Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Billy Ray Lacefield
Mr. Billy Ray Lacefield, age 76, a resident of De Queen, Arkansas, died Wednesday, December 28, 2016, in De Queen.
Mr. Lacefield was born September 24, 1940, in Foreman, Arkansas. He was a heavy equipment operator and attended Friendship Baptist Church in De Queen. He also loved to travel and go camping.
He was preceded in death by his parents; Olin and Bertha Lacefield; two brothers, Junior and Hubert Lacefield; three sisters, Linnie Belle Griffin Manasco, Verna Webster, and Dorothy Lawson.
Mr. Lacefield is survived by his wife Peggy Lacefield; two sons and daughters-in-law, Olen and Barbara Lacefield and Tommy and Leslie Lacefield all of De Queen; three granddaughters, Amber and husband Matthew Price of Ward, Arkansas, and Reagan and Emily Lacefield also of De Queen; two great-grandchildren, Tristan and Natalie Price of Ward; two brothers and sisters-in-law, R.C. and Betty Lou Lacefield and Floyd and Betty Lacefield all of De Queen; one sister and brother-in-law, Lola and Fate Barkman of Beaumont, Texas; and one sister-in-law, Ernestine Watson of De Queen; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Mr. Lacefield will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 31, 2016, in the Wilkerson Funeral Home Chapel with Roy Conatser and Bro. George Frachiseur officiating. Burial will follow in Redmen Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Friday, December 30th at the funeral home.
Merle A. Chewning
Mr. Merle A. Chewning, age 76, a resident of Winthrop, Arkansas, died Wednesday, December 28, 2016, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
He was born January 27, 1940, in De Kalb, Texas. He was retired from the paper mill after working for 33 years. He was a member of the Winthrop Baptist Church. He loved to hunt and was an avid sports fan. He also loved spending time drinking coffee with his friends. He loved people and was the best dad. He was very giving and would do anything for his family.
Mr. Chewning was preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Etta May Chewning.
He is survived by his wife, Vonnie Altenbaumer Chewning; two daughters and sons-in-law, Tracy and Daniel Hemeyer of Huntsville, Alabama, and Vonda Kay and Michael Marchand of Chesapeake, Virginia; two brothers, Olen and Douglas Chewning; six grandchildren, Kacy Hemeyer Leauge and husband Ryan, Jake Hemeyer, Mackenzie Hemeyer, Michael Jr. Marchand, Jaeden Marchand, and Tristan Marchand; and one great-granddaughter, Lakelyn Leauge.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 31, 2016, in the Winthrop Baptist Church with Bro. Audie Dawson officiating. Burial will follow in Campground Cemetery under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home Family will receive friends from 5:00- 7:00 p.m., Friday the 30th in the funeral home chapel.
Freeman Dewayne Higgins
Mr. Freeman Dewayne Higgins, age 80, a resident of De Queen, Arkansas, died Thursday, December 29, 2016, in Ashdown, Arkansas.
He was born June 26, 1936 in Gillham, Arkansas. He was USDA inspector and a U.S. Airforce veteran.
Mr. Higgins was preceded in death by his parents, David Gordon and Ila Snider Higgins; one daughter, Janet Higgins; one step-son, Robert Donovan Trotter; two sisters, Jean Smith and Gladys Tabor and two brothers, Russell Higgins and Bobby Higgins.
He is survived by his wife, Edna Jean McDonald Higgins; one son and daughter-in-law, David and Mariana Higgins of Grannis; one step son, Jimmy Trotter; one step daughter, Debbie Trotter both of De Queen; three brothers, Calvin Hern and Jimmy Higgins both of De Queen and Billy Higgins of Gillham; one sister, Belva Nipper of Lockesburg; five grandchildren, Zachary Trotter, Alexandria Trotter, Richard Trotter, Amber Davignon and Jason McGough; nine great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 4, 2017, in the Wilkerson Funeral Home Chapel with Sam Hendricks officiating.
Cremation arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home.
Wallace Maurice Wooten
Wallace Maurice Wooten, age 88, a resident of Falls Chapel, Arkansas, died Wednesday, December 28, 2016, at his home.
He was born June 1, 1928, in Horatio, Arkansas. He was a retired Presbyterian minister, a farmer and World War II Army veteran.
Mr. Wooten was preceded in death by his parents, Henry Matthew and Birdie Lucille Stone Wooten; his wife, Elmo Laverne Wooten and his step-son, Ronald Summerhill.
He is survived by two sons, Wallace Wayne Wooten and Jim Griffin Wooten both of Lockesburg; two sisters, Goldie Redman of Lake Dallas, Texas and Peggy Hix of Weatherford, Texas; one brother, R.J. Wooten of Florida; two daughters-in-law, Barbie Summerhill of Falls Chapel, Arkansas and Dianna Wooten of Lockesburg; three grandchildren, Lisa, Jerry and Mike; two great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.
Graveside funeral services for Mr. Wallace Wooten will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, December 31, 2016, in the Falls Chapel Cemetery with Jerrell Helms officiating, under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home in De Queen.
The family will receive friends from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Friday, December 30th at the funeral home.
Geraldine Green Vann
Geraldine Green Vann, age 85, of Gillham, Arkansas, died Tuesday, December 27, 2016 in her home. She was born Saturday, October 3, 1931 at Cross Roads, Arkansas to Arthur A. Green and Ione (Wright) Green at home.
She grew up with 3 sisters and 1 brother and many cousins. She graduated from Winthrop High School in 1948. She was on the girls’ basketball team playing for the Winthrop Wolves. Geraldine attended one year at Southern State College in Magnolia Arkansas. This is where she met Coy Joe Vann and they married June 11, 1950 at the Church of Christ in De Queen. They moved to Lake Jackson, Texas in 1953. Geraldine was a faithful member of the Church of Christ and was a loving bible class teacher of children. She was an expert seamstress and loved cooking for her large family and others. She also loved traveling and seeing the nation and spent many hours gardening and enjoying nature and growing flowers. Geraldine and Coy moved to Arkansas after Coy's retirement in 1983 where she quickly made friends and joined the Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council of Sevier County.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Coy Joe Vann; her parents, Arthur and Ione Green; three sisters, Jo Owens, Bama Weed and Ollie Belle Davis.
Geraldine is survived by her brother, Billy Ray Green of Foreman, AR. her children; one son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Mary Vann of Gillham, AR; four daughters and sons-in-law, Judy and Ron Hamilton of Frisco, TX, Terrie and David Jacobs of Wickes, AR, Sandy and Leland Cole of Gillham, AR, and Gail and Dean Murphy of Houston, TX; fourteen grandchildren, nineteen great grandchildren, one great-great grandchild; several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Vann will be held at 12:30 p.m., Friday, December 30, 2016, at the Church of Christ in Wickes, Arkansas with David Jacobs and Dudley Vann officiating. Burial will follow in the Gillham Cemetery, under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home in De Queen. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 29th at the funeral home.
Mildred Lorene Mickle Youngblood
Mrs. Mildred Lorene Mickle Youngblood, age 90, a resident of Smithville, Oklahoma, died Tuesday, December 27, 2016, at her home.
She was born August 5, 1926 in Gillham, Arkansas. She was a homemaker, farmer and rancher and a member of the Immanuel Baptist Church in Cove, Arkansas.
Mrs. Youngblood was preceded in death by her parents, Edward Young and Elzie Mae Brewer Mickle; her husband, Robert Lee Youngblood; six brothers and four sisters.
She is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Mark Smith of Smithville, OK; three sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Brenda Youngblood and Terry and Roberta Youngblood all of Watson, OK and Gary and Debbie Youngblood of Harrisonville, Missouri; one sister and brother-in-law, Margie and Ken Jackson of De Queen; two sisters-in-law, Emma Lee Mickle and Doris Mickle, both of De Queen; 9 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Mrs. Youngblood will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 29, 2016 in the Wilkerson Funeral Home Chapel in De Queen with Bro. John Gilbert officiating. Burial will follow in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Cove, Arkansas.
Gene E. Leathers, Jr.
Mr. Gene E. Leathers, Jr., age 53, a resident of Lockesburg, Arkansas, died Thursday, December 22, 2016, in Christus St. Michael Heath System in Texarkana, Texas.
He was born May 22, 1963, in De Queen. He was in the National Guard, a welder and a Baptist. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and loved his old classic country music.
Mr. Leathers was preceded in death by his mother, Fredia Joyce Young Leathers.
He is survived by his partner, Marie Thomas of Lockesburg; one son, Tripp Leathers of Lockesburg; two daughters, Bailey Clark of Lockesburg and Liberty Leathers, Ashdown; his father, Gene Leathers of Lockesburg; his step daughter, Ashley Ayers of Horatio; one brother and sister-in-law, Chuck and Pat Leathers of Lockesburg; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Tammy and Gene Vanhoose of Eagletown and Johnye and Patrick Fisher of De Queen; three grandchildren, Cody Clark and Dominic and Nolan Ayers; a number of nieces, nephews and host of friends.
Graveside funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 24, 2016, in the Wrights Chapel Cemetery with Buster Dellinger officiating, under the direction of Wilkerson Funeral Home in De Queen.
