Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Derryle Milholland
Derryle Glyn Milholland, 48, of Lamar died Friday, Oct. 16, 2009, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
He was a native of McGehee, mechanic, and was preceded in death by one son, Derryle Lewis Milholland; one sister, Gail Thresa Morris; and one brother, Michael Don Milholland.
Survivors are his wife, Christina Bates Milholland; seven children, Mariah, Jazzmon, Savanah and Hunter, all of Lamar, Austin of Mississippi, Sabrina of Smackover, and Cory of Conway; parents, Charles Franklin Milholland and Virgie Ann Freeman of Hartman; two sisters, Francis Milholland of Quitman and Sharon Huffman of Midland, Texas; five brothers, Harold Milholland, Bruce Milholland, Anthony Milholland, Eddie Milholland, and Franklin Milholland; and three grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, at Roller-Cox Funeral Home Chapel with Mike Mills officiating. Burial will be in Hartman cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Carl Holland, Travis Freeman, Issaac Freeman, Harold Freeman, and Ben Holland.
Honorary pallbearers will be Roger Bates, Mike Ralph and all members of Masonic Lodge No. 383.
Rubin Wesley Stepp
Rubin Wesley Stepp, 75, of Coal Hill died Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
He was a native of Catalpa, son of the late Sewell and Sarah James Stepp, mechanic, and Baptist.
He is survived by two daughters, Sarah Knight of Lamar and Jo Ann Marvin of Tulsa, Okla.; four sons, Rocky Robinson of Paris, Roland Stepp of Fort Smith, and Terry Stepp and Jimmy Stepp, both of Oklahoma; and nine grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Hardwicke Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Oark cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Hardwicke Funeral Home.
Mollie Hightower-Barnum
Mollie Hightower-Barnum, 86, of El Paso, Texas passed away peacefully on September 22, 2009. Mollie was born in Lamar, Arkansas on December 5, 1922. She received her teaching degree from the University of Texas at El Paso.
She was married
to O.D. Hightower until he passed away from leukemia at the early age of 41. After being a widow for many years, she married
Darold Barnum who passed away in 1994.
Mollie will be greatly remembered as a person with a great sense of humor. As the matriarch of the family, she instilled character and ethics in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mollie dedicated her life to enriching the lives of others through education.
Although she retired 26 years ago, she had students who still stayed in touch with her.
She is survived by her son Dan and his wife Christine Hightower, daughter Mary Maxon; grandchildren Mark and wife Michaela, Christopher, Brandon and Jenny Hightower; James and Melanie Maxon; great grandchildren Emily, Kaylee, Mollie Maxon and Siena Hightower. Interment will occur in Clarksville, AR at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Boys & Girls Club of El Paso Texas.
Dora Smith
Dorothea Martha Kreipke Smith, 92, of Whittier, Calif., formerly of Lutherville, died Aug. 7, 2009.
She was born near Little Piney Creek to the late William and Katie Kreipke, was a longtime member of St. John's Lutheran Church in East Los Angeles, Calif., and was preceded in death by her husband; two sisters, Clara Blackwell of Clarksville and Lydia Hensley; and four brothers, Ed, Arnold, Martin and Ervin of Lamar.
She is survived by one son, Bruce; and one sister, Irene Tanner and husband, Don, of Wichita, Kan.
Funeral service was at 11 a.m. Aug. 14 at Hillside Chapel of Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, Calif., with Rev. Will Glade officiating.
Jerry Wayne Burnett
Jerry Wayne Burnett, 66, of Hartman died Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
He was a native of Berkley, Calif., son of the late Kenneth and Mary Davis Burnett, and a truck driver.
Survivors include four sons, Jerry Dean Burnett of Clarksville, Jeff Burnett of New Mexico, Joe Burnett of Van Buren, and James Robert Burnett of Bullhead City, Ariz.; two sisters, Velda Westman of Cresent City, Calif., and Diane Fortner of Fort Smith; one brother, Charles Burnett of Stonyford, Calif.; 17 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
The body was cremated. Local arrangements were under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home.
John B. Coleman
John Barnes Coleman, 60, of Russellville, whose son and daughter-in-law, Sean and Jennifer Coleman, reside in Clarksville, died Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009, at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center.
He was a native of La Crosse, Wis., son of the late John Steilow and Dorothy Anne Barnes Coleman, family therapist at Counseling Associates where he worked with children and a member of Central Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder. He was preceded in death by one sister, DeAnne Warren.
Other survivors include his wife, Cheryl Coleman; two granddaughters, Gwenyth and Madelyn Coleman; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Candy and Carl Conners of Maumelle and their children, Laura Bailey, Brooke Austin and Carl Conners II; and Jody and Randy Clark of La Crosse, Wis., and their son, Jon Coleman.
A memorial service was conducted by Shinn Funeral Service at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, at Central Presbyterian Church with Rev. Dave Schneider officiating.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, P. O. Box 1653, Topeka, KS 66601-1653 or to Central Presbyterian Church, 400 W. Main St., Russellville, AR 72801.
Judy Kay Graham
Judy Kay Graham, 49, of Coal Hill died Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident at the eastbound Exit 58 off ramp of I-40 on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 3.
She was born at Waterloo, Iowa, attended Cass Baptist Church, and was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Shannon.
Survivors include her father and stepmother, Robert and Lavonia Graham of Elk Run Heights, Iowa; one sister, Donna Smith of Coal Hill; one brother, Bobby Graham of Ozark; stepfather, Arthur Shannon of Altus; two stepsisters, Tina Phillips of Cedar Ridge, Colo., and Tiny Boswell of Dardanelle; and two stepbrothers, David Boswell of Elk Run Heights, Iowa, and W. H. Boswell of Altus.
The body was cremated. Local arrangements were under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home.
David Lee Vardaman
David Lee Vardaman of 2340 Maine Street, Quincy, Illinois passed away in his home on August 31, 2009 at 11:51 p.m.
David was born in Atkins, Arkansas to the late Otis and Lilly Irene Jones Vardaman on January 25, 1934. He grew up in Clarksville, Arkansas and was a member of the Clarksville Church of Christ. Graduating from Clarksville High School, he was an outstanding athlete in both football and basketball, making the All-State team his junior and senior year.
An Army veteran, he attended University of the Ozarks, Clarksville and graduated from Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma in 1959 with a double major in English and Speech and a double minor in Political and Social Science. He was a resident actor with the Belfry Players, Williams Bay, Wisconsin the summer of 1957 and with the Corning Glass Center Players, Corning, New York the summer of 1958. He attended graduate school at the University of Arkansas and USC in Los Angeles, California.
In addition to teaching school, directing high school theater, and coaching football for 10 years in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, David worked in the transportation industry for over 20 years. He headed the export division for Lever Brothers in Los Angeles, was Terminal Manager of Interstate Systems in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and worked for a local company as well.
For many years he was an avid golfer, fisherman and photographer. He loved the poetry of William Shakespeare, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Lee Masters and Robert Frost, among others.
He was the beloved husband of Lorna Grossman Vardaman, whom he married
in Fayetteville, Arkansas on March 31, 1957, the father of two children, and grandfather to four. His children were his pride and joy. His family includes daughter, Wendy Vardaman, PhD and her husband, Thomas DuBois, PhD, of Madison, Wisconsin; one son, Lance Vardaman and his wife, Melisssa, of Macomb, Illinois; grandchildren, Conor (University of Boston), Greer and Brendan DuBois and Lily Vardaman; a brother, Leon Vardaman and his wife, Naomi, of Victoria, Texas; a sister, Pat Vardaman of Austin, Texas; a nephew, Leon O. Vardaman, his wife, Debbie, and their two children, Cory and Kelsey, of Inez, Texas.
David will be cremated and interment will be in the Oakland cemetery in Clarksville, Arkansas. Clugston-Tibbitts Funeral Home in Macomb, Illinois and Hardwicke Funeral Home in Clarksville will handle arrangements. Interment and graveyard memorial service will be held in May, 2010 in Clarksville
For anyone wishing to honor David, the family suggest Memorials to Blessing Hospital Hospice Care, 14th and Broadway, Quincy, Illinois 62301, the Salvation Army, Quincy, Illinois or the charity of the donor's choice.
"Dad was loved by all that knew him and will live forever in our hearts."
So was I once myself a swinger of birches;
And so I dream of going back to be there.
- Robert Frost, "Birches"
