Lucille Townsend Melton, 88, died Sunday, July 27, 2003, in Tulsa, Okla., after a lengthy illness. A native of Ozark, she was a former librarian of the Ozark Branch of the Arkansas Regional Libraries from which she retired in 1981 after serving as librarian for 29 years. Mrs. Melton was a member of the T.T.T. Society in Ozark and a lifelong member of the Ozark Christian Church. Local relatives include Mr. and Mrs. Shell Blanscet and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Johnson. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Ozark First Christian Church, with burial and graveside services at Highland Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Shaffer Funeral Home.
Dovie Rue Kinnard, 91, of Fort Smith died Saturday, July 26, 2003, in a hospital there. She was a member of Mission Point Missionary Baptist Church where she was on the Mothers Board. Local survivors include a daughter, Laura Newton of Ozark. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Mission Point Missionary Baptist Church, with burial at Gray Rock Cemetery under the direction of Rowell-Parish Mortuary of Fort Smith.
Alyson S. Carson, 34, of Fort Smith died Saturday, July 26, 2003, in a Fort Smith hospital. She was a homemaker. Funeral services were held Monday at 2 p.m. at Smith Mortuary Chapel in Charleston, with burial at Measles Cemetery, Lavaca.
Leonard L. Koch, 82, of Paris, the brother of Lawrence Koch of Coal Hill, died Sunday, July 27, 2003. A rancher and retired coal miner, he was a Navy veteran and a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Paris, the DAV and VFW. Rosary will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Roller Funeral Home Chapel in Paris, where the funeral mass will be recited at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 30. Burial will be at Baxley Cemetery in Paris.
Mary E. Domerese, 62, of Clarksville died Saturday, July 26, 2003, at Johnson Regional Medical Center. She was a Pentecostal. Local survivors include two sons, Henry Dane Domerese Jr. and David Allen Domerese, both of Coal Hill; and two stepsons, Marvin and Edward Domerese, both of Coal Hill. Funeral services were at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Free Jesus Name Church in Coal Hill, with burial at Oakland Cemetery, Clarksville, under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home of Clarksville.
Edith M. Weathers, 90, of Coal Hill died Thursday, July 24, 2003, in her home. Born at Denning, she was a homemaker, a lifelong member of Coal Hill Methodist Church and the widow of Charles Weathers. Funeral services were held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Hardwicke Funeral Home Chapel in Clarksville. Burial was at Coal Hill Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Forrester Davis Development Center, 1000 Buchannan St., Clarksville, AR 72830.
David Fitzgerald, 60, of Charleston died Sunday, July 27, 2003, in a Fort Smith hospital. Born in Charleston, he served in the National Guard and was a member of the Charleston Church of Christ. Funeral services were at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Smith Mortuary Chapel, with burial at Garden of Memorials Cemetery in Charleston.
George Edward Becker, 77, of Fort Smith died Thursday, July 24, 2003, in his home. Born in Altus, he spent his early years in the Altus and Hartman area before moving to Fort Smith in 1936. He graduated from St. Anne's Academy in 1944, served in the U.S. Navy and returned to Fort Smith to work in the Becker Foundry. He served as a firefighter at Fort Chaffee, rising to the rank of assistant fire chief before retiring. Rosary was 7 p.m. Sunday at Fentress Mortuary Chapel, Fort Smith. Funeral mass was recited at 10 a.m. Monday at Christ the King Catholic Church in Fort Smith, with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Bobby Casey, 65, of Coal Hill died Wednesday, July 23, 2003, in Fort Smith. He was a retired security officer with Industrial Security Services of Houston, served in the Navy and was a Baptist. Graveside services were at 10 a.m. Friday at the U.S. National Cemetery in Fort Smith, under the direction of Fentress Mortuary.
Burl Grace, 76, of Van Buren, the brother of James Grace of Ozark, died Friday, July 25, 2003. He was a retired diesel mechanic, a Navy veteran and a Protestant. Funeral services were at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Lewis Funeral Home Chapel, with burial at the National Cemetery in Fort Smith.
Richard `Rick' Bruce, 51, of Fort Smith, son of Juanita Bruce of Mulberry, died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, in Fort Smith. He was an employee of the Whirlpool Corp., a veteran of the Marine Corps and Navy Seabees, a member of Christ the King Catholic Church and a coach of both the Evans Boys Club and the church league baseball association. Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel in Fort Smith. Funeral mass will be recited at 1 p.m. Thursday at Christ the King Catholic Church, with burial at U.S. National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Evans Boys Club, 4905 North O Street, Fort Smith, AR 72901.
Joyce `Dot' Littlejohn, 65, of Altus died Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003, at the home of a daughter, Patricia Brammer of Alma, after a three-month illness. She was an employee of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, president of the F.O.E. Auxiliary and a former waitress and cook. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Shaffer Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Nichols Chapel Cemetery. Visitation is tentatively planned for 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Earl Dean `Bud' Tusing, 71, of Fort Smith died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, in his home. He was a retired salesman for Temple Supply Co. in Fort Smith and a member of Temple Baptist Church. Local survivors include a sister, Vera Hewitt, and a brother, Tommy Tusing, both of Charleston. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Smith Mortuary Chapel, Charleston. Burial will be at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Charleston.
Bob L. Otten, 73, of Subiaco, formerly of Altus and Ozark, died Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003, in Paris, after an extended illness. He was retired after 28 years with Arkansas Electric Cooperative, where he was assistant superintendent. He also served in the Army for two years and Merchant Marines for four years. Rosary service was at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Subiaco, where the funeral mass was recited at 10 a.m. Friday. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery in Paris, under the direction of Roller Funeral Home of Paris.
Clyde McPherson Sr., 92, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., died Saturday, Sept. 20, 2003, at the Bay Breeze Nursing Facility. Born at Mulberry, he began his career as a farmer in Arkansas and retired as a millwright from National Sponge and Cushion in Commerce, Calif., in 1976. He was a 32nd degree Master Mason and served as worthy patron of the Sanger Chapter No. 482 Order of the Eastern Star. He was the brother-in-law of Twilla McPherson of Mulberry. Graveside services and interment were Monday, Sept. 29, at 2 p.m., at Oakdale Cemetery in Glendora, Calif.
Herschel Hill, 85, of Coal Hill died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2003, at Johnson Regional Medical Center, Clarksville. He was a retired coal miner and was of the Church of Christ faith. Funeral services were at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Roller-Cox Chapel, Clarksville, with burial at Coal Hill Cemetery.
Valerie Sue Gober, 48, of Ozark died Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003, in a Fort Smith hospital. She was a homemaker. Memorial services were at 1 p.m. Monday at Shaffer Funeral Home Chapel. The body was cremated.
Chester Edward Woodruff, 64, of Huntsville died Sept. 24, 2003, at the Northwest Medical Center of Washington County in Springdale. His career in public education included serving as band director at Charleston and Alma public schools, principal at Mulberry and superintendent in the Pleasant View and Huntsville schools. He also taught mathematics for many years. He served as director of financial aid and student affairs at Arkansas Valley Technical Institute in Ozark and as director of financial aid for the Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale. He held the degrees of bachelor and master of science education and educational specialist from the University of Arkansas. He had served for many years as director of the Huntsville Community Choir and was a member of Gideons International, Phi Delta Kappa and the Kiwanis Club of Huntsville. He was a member of Faith Southern Baptist Church in Huntsville where he served as a deacon and music director. Funeral services were at 2 p.m. Saturday in the chapel of Brashears Funeral Home, with burial in the Aurora Cemetery.
Pearl Dickerson Whitson, 90, of Clarksville, formerly of Ozark, died Saturday, Sept. 27, 2003, at her home. Born in Coal Hill, she was an alumna of the University of the Ozarks and was co-owner of Whitson-Morgan Motor Co. of Clarksville. Mrs. Whitson was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Clarksville, the Presbyterian Women's Association, PEO, Beta Sigma Phi and the University of the Ozarks Alumni Association. Funeral services were at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the First Presbyterian Church of Clarksville, with burial at Oakland Cemetery, under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 1068, Clarksville, or the University of the Ozarks, 415 N. College, Clarksville, AR 72830.
Kirk Clingenpeel, 23, of Altus died Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003, at Clarksville. The son of Douglas and Judy Hefley Clingenpeel, he was a carpenter's helper for a home construction company. Memorial services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Shaffer Funeral Home Chapel.
Arvin `Junior' Massengale Jr., 67, of Hartman died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2004, in Clarksville. He was a graduate of Clarksville High School, a supervisor for 10 years at Navajo Mining Co. in Farmington, N.M., and a retired maintenance supervisor at Arkansas Nuclear One. He raised registered cattle and horses, was owner and operator of AMJ Machine Co. in Hartman and was a former president of Johnson County Round Up Club, a deacon and member of First Baptist Church and a former Girls' Club basketball and baseball coach. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Hartman First Baptist Church, with burial at West Mount Zion Cemetery, Hartman, by Hardwicke Funeral Home of Clarksville. The family will visit with friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
James J.D. Hamilton, 83, of Fort Smith died Thursday, Jan. 22, 2004, in his home. He was a retired shipping clerk for Bruce Rogers, a former coal miner, a member of Arkansas River Pro Am and a Presbyterian. Funeral services were at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Lewis Funeral Chapel in Fort Smith. Burial was at Caulksville City Cemetery at Caulksville.
