Obituaries

Virgel Bleeker (01/03/08)
VIRGEL BLEEKER, 63, of Zapata, Texas, died Dec. 23, 2007. He was born June 10, 1944, in Okemah, Okla., to Albert & Agnes (Campo) Bleeker. Virgel is survived by his wife, Shirley Jean Bleeker, of Zapata, Texas; sons Kenny Sidham of Houston, Texas, David Roop and wife Judy of Houston, Texas, Billy Roop of Berryville, Wade Roop and wife Susan of Gillette, Wyo., and Rodney Brehm of Tuttle, Okla; daughters Deana Bleeker of Oklahoma City, Okla., Gayle Russell and husband Jim of Golden, Mo., Hazel Jean Hubby and husband Chris of Zapata, Texas, and Carrie Louise Miller and husband Curtis of Pottsboro, Texas; brothers Dewayne Bleeker of Harrison, and Frank Bleeker and wife Shirley of Cronwell, Okla.; sister Claudine Parker and husband Van of Haskell, Okla.; mother-in-law Hazel Shindler of Clinton, Okla.; brother-in-law Bobby Joe Shindler and wife Sandra of Rockwall, Texas; brother-in-law Eddie Shindler and wife Jenny of Arapaho, Okla.; sister-in-law Sandy Shindler of Bonham, Texas; 13 grandchildren; two special children; three great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews who were very special to him.. ...

J.C. Hobbs (01/03/08)
J. C. HOBBS, 80, of Republic, Mo., died Monday, Dec. 24, 2007, in St. John's Hospital -- Springfield. He was born April 9, 1927, in Berryville, to Rev. Gaile "Jack" and Ruth (Howard) Hobbs. He married Mary R. Owen, and they celebrated 50 years of marriage in August 2007...

B.J. Smith (01/03/08)
B.J. SMITH, a resident of Berryville, was born Aug. 28, 1943, in Berryville, a son of Earnest Joseph and Walcie (Herd) Smith. He died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007, at his home in Berryville, at the age of 64. B.J. enjoyed visiting the Antioch Church and loved being a member of the Town & Country Lanes Men's Bowling leagues...

Dr. William W. Woodward (01/03/08)
DR. WILLIAM W. WOODWARD, a resident of Holiday Island, was born Sept. 22, 1931, in Parsons, Kan., a son of Farris Savoy and Katharine (Wirt) Woodward. He died Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007, in Holiday Island, at the age of 76. Dr. Woodward was a veteran, having served in the Air Force Reserves. ...

Lyla Joyce Carmical (01/04/08)
LYLA JOYCE CARMICAL, a resident of Sacramento, Calif., was born Jan. 14, 1930, in Ava, Mo., a daughter of Oscar and Louise Sanders. She died Dec. 21, 2007, in Sacramento, at the age of 77. On May 23, 1947, she was united in marriage with Freddie E. "John" Carmical. ...

Robert L. 'Bob' Croddy (01/04/08)
ROBERT? L. "BOB" CRODDY, 66, of Huntsville, died Monday, Dec. 17, in?Fayetteville. He was born July 19, 1941, in Kokomo, Ind., the son of Donald Eugene and Rebecca Catherine Adams Croddy. He was graduated from Northwestern High School near Kokomo, served in the U.S. ...

Julia M. Donaldson (01/04/08)
Julia M. Donaldson, 90, of Berryville, died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, at St. John's Hospital in Berryville. She was born Aug. 5, 1917, at Beaver, to the late Hugh Jefferson Burnett and Daisy Maude Turner. She married J.B. Donaldson, and to this union one son was born. She was employed for several years at Ocoma Foods (Tyson Foods) in Berryville. She was a member of First Assembly of God in Green Forest, and enjoyed quilting and spending time with her grandchildren...

Dale L. Kingsley (01/04/08)
DALE L. KINGSLEY died Dec. 7, 2007, at the City Hospital, Wamego, Kan. He had been a resident at the Westy Community Care Home in Westmoreland, Kan. He was born in Burdette, Kan., on July 28, 1925, to Wilmer and Vera Kingsley. He spent his early years in Kansas until the family moved to Mt. Vernon, Mo., when he was 8 years old. He attended Pleasant View grade school and Mt. Vernon High until he joined the Army Air Corps in World War II...

Lawrence Agustus Marler, Jr. (01/04/08)
LAWRENCE AGUSTUS MARLER JR., a resident of Eureka Springs, was born June 19, 1924, in Greenville, Miss., a son of Lawrence A. Sr. and Florence B. (Smith) Marler. He died Monday, Dec. 31, 2007, in Eureka Springs, at the age of 83. Mr. Marler was of the United Methodist faith. He was a member of the American Legion and also enjoyed fishing...

Wanda P. Stengel (01/04/08)
WANDA P. STENGEL, a resident of Holiday Island, was born Nov. 21, 1923, in Denver, Ark., a daughter of Roy and Edna (Gaddy) Parker. She died Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, in Holiday Island, at the age of 84. She is survived by several relatives and very close friends and caregivers, who she loved very much...

Richard Walker (01/04/08)
RICHARD WALKER, a resident of Green Forest, was born Jan. 25, 1938, in Berryville, a son of Garland and Bonnie (Deweese) Walker. He died Friday, Dec. 28, 2007, at his home in Green Forest, at the age of 69. Richard enjoyed being with his family and grandsons. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing and playing the guitar...

Deloris 'Dee' Young (01/04/08)
DELORIS "DEE" YOUNG, a resident of Berryville, was born June 9, 1954, in Selser Springs, Mo., a daughter of Charles F. and Marie S. (Swearingen) Taylor. She died Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, in Berryville, at the age of 53. Ms. Young was a nurses aid at the nursing home...

Kenneth Doc Rasmussen, DVM (01/08/08)
KENNETH DOC RASMUSSEN, DVM, a resident of Warrenton, Va., formerly of Berryville, was born Feb. 6, 1920, in St. Paul, Minn., a son of Walter and Estella Rasmussen. He died Monday, Dec. 24, 2007, at his home in Warrenton, Va., at the age of 87. Mr. ...

John W. Slaton (01/08/08)
JOHN W. SLATON, a resident of Holiday Island, was born Nov. 7, 1947, in Memphis, a son of Herbert M. and Ethel (Jobe) Slaton. He died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008, in Fayetteville, at the age of 60. Mr. Slaton was a fireman in Memphis. He attended Wild Flowers Chapel in Eureka Springs...

Mildred Chloerene Burks (01/11/08)
MILDRED CHLOERENE BURKS, a resident of Green Forest, was born Dec. 30, 1920, in Metalton, a daughter of Jesse Hugh and Annie (Hawkins) Gage. She died Jan. 9, 2008, in Green Forest, at the age of 87. Mrs. Burks was a member of the Huntsville Freewill Baptist Church...

John Wesley Hammons (01/11/08)
John Wesley Hammons, 91-year-old resident of Siloam Springs, died Jan. 6, 2008, at Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital. Born April 8, 1916, in Metalton, he was the son of William Vern Hammons and Eva Hudspeth Hammons. John was a self-employed mechanic and dump truck driver. He was of the Baptist faith...

Ruth Marie Leegel (01/11/08)
RUTH MARIE LEEGEL, a resident of Berryville, was born Dec. 8, 1916, in Berlin, Germany, a daughter of Emil and Frida (Sanders) Cenek. She died Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008, in Berryville, at the age of 91. Ms. Leegel was of the Lutheran Faith. She is survived by one daughter, Babs and her husband Vaughn Farmer of Berryville; one brother, Gunter Cenek of Eureka Springs; two grandchildren, Delmer Farmer of Washington and Don and his wife Barbara Foster of Green Forest; three great-great grandchildren, Joshua Clark of Huntsville, Olivia Foster, and Audrey Foster, both of Green Forest, and one niece, Rosemarie Heenen of Germany.. ...

Elizabeth Pearl Ulmer Quinney (01/11/08)
ELIZABETH PEARL ULMER QUINNEY, a resident of Holiday Island, was born May 3, 1946, in Little Rock, a daughter of JD and Aletha (Bumps) Ulmer. She died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007, in Holiday Island at the age of 61. Ms. Quinney worked as a fund-raiser for the Ronald McDonald House and was an administrative assistant for various corporations in Little Rock. ...

Margaret Peggy Harrison (01/15/08)
MARGARET PEGGY HARRISON, a resident of Berryville, was born Sept. 22, 1924, in Muskeghee, Mich., a daughter of Gilbert and Margaret (Custice) Hill. She died Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008, in Berryville, at the age of 83. Ms. Harrison was a member of Oak Grove Assembly...

James E. Junior Smith (01/15/08)
JAMES E. JUNIOR SMITH, 81, died Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. He was born July 14, 1926, at Carrollton, to the late Efton Smith and Faye Coxsey Smith. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. On Feb. 14, 1946, he was united in marriage to Lena Mae Marshall. Junior was employed as plant manager for Turney Wood Products in Harrison and later worked for Southwestern Church Furnishings in Waxahachie, Texas...

Augusta Evelyn Elizabeth Wacaster (01/15/08)
AUGUSTA EVELYN ELIZABETH WACASTER, 99, of Springdale, formerly of Harrison, died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008. Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. with funeral services at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Holt Memorial Chapel in Harrison. Chaplain Chuck Bengston and The Rev. Chip Andrus will officiate. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery...

Leonard Beckner Ayres (01/29/08)
Leonard Beckner Ayres, 86, of Ozark, Mo., formerly of Brookline, Mo., died Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, at The Baptist Home in Ozark. He was born Nov. 19, 1921 in Salina, Kan., the son of Clarence and Lura Ayres. Leonard served in the U.S. Army during World War II...

Bennie Truel Burleson (01/29/08)
BENNIE TRUEL BURLESON, 70, of Berryville, died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, at Hospice of the Hills Hospice House in Harrison. He was born July 13, 1937, in Borger, Texas, to Grady W. Burleson Sr. and Jocia Belle (Collins) Burleson. In May, 1955, he graduated from Magnolia High School in Magnolia, Texas and went on to serve in the U.S. Navy. On May 25, 1960, he was united in marriage to Hazel Irene Currie, and to this union four children were born...

Buzz J. Bussey (01/29/08)
BUZZ J. BUSSEY, of Green Forest, died Dec. 21, 2007, in San Clemente, Calif. He was born in Albuquerque, N.M., on Dec. 16, 1943, to the late Maxine Kahler and L.J. Tim Bussey. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1961 to 1964. In 2006, he and his family moved to Green Forest from Mission Viejo, Calif., and he was employed by the Green Forest School District as a bus driver...

Ernestine Margarette Cash (01/29/08)
ERNESTINE MARGARETTE CASH, a resident of Eureka Springs, was born Oct. 6, 1913, in Eureka Springs, a daughter of Ernest Allen and Georgia Emma (Boyd) Cash. She died Jan. 11, 2008, in Berryville, at the age of 94. Miss Cash is survived by three sisters, Emma Joyce Cash of Eureka Springs, Dorothea Cash of Eureka Springs, and Opal Easley of Eagle Rock, Mo.; 11 nieces and nephews; and a host of other family and friends...

Linville Goodman (01/29/08)
LINVILLE GOODMAN of Green Forest, was born on June 2, 1942, to Virgie Madge Fletcher. Mr. Goodman died Jan. 24, 2008, in Fayetteville, at the age of 65. Linville served his country in the United States National Guard. He was of the Baptist faith. Mr. ...

Virgie Fern Green (01/29/08)
VIRGIE FERN GREEN, of Green Forest, was born June 27, 1920, to Ernest and Easter (Jennings) Jones. Mrs. Green died Jan. 23, 2008, in Berryville, at the age of 87. Virgie devoted her life to her family and especially to her husband. She was a homemaker and of the United Baptist faith...

Rita Kott (01/29/08)
RITA KOTT, a resident of Berryville, was born Oct. 25, 1928, in Winnebago, Neb, a daughter of Donald and Ida Mae (Grace) Welch. She died Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, in Berryville, at the age of 79. Ms. Knott was a home health caregiver. She was of the Catholic faith...

Charles Theodore Leray (01/29/08)
CHARLES THEODORE LERAY JR., 92, of Roscommon, Mich., died Monday, Dec. 17, 2007, at Mercy Hospital in Grayling, Mich. He was born Feb. 28, 1915, in New Baltimore, Mich., to Charles Theodore and Irene (Meldrum) LeRay. He was a former employee of the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce, and moved to Roscommon in 2002. ...

Clay Sanvern McCullough (01/29/08)
CLAY SANVERN McCULLOUGH, a resident of Shell Knob, Mo., was born Jan. 17, 1924, in Viola, Mo., a son of William Turner and Allie (Meadows) McCullough. He died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008, in Berryville, at the age of 83. Mr. McCullough was a veteran, having served in the Army during World War II. Mr. McCullough was a dairy farmer. He also raised wild turkeys for the Missouri Conservation Department. He enjoyed hunting and fishing...

Preston Lee Smith (01/29/08)
PRESTON LEE SMITH, a resident of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, was born Dec. 29, 1964, in Eureka Springs, a son of Dr. Fred and Shirley Jean (Pyatt) Smith. He died Friday, Jan. 18, 2008, in Fayetteville, at the age of 43. Preston is survived by his life-long companion, Lisa Rhine of the home; one sister, Diana Kay Delozier of Texas; one uncle, Bob Pyatt and wife Sue of Springdale; two aunts-in-law, Reba and Capitolia Pyatt, both of Eureka Springs; two nephews, one niece, numerous cousins and other relatives and a host of friends.. ...

Tracy Michelle Smith (01/29/08)
TRACY MICHELLE SMITH was born Sept. 10, 1972, to J.D. and Judy Smith in Brunswick, Ga. She died Jan. 16, 2008, at her home in Batavia. She attended Boone County Special Services School and was a graduate of Bentonville Public High School. She was a member of the Snow Community Christ the Answer Church...

Wanda Faye Smith (01/29/08)
WANDA FAYE SMITH, 54, of Berryville, died Friday, Jan. 18, 2008, at her home. Mrs. Smith, daughter of James and Geneva Robinson, was born on June 18, 1953, in New Mexico. She had been employed at the Area Aging Center Home Health for more than 10 years...

Virginia Onstead Tackett (01/29/08)
VIRGINIA ONSTEAD TACKETT, 88, of Holiday Island, widow of Lowell Tackett, died Monday, Jan. 14, 2008. Born Nov. 12, 1919, to Charles Frederick and Isabel Emerick Onstead, she grew up in Hope. An avid reader, she wrote book reviews and a column, Book Notes, in the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock through the 1950s...

Wayburn W. Terherst (01/29/08)
WAYBURN W. TERHERST, 82, of Omaha, Ark., died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008, at the Hospice of the Hills Hospice House in Harrison. The son of William "Will" and Tulia (Underwood) Terherst, he was born Nov. 26, 1925 in Denver, Ark. He was a corporal in the U.S. Army, having served in Germany and Korea. He also was a sandblaster, working on Beaver Dam. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and spending time with his grandchildren...

Carl Wafford (01/29/08)
CARL WAFFORD, a resident of Holiday Island, was born Jan. 9, 1912, a son of Francis Bert and Gracie May (Ellis) Wafford. He died Friday, Jan. 25, 2008 at Arkenshire Retirement Village, at the age of 96. Mr. Wafford was a veteran, having served in the Army during WWII. ...

Kathryn Jacqueline West (01/29/08)
KATHRYN JACQUELINE WEST a long time resident of Tucson, Ariz., was born in Cherryvale, Kan. on Feb. 3, 1928, to Leonard and Charlotte (Rhodes) Carson. Mrs. West died Jan. 20, 2008, at her daughter's home in Green Forest, at the age of 79. Kathryn was affectionately known as Ma West. Her house was always a safe haven for people in need...