Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Jean Roam
Jean Roam, 72, of Mountainburg, died Friday, Jan. 12, 2002, at a local hospital. She was a homemaker and attended the First Assembly of God church in Mountainburg.
Survivors include, two daughters, Carol Birchfield of Mountainburg and Brenda Coggin of Killeen, Texas; one son, Victor Darris of Van Buren; three sisters, Orpha Lane and Gladys Childers, both of Van Buren, and Thelma Cluck of Whittier, Catif.; three brothers, Harold Atwell of Van Buren, Floyd Atwell of Alma and Paut Atwell of Shawnee, Okla.; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held Jan. 15 at the First Assembly of God Church in Mountainburg. Burial was held at Mt. McCurry Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Jerry Don Atwell, Shane Darris, Tony Taber, Cody Darris, Bradley Birchfield and Jody Birchfield.
Jewet Patterson
Jewet L. Patterson, 90, of Van Buren, died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2002, at a local hospital. She was a homemaker and attended the New Home Community Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Patterson.
Survivors include one daughter, Wilma Jean Winstead of Uniontown; two brothers, Jack W. Speer of Littte Rock and Jerry Speer of Roland; six grandchildren, Karen Collier, Ross Winstead, Holly Osborne, Randy Winstead, Londa Johnson and Jeff Winstead; 12 great-grandchitldren and six great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held Jan. 16 at Ocker Memorial Chapel in Van Buren. Burial was held at Macedonia Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Donald Holser, Lloyd Hosier, Cotton Morrison, Jimmy McMurry, J.T. McMaster and Sammye Collier.
H. Howard Gordey Jr.
H. Howard Gordey Jr., 63, of Morgantown, W.V., died Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2002. He was an automobile salesman for Ford Motor Company and was formerly from Kansas City, Mo.
Survivors include one daughter, Vicki Moore of Fairmont, W.V.; three sons, Ricky Gordey of Morgantown, Johnny Gordey and Jerry Gordey, both of Independence, Mo.; two brothers, Darrell Gordey of Barling and Wilburn Gordey of Kansas City, Mo.; three grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral service was held Jan. 14 at Ocker Memorial Chapel in Van Buren. Burial was held at Conley Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Ricky Gordey, Darrell Gordey Sr., Darrell Gordey Jr., and Danny Conn.
Mary Deffenbaugh
Mary Virginia Deffenbaugh, 74, of Van Buren, died Saturday, Jan. 12, 2002. She was retired from Sparks Memorial Hospital Food Service and a life-long resident of Crawford County.
Survivors include several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral service was held Jan. 15 at Ocker Memorial Chapel. Burial was held at Hall Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Dorothy Howard
Dorothy Ann Howard, 74, of Van Buren, died Monday, Jan. 14, 2002, at a local hospital. She was of the Baptist faith, former operator of the Koffee House and East Side Cafe, and was retired from Unitog.
Survivors include her husband, Jesse Howard; two daughters, Barbara Frazier of Van Buren and Ruby Howell of Camden; one son, Jackie Howard of Fort Smith; one brother, Ben Lincks of Sallisaw, Okla.; 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Gracelawn Arbor under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers will be Jimmy Lincks, Tommy Lincks, Eddie Lincks, Steve Lincks, Billy Charles Lincks and Jason Coleman.
H. Zed Gant
H. Zed Gant, 87, of Van Buren, entered into rest Sunday, Jan. 13, 2002, at a local hospital. He was a retired attorney and Chancery Judge.
He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Imogene; one daughter, Linda Beth Harwood of Fort Smith; one son, Paul D. Gant of Van Buren; seven grandchildren, Joe D. Schoolcraft of Owasso, Okla., Jean Schoolcraft Hunt of High Point, N.C., Judy Schoolcraft Parson of Grapevine, Texas, Jimmy Schoolcraft of Maumelle, Kyle Harwood of Colorado Springs, Colo., Kristen Harwood Arrington of Allen, Texas and Kimberly Gant Griffin of Waco, Texas. Also surviving are ten great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Alice Margaret Schoolcraft, and one son, Zed George Gant.
Judge Gant was born, April 1, 1914 in the Oliver Springs Community north of Van Buren, the son of George and Ida Gant. After completing his Law Degree at the University of Arkansas in 1936, he returned to Van Buren where he practiced and served as Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Crawford County. After commencement of World War II, he was appointed as an attorney for the War Relocation Authority in Washington D.C.. He later volunteered for the Navy where he served as a Gunnery Officer and subsequently retired from the Naval Reserves as a Lt. Commander. After working as a Field Attorney for the Veteran Administration from 1947 until 1973, he was appointed by Governor Dale Bumpers for the position of Chancery Judge of the 15th Judicial District of Arkansas. Judge Gant then served the 12th Judicial District as Master-in-Chancery from 1976 through 1991 while engaging in the private practice of law with his son in the firm of Gant & Gant.
He has served as Master of the Masonic Lodge in Van Buren; Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Harbor House; Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Association; President of the Board of Directors for the Western Arkansas Legal Services; and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Boggan Educational Scholarship Trust Fund. He loved the First Baptist Church of Van Buren very much. He greatly enjoyed serving there as Sunday School Superintendent, trustee and a deacon for many years. In 1995, he was named as a “Living Legend” for the City of Van Buren.
Funeral service was held Jan. 16 at the First Baptist Church in Van Buren. Burial was at Gracelawn Cemetery in Van Buren, under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Earl Robinson, Gene Bell, Lewis Ballard, Gene Hobbs, Mike Hurst, Lowell Glass, Jerry Medlock, and Judge Warren Kimbrough.
Honorary pallbearers were the deacons of the First Baptist Church of Van Buren and the Bar Association for Crawford and Sebastian Counties.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Van Buren Building Fund, 1121 E. Main, Van Buren, AR 72956.
Jane Morrow
Jane Morrow, 49, of Cedarville, died Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2002, at a local hospital. She was a member of the Shamrock Community Church, a homemaker and a former licensed practical nurse.
Survivors include her husband, Gary; one daughter, Lynn Shelly of Cedarville; one son, Gary Morrow II of Natural Dam; three sisters, Sue Perryman of Shawnee, Okla., Louise Burkhart of Cedarville, and Rita Grisham of Seminole, Okla.; three grandchildren, Brandon Shelly, Bryan Shelly and Lucy Jane Shelly, all of Cedarville.
Funeral service was held Jan. 12 at Ocker Memorial Chapel. Burial was at Shamrock Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Ronny Jordan, Roger Jordan, Mark Kattich, Greg Shelly, Brandon Shelly and Gary Morton II.
