Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
RUTH PHIFER
Funeral services for Ruth Jackson Phifer, 76, of Wynne and formerly of West Helena, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, 2002, at the First Assembly of God Church in West Helena. The Rev. Steve Burton will officiate. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Park in Barton.
Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in West Helena.
Phifer, born Dec. 31, 1926, at Avalon, Miss., died Dec. 2, 2002, in Wynne. She was retired from food service director for Helena Regional Medical Center and she was a member of the Assembly of God Church in West Helena.
She leaves two sons, Dr. James Phifer and wife Elaine of Sand Springs, Okla., and the Rev. Steve Phifer and wife Freeda of Springfield, Va.; two sisters, Barbara Abbot of Springdale, and Alma Benson of Galveston, Texas; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the American Bible Society.
Roller-Citizens Funeral Home will direct services.
MARVIN SMITH
Funeral services for (Coach) Marvin Lewis Smith, 51, of Poplar Grove, will be held at noon Saturday Dec. 7, 2002 at the Central High School gymnasium. The Rev. Tommy Stevenson will officiate. Burial will be at the Mt. Moriah cemetery in Marvell.
Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the chapel of Brown's Home for Funerals in West Helena. An additional visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the service Saturday at the gymnasium.
Smith, born Aug. 19, 1951, to Isaac and LaVonzelle Smith, died Nov. 30, 2002, at his home in Poplar Grove. He was a member of the Star of Bethlehem Church, where he accepted Christ a young age.
He employed by the Helena-West Helena School District, where he was a teacher and coached girl's basketball and volleyball. For a semester and a half he fulfilled his life-long dream of coaching college basketball, when he coached at Philander Smith College in Little Rock.
He leaves his wife of 28 years, Janice Smith; two sons, Maurice Smith of Little Rock and Marcus Smith of Houston, Texas; two grandchildren, Magenta and Shaheid Smith of Fayetteville; two sisters, Martha Craig of Harvey, Ill., and Lavern Glaspie of Poplar Grove; seven brothers and their families, John and Arlene Hamilton of Moro, Isaac and Mildred Smith of Poplar Grove, Maceo and Brenda Smith of Fort Worth, Texas, James and Vernita Smith of Oklahoma City, Okla., Charlie Smith of Poplar Grove, Dexter and Allison Smith of Siekston, Mo., and Russell and Ann Smith of Helena; and a host of uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.
Brown's Home for Funerals will direct the services.
BETTYE HAMILTON LYNN
Funeral services for Bettye Hamilton Lynn, 69, of West Helena will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the chapel of Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in West Helena. Additional services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the chapel of Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in Marianna. The Rev. Mark Beam will officiate. Burial will be at Marianna Memorial Park in Marianna.
Lynn, born Oct. 17, 1933, at LaGrange, died Dec. 3, 2002, at her home in West Helena.
She was a former bookkeeper for the Forrest City Public Schools, was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, a member of the West Helena Baptist Church and of the church camping group.
She leaves her husband, Alvin H. Lynn of West Helena; three daughters, Sharon Harris of Helena, Barbara Sanders and Deborah Rheaume both of West Helena; a sister-in-law, Tolice Long Heimsoth of Jonesboro; five grandchildren, Charlie Harris, Jimmy L. Sanders and Jonathan Sanders of West Helena, Kimberly Rheaume of Little Rock and Lindsey Harris of Helena. Her parents, Charles F. and Mattie Mae Hamilton and a sister preceded her in death.
Roller-Citizens Funeral Home will direct services.
SIMUEL THOMAS JR.
Funeral services for Simuel (Buddy)Thomas, of West Helena, will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, 2002, at First Baptist Church, 125 Caranza St., West Helena. The Rev. Nathaniel Hull will officiate. Burial will be at Jackson Memorial cemetery in Southland.
Thomas, born Sept. 20, 1929, died Nov. 12, 2002.
He was a retired employee of Riceland Foods.
Stephens Funeral Home will direct services.
PATRICK GERARD HUFF
Funeral service for Patrick Gerard Huff, 42, of Helena was held Saturday afternoon at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Helena. Father Ed Graves officiated. Burial was at St. Mary's Catholic cemetery in Helena.
Mr. Huff, who was born May 3, 1958 in Helena, died Sept. 12, 2000 in Mississippi. He was a mechanic and was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Helena.
He leaves his wife, Lee Anne Huff of West Helena; two daughters, Sarah Anne Huff of Helena and Rachel Lee Huff of West Helena; a step-daughter, Robi Godfrey of Marvell; three brothers, Wayne Huff, Jr., and Watt G. Huff of Helena and Mathew G. Huff of Mammoth Springs Ark.; two sisters, Alana Merrit of Walls, Miss., and Suzann Williams of Holly Springs, Miss.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Rose Ann B. Huff.
Roller-Citizens Funeral Home directed services.
DARNELL BRAGG JR.
Darnell Bragg Jr., of West Helena, infant son of Darnell Bragg Sr. and Marjohda Bragg died June 2, 2002, at Helena Regional Medical Center. Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Oak Grove No. Three cemetery in West Helena. Elder Alex J. Smith will officiate. Browns Home for Funerals will direct services.
SARAH J. ROWLAND
Sarah J. Rowland, 80, of Helena, died August 19, 2001, at Helena Regional Medical Center.
She was born July 12, 1921, in Tunica, Miss., to Earnest Love Alexander and Nelle Coker. She had been a licensed practical nurse.
Rowland is survived by a sister, Delia Harthcock of Newton, Miss.; a brother, Earnest Alexander of Tunica, Miss., and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 3 p.m. on August 23, 2001, at the chapel of Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in Helena with Rev. Rodger Hooker officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park with Roller-Citizens in charge of arrangements.
The family requests that memorials be made to the American Cancer Society.
CARL EDMOND
Funeral arrangements for Carl Hayward Edmond, 63, of Southland are incomplete and will be announced later by Brown's Home for Funerals.
Edmond died June 1, 2002, at his home.
DENISE PANKEY
Funeral services for Denise Pankey, 49, of Elaine will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, 2002, at the chapel of Roller-Citizens Funeral Home. The Rev. Mary Olson will officiate. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Park in Barton.
Pankey, born Aug. 31, 1953, died Oct. 10, 2002, in Elaine.
She was a member of the Elaine Methodist Church.
She leaves her husband, Ronnie Pankey of Elaine; a daughter, Michelle Pankey of Little Rock; a brother Scott Short and David Chesterfield Crisp; a sister in law Sharon Short, a nephew Jonathan Short and a grandmother, Dorothy Crisp all of Connell's Point.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Roller-Citizens Funeral Home will direct services.
THOMAS CHARLES KING SR.
Thomas Charles King Sr. was born July 9, 1923 to the late Gosola and Susan Ann Grant King.
He was converted at the age of eight at St. John M.B. Church, Lee County, Arkansas.
He accepted his call to the ministry in 1963; and was ordained under the leadership of Rev. M.D. Debro.
He was called to Calvary M.B. Church and St. John M.B. church in 1965. He served as pastor of Mount Olive M.B. Church, DeValls Bluff from 1979 to 1999, and Calvary M.B. Church from 1965 to March 2001. For a period of time he was moderator of the Phillips, Lee, Monroe, and Desha counties District Association, and the Northeastern District Association. He also served as executive secretary of the Regular Arkansas State Convention.
He leaves to mourn his passing, his devoted wife, Mrs. Thelma C. King of Helena; four sons, Thomas C. King jr. of Cincinnati, Ohio, Marion King of Mableton, Ga., Sherwood L. King of Pittsburgh, Pa. And Nathan Jerome King of Norfolk, Va.; three daughters, Dorothy C. King of Nashville, Tenn., Felicia King-Brown of Jacksonville, Ark., and Susan Kincaid of Rockhill, Mo.; a brother, Rev. Laban King of Memphis, grandchildren, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, many cousins, nephews, nieces, brothers-and sisters-in-law, friends and the New Hope Church family.
JOHN R. FREE
Funeral services for John R. Free, 85, of West Helena will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Chapel of Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in West Helena. The Rev. Rudy Davis will officiate. Burial will be at Oak Grove cemetery in Moro.
Visitation will be from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. today at the Chapel of Roller-Citizens Funeral home.
He leaves a sister, Clara A. Free of West Helena; a brother, Harve I. Free of Lexa; a nephew C.W. Gatlin of West Helena and a great nephew, Tommy Ray Gatlin of West Helena.
Roller-Citizens Funeral Home will direct services.
ONEVA BURNETT SR.
Funeral services for Oneva Burnett Sr., 84, of Poplar Grove will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday at Tucker Grove Baptist Church in Poplar Grove. The Rev. R.D. McCoy will officiate. Burial will be at Friendship cemetery in Rondo.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday at the Tucker grove Baptist Church in Poplar Grove.
Mr. Burnett died June 20 at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. He was a member of the Tucker Grove Baptist Church.
He leaves six sons, Jonathan Wright of Chicago, ill., Oneva Burnett Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., Walter Burnett of Jonesboro, Nathaniel Burnett and roy Burnett of Chicago, Ill., Shelto Burnett of Poplar Grove; one daughter, Rosie Bobo of Little Rock; a sister, Rosa Lee Payne of Miami, Florida; 24 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.
Brown's Home for Funerals, 308 West Plaza Street, West Helena will direct services. 572-3414.
