Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Vergie Holt
DANVILLE - Vergie Holt, 81, of Belleville passed away Monday, Aug. 15, 2011, at Arkansas Heart Hospital.
She was born
Dec. 6, 1929 in Waldron to the late Riley H. and Evan Starr Vaughn. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Nolas Hunt and Bryan Holt; brothers, Ed and Otis Vaughn; and sister, Geneva Yandell.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Delbert and Gail Hunt of Abbott; daughters and sons-in-law, Marily and Opal Hom of Danville and Mary Ann and Ray Sims of Searcy; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. today, Aug. 17, 2011, at Egypt Freewill Baptist Church. Burial will be at Hunt Cemetery
in Tate Town.
Arrangements by Cornwell Funeral Home, Danville.
Frances Gerbia
Frances Doyle Nordin Gerbia of Whitehouse Station, N.J., died peacefully Friday, Aug. 12, 2011, at home, surrounded by her loved ones. She was 90 years of age.
Born in the Pless community near London, she is the daughter of the late John and Cassandre Nordin and the wife of the late Frank Gebbia Sr. She has resided in Whitehouse Station, N.J. for the past 31⁄2 years after moving there from Mt. Laurel, N.J. She is a member of the Be Ye Kind Unto Others Bible Group of Faith Presbyterian Church, where she was known for her love of fashionable hats. Frances was a World War II veteran of the Women’s Air Corp.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a loving husband; beloved son, Paul Gebbia; a brother, William J. “Major” Nordin; five sisters, Cassie Sullivan, Ruth Henry, Evelyn Thompson, Laura Miller, and Dorothy Nordin; and a daughter-in-law Diane Gebbia.
She is the loving mother of Frank Jr. (Mary) of New Mexico, Beth Williams (Greg) of Branchburg, N.J., Tom Gebbia of Lynbrook, N.Y., and Barbara Johnson (Sgt. Major Curtis) of New Mexico. She was one of 10 children and is survived by her sisters, Cora Ella Banks of Dardanelle, Pauline Dacus of Russellville and Naomi Newbern of the Pless community near London. She is survived by her nine grandchildren, Tami, Jay, Tina, Keith, Rory, Christopher, Sean, Dana and Laura; her seven great-grandchildren, Daniel, McKenna, Isabella, Devin, Bryce, Terrance, and Nicholas; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, 2011, at Mt. Carmel Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Don Irwin will officiate. Burial will be at Mt. Carmel Cemetery
in London by Humphrey Funeral Service. Full military honors will be provided the Rogers-Rye Post No. 2283 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, 2011, at the church. There will also be a visitation following the service at the home of her niece, Esther Newbern White, on the original Nordin home place.
Melvin Davis
Melvin L. Davis, 65, passed away Friday, June 3, 2011, at his home after a long battle with colon cancer.
He was born
on Hurricane Creek in Newton County to Francis Hull and Roy Davis on Nov. 22, 1945. He and his family moved to Lurton where he attended elementary school and graduated from Deer High School before being drafted into the United States Army and stationed in Germany. Upon completing his tour of duty, Melvin went to Kansas City, Mo., to track down his high school sweetheart, Jessalyn Ramsey. They were married, had their only child Donovan and lived there until 1978 when they returned to Arkansas. They eventually made their home in Russellville where Melvin worked for Farwell, Osmond, and Kirk as an assistant general manager until its closing, then for Shaw Enterprises as senior instructor for in-processing until late last year.
Melvin’s early life in Northwest Arkansas instilled in him a love of nature and the outdoors that continued throughout his lifetime. He liked to hunt, but he lived to fish, and his two favorite fishing buddies were his son Donovan and his brother Eugene. He fished dozens of bass tournaments around the state and was instrumental in the development of the Lake Dardanelle State Park Fishing Visitor Center and Weigh-in Station. On the lake in his bass boat was Melvin’s favorite place to be, and he was known to say it was the place he felt closest to God. He and his brother, Eugene, won 2007 Angler of the Year award in Vince Miller’s Super Team.
Melvin was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife, Jessalyn. Those who will miss him most are his son, Donovan (Tammy); his granddaughter, Rayne Davis; step-grandsons, Justin Taylor and Zack Taylor; brother, Eugene (Earlene), all of Russellville; sister, Pat Jackson (Forrest) of Harrison; step mother-in-law, Pauline Ramsey of Jasper; sisters-in-law, Jan Larson, Pat Adams, Judy Schenk, Kathy Lord, Carla Weeks and Lisa Anderson; and brother-in-law, Mike Ramsey; as well as several nieces, nephews and friends. Good friends and pallbearers are Billy Barber, Don Washington, Doug Prater, Ernie Longing, Rick Hollis and Bob West.
The family would like to express its gratitude to Arkansas Hospice and the fourth-floor staff at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. Memorials in Melvin’s name may be made to Coleman Cemetery
Maintenance Fund, Jeff Adams of Pelsor or Arkansas Hospice, 2405 E. Parkway, Suite 3, Russellville, AR 72802.
Funeral service will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, June 6, 2011, at the Dover Church of Christ in Dover. Burial will be at Coleman Cemetery
by Humphrey Funeral Service. Micah Williams and William Boley will officiate.
Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Military honors will be provided by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 2283.
Emmett Wade
Emmett Wade, 90, of Russellville died Friday, June 3, 2011, at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center.
The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at the Shinn Chapel with visitation from 5–6 p.m. on Monday at Shinn Funeral Service.
Joyce Merrick
Joyce Merrick, 75, of Russellville died Friday, June 3, 2011, in Russellville.
The daughter of Garland and Ora Mariah Lile Featherston, she was born
Nov. 23, 1935, in Paris, Ark. She married
Lester Burnett Merrick on Jan. 21, 1956. She was a member of the 1953 class of Paris High School. She attended Arkansas Polytechnic College and received her B.S. at the University of Arkansas and her Masters from Southwestern State College in Weatherford, Okla. She was a home economics teacher in the Pottsville and later Russellville School District for a total of 32 years.
She loved growing fruits and vegetables and sharing them with her family and friends. She and L.B. were members of the Russellville Square Dancing Club.
She was a member of PEO Sisterhood and several teacher’s organizations. She attended Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Pottsville. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Bill Featherston.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, L.B. Merrick, Russellville; a son, Les Merrick and wife Marsha, Jonesboro; two grandchildren, Leah and Luke Merrick, Jonesboro; a brother, Russell Featherston and Yvonne, Paris; a sister, Sally Hallum and husband Don, Wylie, Texas; sisters-in-law, Nell Featherston, Beaumont, Texas, and Beverly Merrick, Russellville.
Memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Monday, June 6, 2011, at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church at Pottsville. Reverend Howard Wheeler will officiate. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Humphrey Funeral Service.
Memorials may be made to the Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, P.O. 156, Pottsville, AR 72858.
Alice Johnson
Alice Ann Johnson, 61, of Clarksville, died Friday, June 3, 2011.
She was born
Oct. 31,1949, in Clarksville to the late Norman Otho and Mary Alice McGuire Morgan.
She was a member of the Fernwood Assembly Of God Church where she was a Sunday school teacher and past secretary treasurer of the church.
Survivors are husband, Don Johnson; three daughters, Vonda Zimmerman of Tulsa, Okla., Merriane Lea Palaski of Marble Falls, Texas, and Sabine Dent Stanley of North Carolina; three sons, Monty Johnson of Sycamore, Ill., Scott Johnson of Dixon, Ill., and Chad Johnson of Bloomington, Ill.; two sisters, Norma Lee Morgan Mariott of Lamar and Linda Kauffeld White of Montgomery, Ala.; one brother, John Edward King of Bentonville; 12 grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Mount Olive Methodist Church with Senior Chaplain Paul Northcut officiating.
Memorials may be made to Arkansas Heart Hospital 1701 S. Shackleford Road, Little Rock, AR 72211. Arrangments by Hardwicke Funeral Home.
Viva Bolin
Viva “VJ” Bolin, 92, of Russellville died Friday, April 29, 2011, at Stella Manor Nursing Center. The daughter of Joseph A. and Nora Patterson Moore, she was born
March 9, 1919, in Russellville. She was an Inspector for International Shoe Company for many years. VJ was a member of the Russellville Eastern Star and was a member of the Assembly of God church. She always enjoyed spending time at family gatherings, doing yard work, working in her garden and going to auctions. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Virgil Lee Bolin; son, Arthur Lee Bolin; two brothers, Ralph Moore and Dawson Moore.
VJ is survived by a daughter, Lana Perusse and husband Sonny of Russellville; three grandchildren, Brent Butler and wife Ronda of Siloam Springs, Laurie Geurin and husband Paul of Siloam Springs, and Steve Butler and wife Stephanie of Siloam Springs; seven great-grandchildren, Dustin and wife Hilary, Austin and wife Mandy, and Dillon Butler, Avery, Morgan and Cade Miller, and Amanda Butler, all of Siloam Springs; three siblings, Virginia Burnett and husband Heartsill of Atkins, David Moore and wife Bobbie of Russellville and Mary Maxine Ramsey of Fayetteville, N.C.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m., Thursday at Humphrey Chapel. Brother Blake Herren and Reverend Jim Huffman will officiate. Burial will be at Pisgah Cemetery
in Pottsville by Humphrey Funeral Service. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Charles Duvall
Charles Duvall, 69, known to his loved ones as “Pop,” left this world to be with the Lord on Sunday, May 1, 2011. He died at River Valley Medical Center surrounded by family. He was born
May 11, 1941, in Atkins. He stayed in the Russellville area his entire life, where he met and married
the love of his life, Mary Duvall, and raised their daughters.
Charles retired from the Russellville Rendering plant after 28 years. He was an avid fisherman who loved catfishing on the river. However, the greatest joys in his life where his daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his loving wife Mary of 47 years; their two daughters, Tammy Alexander and her husband Greg and Dawn Taylor and her husband Jim; five wonderful grandchildren, Shawnda Cook and her husband Chris, Mitchell Moore and his wife Jennifer, Chris Taylor, Jared Taylor and Dillon Moore; his 10 siblings, Johnny Duvall, Larry Duvall, Bill Duvall, Robert Duvall, Ronnie Duvall, Dianne Harris, Bet Ennis, Sue Taylor, Brenda Rivero and Karen Reddell; three great-grandchildren, Gabriel Taylor, Patch Cook and Riley Cook; two honorary grandchildren, Kevin Brady and Tosha Palmer; and his best friends, Bob and Virginia Merritt.
He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Lucy Duvall.
Visitation will be conducted from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Humphrey Funeral Service. Family and friends are welcome to attend.
Rev. Robert O’Bryant will conduct the memorial ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday at Humphrey Funeral Service, where Charles’ nephews will act as pallbearers. All of the employees at the Russellville Rendering plant will be considered honorary pallbearers.
Charles and Mary will always be known for their generosity and caring hearts. They have always created a loving home for anyone in need and have become known as Pop and Granny to many over the years. He will be missed very much.
