Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Bertha Free
Bertha Jane Murmur Free, 72, of Beebe died Nov. 12, 2007.
She was born Nov. 9, 1935, at St. Joseph, Mo., to Ralph Adolph and Effie Jane Murphy Boller.
She was preceded in death by her husband, W. A. Free; parents; brother, Clarence Boller and sisters, Hattie Stagner and Bonnie Zebrsiki.
Free is survived by four sons, Mike and wife Johnnie Free of Beebe, Billy and wife Linda Free of Austin, Jimmy Free and Ralph and wife Donna Free; one daughter, Linda and husband Larry Beaver, all of Beebe; nine grandsons; six great-grandchildren; one brother, Johnny and wife Wanda Boller of St. Joseph, Mo.; and two sisters, Sarah and husband Tex Wampler of Deerbern, Mo., and Betty Herbert of St. Joseph, Mo.
Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14 at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 at the funeral home with burial in Beebe cemetery.
Yurba Oldham
Yurba M. Oldham, 74, of Jacksonville died Monday, Nov. 12, 2007 at Rebsamen Medical Center in Jacksonville.
She was born Dec. 4, 1932 in Penrose to the late James and Helen Lindsey Hedden. On Feb. 3, 1951 she married
Ralph Oldham in Hernando, Miss.
She was preceded in death by her son, Michael Oldham.
She is survived by her husband, Ralph Oldham of the home; son, David Oldham of Jacksonville; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; brother, James Hedden of Redfield; two sisters, Mavis Kennedy of Gould, and Marie Barnett of Fayetteville.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 at Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home with James Hedden officiating. Entombment will follow at Chapel Hill Mausoleum.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14 at the funeral home.
James Fuqua
James Fuqua, 60, of Cabot died Nov. 10, 2007. He was born March 19, 1947 in Little Rock to Hugh and Wilma York Fuqua.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Mary Dickson and a nephew, Buddy Byrd.
He is survived by his children, James Fuqua Jr. and wife Monica of Crossett, Russell Fuqua of Cabot and Earl Fuqua of Nowata, Okla.; siblings, Shirley Byrd and Chuck Fuqua, both of Jacksonville; special friend, Belle Pinegar; nephews, Barry Byrd and David Melton; niece, Cheryl Miller; four grandchildren, Makayla, Alyssa, Nathan, and Brianna Fuqua and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.
Graveside services will be at noon Wednesday, Nov. 14 at Chapel Hill Memorial Park in Jacksonville by Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Joyce Holt
Joyce Anne Holt, 65, of Jacksonville won her battle with cancer and quietly entered the Kingdom of God on Nov. 9, 2007.
She was at her daughter's home surrounded by loved ones and a very loving Arkansas Hospice nurse.
She was born April 14, 1942 to the late Richard Ashby Baxter and Dorothy L. Taylor of Greensboro, NC. She is survived by her mother; daughter, Laurie A. Johnson and husband Bob of Jacksonville; and two sons, Billy G. Holt and Stephen B. Holt both of Nashville, Tenn.
She was a loving mother and proud 'Annie Anne' to 14 grandchildren. She was a member of the Christian Motorcycle Association, a prison minister, and woman of strong faith. Her careers included professional modeling, professional modeling instruction, restaurant management and ownership, and professional residential and commercial wallpapering and painting. She enjoyed cooking, reading, motorcycle riding, decorating, and traveling. She was passionate about life and lived it to the fullest. She cared deeply, shared fully, and loved sacrificially.
She was a good mom, a devoted friend and compassionate individual who never met a stranger.
Burial will be at a later date in Greensboro, N.C. Funeral arrangements were by Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Randy Buchanan
Randy Buchanan, 51, of Austin passed away Nov. 9, 2007.
He was born Sept. 10, 1956 in Little Rock to James and Gwen Gaither Buchanan.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Leo Gaither and paternal grandparents, Jesse and Elva Buchanan.
He is survived by his wife, Debra Buchanan; children, Jennifer Ferrell and husband Shawn of Little Rock, Misha Buchanan of Little Rock, Matthew Buchanan of Austin, and Bradley Buchanan of Austin; maternal grandmother, Verna Gaither of Little Rock and three grandchildren, Bailey Buchanan, Lauren Ferrell, and Belle Buchanan. Funeral services were Nov. 13 at the chapel of Cabot Funeral Home with Scott Martin officiating.
James McLean
James Dewey McLean, 38, of Cabot, went to be with the Lord on June 24, 2006. He was born Jan. 28, 1968 in Little Rock to Dewey and Barbara McLean.
He was preceded in death by his father Dewey 'Sonny' McLean; grandparents, Henry McLean and Gertrude McLean Henderson and Antone Valentine.
He is survived by his loving wife of 15 years, Traci Gills McLean and one son, Devin McLean, both of the home; his mother, Barbara McLean; one sister, Barbara and husband David Wilson, all of Cabot; one brother, Brian and wife Melinda McLean of Jacksonville; his godparents, Paul and Peggy Fulford of North Little Rock; his father-in-law James Gills, sister-in-law, Kristi and husband Greg Gibson all of Cabot; brother-in-law, Michael and wife Jill Gills of Utah; nieces and nephews, Brandon and Kristi Wilson, Page, Jared and Emily Gibson and Lyra Gills; along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and beloved friends.
Memorial Services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Old Austin Baptist Church on Hwy. 38 in Cabot.
Arrangements are by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot.
Olga Stroud
Olga Stroud of Beebe went home to be with the Lord on June 25, 2006 at the age of 74.
Stroud, who loved her Lord first and her family second, was born Feb. 10, 1932, at Turtle Creek, Penn., to Louis and Anna Vranich. She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and two sisters. She is survived by her husband, Robbie Stroud; two sons, John Stroud and his wife Connie, and Robbie Stroud and his wife Denise; and two grandchildren, Riley Stroud and Heather Stroud, all of Beebe.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. today at Westbrook Funeral Home. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove cemetery.
Lillian Jessome
Lillian Elizabeth Burley Jessome, 84, of Beebe, went to be with the Lord on June 26, 2006. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank A. Jessome and more recently, by her mother, Katie Mae Burley, 101 years old, who was lovingly cared for by Lillian until her death. She was also preceded in death by two sisters, Evelyn Koch and Lucille Webb, both of Little Rock.
She is survived by one loving daughter, Cheryl Jean Maack, who accompanied her mother, aunt, and uncle on many trips to Orange Beach, Ala., and Estes Park, Colo., where they loved sightseeing and just being together. She is also survived by twin grandsons, Robert Allen Maack and wife Autumn, of Cabot, and John Michael Maack and wife Kara, of Sherwood; three beautiful great-grandchildren, Ashlynne Kate, Abigail Marie, and Carter Joseph; two sisters, Naomi Kemp of Beebe, and Jeanette and husband Ernie Wild, of Hot Springs; one brother, Fred and wife Dolores Burley of Oklahoma; special daughter Vanda Gatlin Johnson; a host of loving nieces and nephews; and many loving friends and neighbors.
She had many friends and enjoyed being a member of The Ageless Divas chapter of the Red Hat Club for the past three years.
She was born in Ozark and moved to Little Rock when she was 8 years old. She worked for the telephone company until retirement after 27 years. She was a member of Beebe First United Methodist Church and formerly a longtime member of Lifeline Baptist Church in Little Rock. Although Lillian's family and friends mourn her death and will miss her greatly, they celebrate the life she lived and the Christian example she set.
Visitation will be from 6 until 8 p.m. today at Beebe First United Methodist Church.
Graveside service and entombment will be held at 2:30 p.m.. Thursday at Pinecrest cemetery, Little Rock by Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 901 North University, Little Rock, Ark., 72207 or First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 247, Beebe, Ark., 72012.
Katie Dean
Katie Mae Dean, 93, of Cabot died June 20, 2006 in Searcy. She was born April 20, 1913, in Cabot to the late Louis Harper Baker and Genettia Isadora Baker. She was a homemaker and the oldest living member of Mountain Springs Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar David Dean; three children, infant twins, infant daughter, Paulette Dean; a grandson, David Stutzman; two brothers, George W. Baker, Monroe Baker, and two sisters, Savanna Dillard and Nettie Mize.
She is survived by eight children, Bobbie Stanley and Cora Guess, both of Cabot, Leland Davidson of Austin, Marcine Stutzman of Ward, Dale Dean of Chino Hills, Calif., Phyllis Dean of Cabot, Michael Dean of Norwalk, Calif., and Sharon Studler of Cabot.
She is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, seven great-great grandchildren and countless nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Funeral services were June 23 at Mountain Springs Baptist Church with Bro. Donnie Hines and Dr. J. Roland Spears officiating. Burial followed at Mountain Springs cemetery under the direction of Cabot Funeral Home.
Charles Gernold
Charles Kirwan Gernold passed away on June 23, 2006 at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock. He was born May 7, 1937, in Helena, Mont., to Charles and Marie Kirwan Gernold.
When he was 4-years-old, the family moved to Seattle, Wash. He was raised in the Catholic faith, and attended Catholic schools thru the eighth grade.
In 1953 the family moved to Los Angeles, and he graduated from University High School and received an associate degree in business from Santa Monica Junior College.
He was a driver for UPS for 13 years after which he worked several jobs.
He met his wife of 28 years, Pat Wingate Leigh in Arkansas in July 1977. In July 1978, they moved to the San Francisco area for Pat's job with the VA.
The next year they relocated to the Miami area, and after 16 months, moved to Los Angeles.
He retired from the Simi Valley, Calif., School District in March 1995.
In early 1995 they moved to Arkansas to be close to Deborah Blackiston and her family. He shared many good times with the three grandsons attending school and sport activities.
He loved all sports.
He was preceded in death by his parents and in-laws, Pat and Ethel Wingate and stepson Avery Leigh.
He is survived by his wife, Pat; stepdaughter, Deborah and husband, Robert Blackiston and their three sons, Josh, John and Matt.
He has one sister, Kaye Perram and two nieces of Los Angeles; one aunt, Dorothy Gernold Traver of San Francisco, and a special cousin, Kittie Ann Taaler of Sidney, Neb.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Kidney Foundation of Arkansas, P.O. Box 453, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1023, Cabot, Ark. 72023.
Funeral services were held Tuesday at Cabot Funeral Home with arrangements by North Little Rock Funeral Home.
