Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
John Edward Grubbs
Mr. John Edward Grubbs, age 33, a resident of Kennedy, Texas formerly of Dierks, Arkansas, died Tuesday, June 30, 2020, at his home.
He was born December 3, 1986, in Hope, Arkansas. He was a pipeline welder in the Texas oilfields. John was a Christian, and loved to hunt and fish. He was a graduate of Dierks High School where he played football.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Grady and Pauline Grubbs and James and Barbara Gustic.
John is survived by his father and step-mother, Ricky Dan and Angelene Grubbs of Delight, Arkansas; his mother, Dorothy Mae Gustic Grubbs of Dierks; one brother, Michael Grubbs of Dierks; three step-brothers, Daniel Nolen, Cameron Couch, and Dalton Franks; one step sister, Rebecca Nolen; his dog, Rocky; and a number of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Graveside funeral services for John will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, July 6, 2020, at Dierks Cemetery with Jaron Tipton officiating, under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home in Dierks.
A general viewing will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m., Sunday, July 5th at the funeral home in Dierks.
Barbara O’Neal Crawford
Mrs. Barbara O’Neal Gray Crawford, age 84, a resident of Dierks, Arkansas, died Monday, June 29, 2020 in Dierks.
She was born November 29, 1935 in Cameron, Texas. She was a homemaker and attended Lighthouse Church in Lockesburg. She loved kids, sewing, painting and crafts.
Mrs. Crawford was preceded in death by her parents, William Vanderbilt and Mary Helen Lundy Gray; her husband, J.B. Allen Crawford; and two daughters, Janice Castillo and Barbara Jane Crawford; two brothers, Charles Gray, Sr. and William Billy Gray and two sisters, Helen Virginia Gray Woods and Mary Helen Lucille Lowry.
She is survived by six daughters, Lynn John of Lockesburg, Arkansas, Jazmine Roberts and husband William of Lockesburg, Jackie Johnson of New Boston, Texas, Sandy White of De Queen, Arkansas, Mary Helen Miles Nichols of Abilene, Texas, and Wendelynn Gay Miles Dutton of Midland, Texas; a number of grandchildren, her special grandchildren, Charles and Jennifer Clifton, Kassie and Keith Wade and Liam and Necie Roberts; special great grandchildren, Shyloe Harvey, Jacob Clifton, Sienna Claire Wade and Madison Paige Wade; and a number of other great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Mrs. Crawford will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, July 2, 2020 at the Lighthouse Church in Lockesburg with Bro. Levi Browning officiating. Burial will follow in Redmen Cemetery in De Queen, under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home.
General viewing will be on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
To ensure everyone’s safety a face covering is suggested at the church.
Elizha Tukai “Kai” Leeper
Elizha Tukai “Kai” Leeper, age 15, a resident of Mineral Springs, Arkansas, died Sunday, June 28, 2020 at Howard Memorial Hospital in Nashville, Arkansas.
He was born January 16, 2005 in Texarkana, Texas. He was a Christian and attended Mineral Springs High School. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, cooking, making music and playing football.
Kai was preceded in death by his Mamaw, Betty Crow; great-grandma, Edna Collier and great-grandpa, David Collier.
He is survived by his father and step-mother, Carl Lavell Leeper and April Summers-Leeper of Mineral Springs, AR; his mother and step-father, LaBetha Crow Patterson and Greg Patterson of Provo, AR; one sister, Sadie Leeper; one brother, Lenny Leeper both of Provo, AR; sister-in-love, Morgan Spray; three step-brothers, James Summers Smith, Justin Summers, Jordan Summers; one step-sister, Jasmin Summers all of Mineral Springs, AR; his Papa, Kenneth Crow of Provo, his Nana, Easter Leeper of Nashville, AR, his PawPaw, Ronnie Flowers of Washington, AR; grandparents, Carl and Jonnie Leeper of Antoine, AR; his aunts and uncles, Rudy and Linda Hatridge of Wilton, AR, Rhonda and Perry Small of Conway, AR, Robyn Hatridge of Texarkana, Sheila Marts of Stigler, OK, Denise Glenn of Nashville, TN, Yvonne “Chef Mo” Leeper of Atlanta, GA, Dr. Theresa Flowers of Little Rock, AR, Dawntish Flower of Nashville, AR and Tierra Trotter of Texarkana, AR and a number of cousins and friends.
Funeral services for Kai will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday July 4, 2020 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville with his Godfather, Pastor Jamie Erby officiating, Bro. Jerrel Helms reading scripture and Bro. Tommy Halsell, prayer. Private Burial will follow under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home in De Queen.
Viewing at the church will begin at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July the 4th.
General viewing will be held from 4:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m., Friday, July 3rd at the funeral home in De Queen.
To ensure everyone’s safety a face covering will be required at the funeral home and church.
Mr. Tony Morris
Mr. Tony Morris, age 84, resident of Nacogdoches, Texas, passed from this life on Friday, April 3, 2020, at the Cecil R. Bomar Rehabilitation Center in Nacogdoches.
Born July 6, 1935, in Decatur, Texas, to Bessie Evel Pruett Morris and Jesse Lee Morris, Tony grew up in north Texas and lived most of the first half of his life there. After two years at North Texas State University, he volunteered for the army and served stateside for two years during the Korean conflict. He was married to Dorothy Jamie Fowler from 1955 until her death in 1971; they had two daughters, Debra and Kathleen, who survive him. He was preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Dona Kay Morris, who passed away in November 2019. His parents and both his siblings, Joe and Jaytha Morris, also preceded him in death. Along with Kathleen and Debra, he is survived by Dona’s three children, Rebecca, Kevin, and Jennifer, as well as eight grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, numerous members of the extended family, and his faithful dog Spike.
Tony’s first jobs as a preteen and teen were pumping gas at his father’s service station and wrapping butter at the dairy in Decatur. He worked in electrical engineering in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the 1950s and 1960s and in the construction business in the 1970s. In 1977, he and Dona moved to DeQueen, Arkansas, where he built their home – as he said, “drove almost every nail in it” - on 20 acres of woods. There he worked as a roofing contractor and drove a school bus, experimented with raising goats and rabbits, and became a successful gardener who learned to can fresh produce. He and Dona were active members of DeQueen Church of Christ for 37 years. He was an avid fisherman and played banjo, guitar, and dobro with a bluegrass band in DeQueen, dabbling as well in mandolin and fiddle music.
Tony will be remembered for his fierce independence and ready grin, his unshakable faith and loyalty to friends and family, and his endless supply of corny jokes and useful aphorisms.
Graveside Services for Mr. Tony Morris will be held at 11:00 A.M., Monday, July 6, 2020 at Redmen Cemetery, with Toney Stowers, Minister, officiating. Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of Chandler Funeral Home, De Queen.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Appleby Church of Christ (10316 FM 941, Nacogdoches, TX 75965), where he was a member, or to the charity of your choice.
Florence Oleta Metcalf
Mrs. Florence Oleta Pettigrew Metcalf, age 79, a resident of Horatio, Arkansas, died Saturday, June 27, 2020 in Christus St. Michael Health System in Texarkana, Texas.
She was born January 11, 1941 in Horatio. She was a seamstress, served on the Sevier County Library Board and was a member of Williamson Community Church. Her greatest joy was taking care of her family.
Mrs. Metcalf was preceded in death by her parents, Alonzo Pettigrew and Sybel Irvan Young; her husband, Jerry W. Metcalf, Sr.; and a brother, Alonzo Pettigrew.
She is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Jerel Byrd of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; three sons and daughters-in-law, Jerry Metcalf, Jr. and Lisa of Stonewall, Louisiana, Ricky and Nancy Metcalf of Juneau, Alaska and Joe Metcalf of Richland, Washington; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Annitta and David Perks of Mineral Springs, Arkansas, and Marilyn Jo and Warren Adcock of Farmington, Arkansas; one brother and sister-in-law, Robbie and Carletta Pettigrew of Murfreesboro, Arkansas; 7 grandchildren, Rindy Swafford, Ashley Metcalf, Candice Metcalf, Rebecca Davis, Alicia Metcalf, Meghan Byrd and Leah Byrd; and a number of beloved great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 18, 2020 at the Williamson Community Church with Bro. Jimmy Roden officiating.
Cremation arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home in De Queen.
Janet Selman Ross
Janet Selman Ross, age 87, a resident of Foreman, Arkansas died Friday, June 26, 2020, in Ashdown.
She was born February 27, 1933, in Kingsland, Arkansas. Mrs. Ross was the owner of J&J Value Pack and Gator Inn in Foreman and Mid-way Grocery in Tom, Oklahoma. She was also a hairdresser and worked at Walmart. Mrs. Ross was a member of the First Baptist Church of Foreman.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Jeff and Beatrice Mosley Selman; her husband, Ned Ross; and two brothers, Bob Selman and Jackie Selman.
She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Wendi and Hugh Phillips of Foreman and Cynthia and David Miller of Hot Springs, Arkansas; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Butch and Cindy Ross and Michael Ross all of Foreman; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Roy and Sylvia Selman of Hector, Arkansas and Chick and Wanda Selman of Hot Springs; one sister-in-law, Pat Selman of El Dorado, Arkansas; 16 grandchildren; 40 great grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Graveside funeral services for Mrs. Ross will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 29, 2020, at Dollarhide Cemetery, under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home in De Queen.
There will be a general visitation from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday, June 28th at the funeral home.
Peggy Jo Lewis Bivins
Peggy Jo Lewis Bivins, age 87, a resident of Texarkana, Arkansas died Friday, June 26, 2020, in Ashdown, Arkansas.
She was born to Tom and Vivian Lewis on August 3, 1932, in Little River County, Arkansas. She was a homemaker and attended Northern Hills Baptist Church of Texarkana.
Mrs. Bivins was preceded in death by her husband, Randolph Alexander Bivins and one brother, Jack Lewis.
Left to cherish her memory are one son and daughter-in-law, Randy and Joyce Bivins of De Queen, Arkansas; one daughter, Mary Monte of Little Rock, Arkansas; 4 grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren; 2 brothers; 2 sisters; and several nieces and nephews.
Graveside funeral services for Mrs. Bivins will be held at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Gravelly Cemetery Pavilion with Roger Copeland officiating, under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home.
Visitation will be held 20 minutes prior to the service.
