died Tuesday, April 12, 2005, in the Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. He was born Nov. 27, 1916, near St. Louis, the only son of the late James Monroe and Lottie Cantrell Wright. He was married to Sylvia Virginia Hughes on Jan. 27, 1937. They had seven children...

Charles Bare (04/14/05)
Charles Bare, 83, of Hilmar, Calif., died Friday, Feb. 4, 2005, at Emanuel Medical Center. He was born Sept. 9, 1921, in Arkansas, the son of John Harry Bare and Margaret Jane "Jenny" Templeton Bare. He retired from the United States Navy Military Sea Transportation Service after 28 years at sea. He was in World War II in the South Pacific, also in the Korean War and Vietnam War, taking troops and supplies around the world...

Raymond Wright (04/14/05)
Raymond Wright, 88, of Piggott, died Tuesday, April 12, 2005, at the Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. Arrangements were incomplete at press time. A complete obituary will appear in next week's paper. Hoggard and Sons Funeral Home of Piggott is in charge of the arrangements...

Joan A. Libby Greaney (04/14/05)
Joan A. Libby Greaney, 72, of Piggott, died Tuesday, April 5, 2005, at Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott. She was born April 20, 1932, in Scarborough, Pine Point, Maine, the daughter of the late Leon Stanley and Oletta June Skillings Libby...

Ruth Hunter Ballard (04/08/05)
Ruth Hunter Ballard passed away on March 27, 2005, at Hope Hospice in Fort Myers, Fla., after a brief illness. She was born in Marianna, Ark., the daughter of Maude and Frank Hunter Sr. in 1916. She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers; two sisters; and her husband of 59 years, Willard H. Ballard...

Charles W. Tyler (04/14/05)
Charles W. Tyler, 66, of McDougal, died Sunday, April 10, 2005, at Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. He was born Dec. 9, 1938, in Knobel, the son of the late James Howell Tyler and Hazel Fay Floyd Tyler. He was united in marriage to Carmaleda Kilbreth on June 24, 1989...

Henry Cornelious Templeton (04/08/05)
Henry Cornelious Templeton, 94, of Arlington, Texas, formerly of Piggott, died on Saturday, March 26, 2005. He was the first child to be born in the new home on Cherry Street built by his father, W.D. "Buck" Templeton, on March 16, 1911. The home is now known as the "Pfeiffer-Janes House" and is part of the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center...

John Daniel Benson (04/08/05)
John Daniel Benson, 40, of Paragould, died Monday, March 28, 2005, in the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. He was born Jan. 2, 1965, in Piggott, the son of David and Cathleen Throgmorton Benson. He married Kimberly Gay Harmon on Feb. 14, 1996...

James R. Staples (04/14/05)
James R. Staples, former Arizona Southern Baptist leader and retired president of California Baptist University, died Monday, Jan. 3, 2005, in Dallas. Staples served two stints (1960-1962, 1970) as editor of the Baptist Beacon, newsjournal of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention (The Beacon was succeeded by Portraits magazine in 1997.)...

Virgie M. Rogers, 94, of Piggott, died Thursday, March 24, 2005, in the Jonesboro Health Care in Jonesboro. (04/01/05)
She was born May 25, 1910, in Rector, the daughter of the late William Walker and Della Irby Smith. She was united in marriage to Elbert Druie Rogers on Oct. 24, 1931. They had one son. She was preceded in death by one brother and four sisters. She is survived by her husband, Elbert Druie Rogers; one son, Joe Rogers and wife, Melba, of Jonesboro; three grandchildren, Preston Rogers and Melissa Rogers, both of Jonesboro, and Clifton Rogers of Racine, Wisc.; three great-grandchildren, Kyle, Joseph and Connor; and other relatives and friends.. ...

Oscar Conley Speer (04/01/05)
Oscar Conley Speer, 85, of Rector, died Saturday, March 12, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. Born June 20, 1919, in the Campground Community near Paragould to the late Joseph Speer and Amanda Ramer Speer, he was a mechanic, farmer, a World War II Army veteran, of the Methodist faith and had been a member of this community for 66 years...

William Clare Marris (04/01/05)
William Clare Marris, 90, died Monday, March 24, 2005, in Fort Myers, Fla. He was born July 7, 1914, in Piggott, the son of Rev. William H. and Oma Gilbert Marris. After graduating from Piggott High School, he attended the University of Arkansas receiving his degree in chemistry in 1936...

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