Obituaries from October 2006

William "Matt" Varner (10/10/06)
William "Matt" Varner, 98, of Cave City died Oct. 3, 2006, at the Cave City Nursing Home. He was born May 23, 1908, at Denver, Ark., to James Marshall and Susie Belle (Boyd) Varner. He was a retired farmer and a member of the First Church UPC in Batesville...

Wayne C. Graybeal Jr. (10/31/06)
Wayne C. "Mud Creek" Graybeal Jr., 72, of Williford died Oct. 21, 2006, at his residence. He was born May 28, 1934, at Lancaster, Pa., the son of the late Mildred Graybeal and Wayne Graybeal Sr. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps...

Winford "Bill" Caldwell (10/26/06)
Winford "Bill" Caldwell of Pleasant Grove, Ark., son of the late Eugene and Ann Bella (Piggott) Caldwell, was born on Oct. 6, 1923, at Parsons, W.Va. He died Oct. 16, 2006, at his home at the age of 83. Caldwell was united in marriage to Naoma Lavern Smith on Oct. 6, 1962, in South Mills, N.C. He later married Johnie Fly on March 15, 2004, at Salem, Ark...

Vila Oyler (10/03/06)
Vila Oyler, age 92, of Ash Flat died Sept. 23, 2006, at the Fulton County Hospital in Salem. She was born March 1, 1914, near Poughkeepsie to Samuel Wesley and Josie Ella (Powell) Anderson. She was a cook at Ash Flat and Highland schools for many years and a member of the Corinth Methodist Church at Ash Flat...

Viva (Gay) Simpson (10/26/06)
Viva Edealee (Gay) Simpson, 80, of Poughkeepsie died Oct. 19, 2006, at the Stone County Medical Center in Mountain View. She was born July 18, 1926, at Poughkeepsie, the daughter of Xephon and Eula (Norris) Gay. She was a homemaker, a member of the Eastern Star and active in community activities...

Truman C. Benton (10/03/06)
Truman C. Benton of Salem, son of the late John Allen and Ona Jane (Butts) Benton, was born Oct. 4, 1913, in Frenchtown, Ark. He died Sept. 28, 2006, at the Fulton County Hospital in Salem at the age of 92. Benton married Oval Hall on Aug. 25, 1931, at Salem. He was a farmer, carpenter and owner of a leather and shoe repair shop. He was a member of the Salem Church of Christ...

Roberta Pearl McCormick (10/10/06)
Roberta Pearl McCormick, 84, former resident of Cherokee Village, died Aug. 5, 2006, at Alterra Sterling House in Columbia, Tenn. A private memorial graveside service will be conducted at a later date at the Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Pegram. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com...

Ruby Josephine Poteete (10/17/06)
Ruby Josephine (Curwick) Poteete, 71, of Horseshoe Bend died Oct. 10, 2006, at her residence. She was born Jan. 3, 1935, at Rossville, Kan., the daughter of the late Joseph and Virginia (Bivins) Curwick. She worked as a cook during her working years at restaurants and was a member of the New Haven Baptist Church at Ash Flat...

Nola Inez Utley (10/31/06)
Nola Inez Utley, 92, of Pine Bluff died Oct. 19, 2006. Born in Evening Shade, she was preceded in death by her husband, one son, one grandson, one sister and one brother. Survivors include one son, Frank Utley of West Plains, Mo.; four grandsons; six great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren...

Nikki Ann Gipson Gold (10/03/06)
Niki Ann (Gipson) Gold, 52, of Evening Shade died Sept. 27, 2006, at her residence. Funeral arrangements were incomplete at press time Monday. Arrangements are by Heath Oak Hill Chapel in Hardy.

Margaret Lucille Manuel Kent (10/17/06)
Margaret Lucille Manuel Kent, 59, of Cave City died Oct. 10, 2006, at her home. She was born Jan. 19, 1947, at Luxora, Ark., the daughter of Thomas Orvil and Gracie Lucille Grimes Manuel. She was a beautician and a member of Souls Harbor Pentecostal Church in Cave City...

Maxine Lewis King (10/26/06)
Maxine Lewis King, 89, of Cherokee Village died Oct. 16, 2006, in Ash Flat. She was born Jan. 14, 1917, in Buffalo County, Neb., daughter of the late Levi Lewis and Almeda (Remington) Lewis. She married Charles King in February of 1947. She held a master's degree in education and taught for several years. ...

M.H. Fontenot (10/03/06)
M.H. Fontenot, 69, of Cave City, formerly of California and Louisiana, died Sept. 28, 2006, at his home. He was born Feb. 21, 1937, in Collinston, La., to Clarence and Blanche Iota (Warton) Fontenot. He was a veteran, retired from the U.S. Navy and civil service. He was a Baptist...

Mae Irene Ellis (10/17/06)
Mae Irene Ellis of Agnos, daughter of the late William and Vergie Ratliff Fuller, was born on April 18, 1918, at Hardy. She died Oct. 9, 2006, at her home at the age of 88. She was united in marriage to Carl Ellis on June 9, 1933, in Missouri. She was a homemaker and was of the Pentecostal faith...

Mollie Faye Robins (10/26/06)
Mollie Faye Robins, 91, of Cave City died Oct. 18, 2006, at White River Medical Center in Batesville. She was born Dec. 28, 1914, near Strawberry, the daughter of the late Edward Byron and Mollie (Childers) Andrews. She married James L. Robins of Jesup on Oct. 9, 1935, and they recently celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary...

Mary Ann Crabtree (10/17/06)
Mary Ann Crabtree, 62, of Cave City died Oct. 14, 2006, at White River Medical Center in Batesville. She was born Nov. 14, 1943, at Batesvile to R.A. and Opal (Rawlings) Crabtree. She worked for over 20 years at the International Shoe Factory in Batesville and worked at Townsend in Batesville for several years before becoming disabled...

Lucille Pinkind (10/03/06)
Lucille Pinkind was born Feb. 9, 1920, in Hardy and died Sept. 4, 2006, in Carson City, Nev. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Hessie Harbison; husband, George T. Pinkind; brother, Warren Harbison; a son, Fred Whitted; and son-in-law, Bill Stewart...

Lenore L. Ring (10/31/06)
Lenore L. Ring, 91, of Cherokee Village died Oct. 22, 2006, at the Eaglecrest Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Ash Flat. Ring was born Aug. 3, 1915, in Minneapolis, Minn., the daughter of Otto Franzen and Svea (Weden) Franzen. She graduated from St. ...

Juanita Lindsey (10/17/06)
Juanita Lindsey, age 72, of Cave City died Oct. 8, 2006, at White River Medical Center in Batesville. She was born Oct. 30, 1934, at LaBelle, Mo., the daughter of the late Everett Edward and Sarah Maurita (Tripp) Harris. She was a retired LPN, having worked at North Arkansas Clinic in Batesville, and was a member of the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Batesville...

Jay Marlin Brewer (10/03/06)
Jay Marlin Brewer, 82, of Jonesboro died Sept. 27, 2006, at Skillcare Nursing Home in Jonesboro. Born in Myrtle, Mo., April 14, 1924, he lived in Hardy before moving to Jonesboro a few years ago. He was a retired employee of Cash Builders Supply in Nettleton. He was a member of the Church of God in Jonesboro...

James Mattox Sr. (10/26/06)
James W. Mattox Sr., 87, of Ash Flat died Oct. 15, 2006, in Ash Flat. He was born on Jan. 12, 1919, in Hoxie, Ark., the son of W.T. and Lessie L. Mattox. He was a veteran of the United States Army having served during World War II. He worked as a farmer for most of his life before retiring. He was a Christian...

Joshua C. Swallow (10/10/06)
Joshua C. Swallow of Cherokee Village died Aug. 19, 2006, at the Mercy Hospice in Johnston, Iowa. Services were held at Caldwell Raddatz Funeral Chapel in Urbandale, Iowa. His ashes are intombed at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Cherokee Village...

James "Buddy" Bailey (10/26/06)
James Earl "Buddy" Bailey, 87, of Hardy, formerly of Steele, Mo., died Oct. 16, 2006, in his home. He was born Aug. 14, 1919, near Jackson in Madison County, Tenn. He was the son of the late John Elisha and Emma Lee Hamlett Bailey. He was married to Lee Ilace Funderburk on Nov. 22, 1964, in Blytheville, Ark...

Jeffrey Allen Jones (10/10/06)
Jeffrey Allan Jones, age 53, of Evening Shade died Sept. 22, 2006, at his home. He was born April 27, 1953, at Sacramento, Calif., to Richard and Clara Jones. He served 22 years of combined service in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, served in the Vietnam War and was employed by the Arkansas State Police working with concealed weapons. He was a member of Barnett Baptist Church in Little Rock...

Norma C. Peterson Vaughn (10/03/06)
Norma C. (Hawkins) Peterson Vaughn of the Ash Flat Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, formerly of Cherokee Village, died Sept. 22, 2006, at the nursing home in Ash Flat. She was born Nov. 2, 1925, in Detroit, Mich., the daughter of the late Lynn and Lillian Hawken. She was united in marriage to her first husband, Samuel R. Peterson, on Dec. 19, 1942, in Detroit. He preceded her in death on Nov. 17, 1979...

Gregory Lee Meskimen (10/10/06)
Gregory Lee Meskimen, 50, of Olive Branch, Miss., died Sept. 29, 2006, at his home. He was born Jan. 13, 1956, in Clarinda, Iowa, to Leland and Yvonne Meskimen. He attended schools in Clarinda, Iowa, and Batesville, Ark., graduating from Batesville High School in 1975...

Frank Riley (10/26/06)
Frank L. Riley, 94, of Evening Shade, died Oct. 19, 2006, at White River Medical Center in Batesville. He was born Jan. 4, 1912, at Alabama to Frank Lelsie and Alpha Omega (Haddon) Riley. He was retired from Bell Aero-space in Buffalo, N.Y., a U.S. Army veteran, having served during World War II and a long time member of the Main Street Church of Christ in Evening Shade...

Frank B. Covollo (10/31/06)
Frank B. Covollo Sr., 78, of Highland died Oct. 23, 2006, at his residence. Covollo was born on Sept. 20, 1928, in Philadelphia, Pa., the son of Anthony and Mary Covollo. He was united in marriage to Dolores Chickirichi in Elton, Md., in 1945. Covollo was a veteran of the United States Army having served during World War II. He was retired from the heating and cooling industry...

Elizabeth Miller (10/17/06)
Elizabeth Miller, 53, of Strawberry, formerly of Belvidere, Tenn., died Oct. 9, 2006, at her home. She was born Dec. 27, 1952, at Stuarts Draft, Va., the daughter of Amos and Elva Miller. She was a home care provider for the elderly and a member of the Strawberry Mennonite Church in Jesup...

Elizabeth Deloras Shew (10/03/06)
Elizabeth Deloras Shew, daughter of Elmer and Chloe (Walters) Moss, was born in Adair County, Mo., near Novinger on July 15, 1926, and died Sept. 21, 2006, at Pearl's II Eden for Elders in Princeton, Mo., at the age of 80. She was married to James Benjamin "J.B." Shew on Feb. 4, 1946, in Troy, Kans. He preceded her in death on Dec. 28, 1989. She was also preceded in death by her parents; a granddaughter, Brandi Jo Duff; and by a daughter-in-law, Nancy Shew...

Edna Billingsley (10/31/06)
Edna Billingsley, 84, of Franklin, Ark., died Oct. 26, 2006, at the Community Medical Center in Calico Rock. Billingsley was born Aug. 4, 1922, in Ash Flat, the daugher of Dewey and Flossie (Estes) Bates. She was a member of the Church of Christ in Franklin. She enjoyed working crossword puzzles, sewing and gardening...

Dickie Pontzius (10/17/06)
Dickie E. Pontzius, 65, of Evening Shade died Oct. 11, 2006, at the Methodist University Hospital in Memphis. He was born March 24, 1941, at Noble County, Ind., the son of Walter Emmitt and Eleanor (Harter) Pontzius. He was retired from Brown's Shoe Company in Pocahontas and was of the Baptist faith...

David Michael Largent (10/03/06)
David Michael Largent, 57, of Hardy died Sept. 30, 2006, in Ash Flat. Largent was born Aug. 12, 1949, in Pontiac, Mich., the son of W.W. Largent and Ernestine (Gooch) Largent. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and sports fan. He was a member of the Church of Christ...

Chris Allen Bodkins (10/03/06)
Chris Allen Bodkins, 16, of Williford died Sept. 23, 2006. He was born Jan. 7, 1990, in Helena, Ark., the son of Riley Cossey and Angalina Bodkins. He was a student at Williford High School. He was a junior firefighter for the Williford Volunteer Fire Department...

Bill Susal (10/26/06)
Bill Susal, age 85, of Horseshoe Bend died Oct. 20, 2006, at the North Arkansas Life Care Center in Horseshoe Bend. He was born on Aug. 28, 1921, the son of Alexander and Margaret Lammers Susal in Chicago, Ill. He was a lineman for the telephone company during his working years, a Mason when he lived in Illinois, and a member of the Horseshoe Bend Eagles...

Billie Russell (10/26/06)
Billie J. Russell, 82, of Hardy died Oct. 15, 2006, at Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home. She was born in Piggott, Ark., the daughter of the late John H. Bess and Sarah Bess. She was a homemaker. Survivors include her husband, Theron E. ...

Betty Jean Niemeyer (10/10/06)
Betty Jean Niemeyer, 74, of Cave City died Sept. 30, 2006, at White River Medical Center in Batesville. She was born Nov. 22, 1931, at Prescott, Ark., to Oscar and Grace Stivers. She was employed by Riverside Graphics in Batesville and was of the Protestant faith...

Ana Crouch Clanton (10/26/06)
Ana Elizabeth Crouch Clanton, daughter of the late Arthur Ernest Crouch and Clara Langle Crouch, was born July 12, 1908, in Elizabeth, Ark. She died Oct. 18, 2006, in Wiseman, Ark., at the age of 98. She was united in marriage to Charles Clanton. She was of the Baptist faith and a member of the Wideman Baptist Church...