Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
John Bieber
John David Bieber, 77, of Dardanelle died 
Feb. 25, 2010 in a Hot Springs hospital.
He was born
Dec. 16, 1932 in Hawthorne, N.J., to John W. Bieber and Margaret Knoener Bieber. Mr. Bieber retired from the U.S. Army and then worked as an ROTC instructor for Dardanelle Public Schools until his retirement.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Ann Mullen Bieber of Dardanelle; two sons, Michael Lee Bieber of North Little Rock and Duane Christopher Bieber and wife, Teresa, of Mustang, Okla.; two brothers, Kenneth and George Bieber, both of N.J.; and four grandchildren, Zachary, Jeremy, Corey and Casey.
Memorial service with full military honors will be at 1 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2010, at Fort Smith National Cemetery
in Fort Smith. Arrangements are by Caruth-Hale Funeral Home at Hot Springs.
Wilbern Ray Schouweiler
Wilbern Ray “Bill” Schouweiler, 82, formerly of Russellville, died Feb. 19, 2010, at Centennial Medical Center in Frisco, Texas.
He was born
July 27, 1927, in Paris, Ark., to Ben and Ella Schouweiler. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Russellville and was employed by the Continental Telephone Company. His family lived in Russellville until 1972, when he transferred to Dallas, Texas. He retired from the telephone company in 1989 after 41 years of service.
He served honorably in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was a Mason and Shriner. Bill was known for his laugh and sense of humor. Many called him a true southern gentleman. He loved his family unconditionally. At the time of his death, he was residing with his wife of 63 years, Mary Eileen, in Plano, Texas.
Services were Feb. 22 at the Restland Memorial Chapel, with interment
following in the Restland Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas. He is buried
next to his daughter, Judy Gail Romano, who preceeded him in death in 2009. Dr. Gene Wilkes of the Legacy Drive Baptist Church officiated the service. Members of the Oak Cliff Masonic Lodge 705 also presented a funeral ritual.
He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter.
Survivors include his wife; daughter, Linda Raye Hutchison and husband, Philip, of Plano, Texas; grandson, Justin Erik Kirst, a freshman at Ouachita Baptist University; sister, Ocie Marie Horne of Subiaco, Ark.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
L.D. Virden Jr.
L.D. Virden Jr., age 81, of Atkins, died Thursday, March 4, 2010, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Little Rock.
He was born
May 1, 1928, in Atkins, and was a former truck driver for B.J. McAdams, Willis-Shaw and Tyson Foods. He was an ordained Free Will Baptist minister and had served over the years as an interim pastor for several churches in the area. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, a Mason and a member of St. Joe Free Will Baptist Church.
He was preceded in death by his father, L.D. Virden Sr.; his mother, Ruby Irene Teague Virden Tackett; his stepfather, Raymond Tackett; a son, Larry David Virden; and a sister and brother-in-law, Wilma and Joe Canady.
Survivors include his wife, Helen Louise Virden; two sons, Gary Dean Virden and Terry Wayne Virden, both of Troup, Texas; a daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca Jane and Earl Swift of Winona, Texas; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Betty and J.C. Kinder of Russellville and Margaret Lou and Vernon Jones of Dardanelle; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 8, 2010, at the Shinn Chapel officiated by the Rev. Geno Johnston. Burial with military honors will be in Crossroads Cemetery
near Deer by Shinn Funeral Service.
Active pallbearers will be Earl Swift, Ben Cheatham, Jerry and Gregory Virden, and Lonnie and Dale Smith. Honorary pallbearer will be the Rev. J. C. Kinder.
The family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Crossroads Cemetery
Association.
Fred Griffith
Fred Griffith, 74, of Russellville died Saturday, March 6, 2010, at Atkins Nursing Center.
Arrangements are pending at Lemley Funeral Service.
Leroy Drewry
DARDANELLE - Leroy Drewry, age 79, of Dardanelle died Thursday, March 4, 2010, at Conway Regional Health System.
He was born
July 20, 1930, at Paris to Roy and Isa Parsons Drewry. He was a member of the Chickalah Church of Christ. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Mildred Carter; a brother, Bob Gatlin; and a great-grandson, Canyon Steele Drewry.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Mary Drewry of Dardanelle; two sons, Don Drewry and Roy Drewry, both of Dardanelle; sisters, Elemeda Cleveland and husband, Grover, and Laverne Ward and husband, Opal, all of Dardanelle; brother, Charles Gatlin and wife, Darlene, of Harrison; three grandchildren, Tammie Drewry of Russellville, Brad Drewry and wife, Mikki, and Brent Drewry and wife, Courtney, all of Dardanelle; four great-grandchildren, Austin and Keagan Thorpe and Landon and Dallen Drewry, all of Dardanelle, and one great-grandchild on the way.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2010, at Cornwell Chapel with Bro. Gene Littleton officiating. Burial will be in Dacus Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers are Dr. William Scott and Glendon Masters.
Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. today in the chapel.
Arrangements are by Cornwell Funeral Home.
Flora Rackley
ATKINS - Flora Rackley, 96, of Atkins died Friday, March 5, 2010, at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Russellville.
She was the daughter of Ernest and Dosia Minor Keener, and the wife of the late Ray Rackley. She was a member of Atkins First Baptist Church.
She was also preceded in death by four brothers, Fred, Buel, Omer and Eugene Keener.
She is survived by one son, Hubert Rackley and wife, Kathy, of Tulsa, Okla.; two daughters, Peggy and Doyle Cook of Atkins, and Frances and Phillip Christie of Stafford, Va.; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Monday, March 8, at Atkins First Baptist Church with the Rev. Scott Tyler officiating. Burial will be at Pisgah Cemetery
in Pottsville. Arrangements are by Lemley Funeral Service.
Pallbearers are Mark Thessing, James Alexander, Stoney Martin, Bobby Pitts, Najim Jamell and Alan Stubbs.
Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. today at Lemley Funeral in Atkins.
Timothy Hardgrave
Timothy Lee Hardgrave, 60, of Dover died Thursday, March 4, 2010, at the Dardanelle Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
A son of the late Johnie Hershel and Alma Luella Waits Hardgrave, he was born
February 9, 1950, in Russellville. He was employed by Arkansas Tech University, working in the physical plant and was a member of the Hatley Missionary Baptist Church at Dover. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Janet L. Courson, and a nephew, Donald Hargrave.
Survivors include his wife of 31 years, Gloria Hardgrave; two daughters, Ashlee D. A. Hardgrave of Chicago, Ill., and Tamara Davis of Dublin, Georgia; a brother and sister-in-law, Johnie R. and Valli Hardgrave of Sulphur Springs, Texas; a brother-in-law, Daryl Courson of Crossett; five nephews and nieces, Chuck Sitton, David Sitton, Mark Courson and his wife, Carmen, Jana Brezinski and Brian Hardgrave; an aunt, Dorothy Sanders; cousins Evelyn and Jay Johnson; and other relatives and friends.
A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Hatley Missionary Baptist Church, officiated by the Rev. Ronnie Canard. Burial will be in East Point Cemetery
near Russellville by Shinn Funeral Service.
The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
The family requests donations be made to the Timothy Lee Hardgrave Memorial Fund, c/o River Town Bank.
John Ernest Fox Sr.
John Ernest Fox Sr., 88, of Fayetteville passed away Friday, March 5, 2010, at Butterfield Trail Village Health Center.
John was born
Oct. 17, 1921, to Ernest C. and Ilah Pless Fox of Russellville. He attended Russellville High School and graduated from what is now Arkansas Tech University in May 1941. When World War II began, John enlisted in the Navy, received his wings and was commissioned an officer. As a Naval aviator, he flew the Kingfisher observation aircraft and had the distinction of checking out as Naval Helicopter Aviator No. 55 in 1948. As a pioneer in this field, he went on to become a helicopter instructor at Ellyson Field in Pensacola, Fla.
John retired after 23 years with the rank of commander in 1966 and moved his family to Fayetteville. He attended the University of Arkansas, receiving a degree in education in 1969 and taught math at Woodland Junior High for two years. He became assistant principal of Ramay Junior High in 1971, received a masters in public school administration from the University of Arkansas in 1973 and served as principal of Ramay Junior High from 1975 to 1980.
John was a member of Central United Methodist Church, a past president of both the Fayetteville Evening Lions and Northwest Arkansas Retired Officers Association and member of the Washington County Retired Teachers Association. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and served faithfully for many years on the Washington County Equalization Board. John is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest C. and Ilah Pless Fox and his sister, Elizabeth Graves Fox, all of Russellville.
John is survived by his wife of 60 years, Penny Mellott Fox; one son, John E. Fox Jr. of Tulsa; two daughters, Jeanie Fox of Fayetteville and Tory Fox Rogers and husband, Mike Rogers of Fort Smith; and four grandchildren, Jesse Fox and Tim Rogers of Fayetteville, Ben Rogers and Caitlin Rogers of Fort Smith.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Monday at Moore’s Chapel.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Central United Methodist Church. Burial with military honors will follow at Fairview Memorial Gardens under the direction of Moore’s Chapel.
Memorials may be made to the American Red Cross, 250 Industrial Circle East, P. O. Box 789, Tontitown, AR 72770 or Central United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 1106, Fayetteville, AR 72702.
The Fox family wishes to thank the staff of Butterfield Trail Village Health Care Facility and Washington County Hospice for their compassionate and exemplary care.
