Stories from Friday, December 29, 2006

The 13th annual Memory Tree Service was held on Tuesday Dec. 5, at the Community of Christ Church in Berryville. Sponsored by Hospice of St. John's Hospital-Berryville, this special service provides a time for the Hospice team to gather with families they serve to remember and give thanks for their loved ones...

DON ROBERT SHUSTA, 66, of Beaver, died on Christmas night at the Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale. He was born on Feb. 10, 1940, in Wahoo, Neb., to Robert Shusta and Virginia Walter Shusta. He was raised and educated in San Gabriel Valley, Calif. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1958 to 1960. He was a firefighter for Monterey Park, Calif. and later at Huntington Beach, Calif. He retired in 1994. He and his wife traveled throughout the country and moved to Beaver in 2005...

BUFORD T. REID, a resident of Berryville, was born Dec. 11, 1921, in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., a son of Robert James and Jennie Lee (White) Reid. He died Friday, Dec. 22, 2006, in Berryville, at the age of 85. Buford was a meat cutter for 42 years. He is survived by his friend, Mary G. ...

MARY PRESTIN, a resident of Berryville, was born Sept. 10, 1912, in La Porte County, Ind., a daughter of Warren and Flossie (Andusen) Rodgers. She died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2006, at the age of 94. Mary was a seamstress and was of the Nazarene faith. She is survived by one daughter, Phyllis Cooper of Berryville; three grandchildren, Tim Cooper and wife Grace of Berryville, Penny Morris and husband Don of Berryville, and Peggy Largen of Berryville; three great grandchildren, Melinda Largen, David Kell, and Faith Cooper, all of Berryville; and one great-great- grandchild, Ashley Largen.. ...

ELSIE BIRTIE PLOTT, a resident of Abilene, Kan., was born June 8, 1918, in Rom, Ark., a daughter of Jess and Bell (Cox) Riley. She died Friday, Dec. 22, 2006, at the age of 88. Elsie was a seamstress and a homemaker. She was a member of the Green Forest First Assembly of God...

HILUARD (DAVE) MATTOX, of Shell Knob, Mo., was born Sept. 4, 1931, in Lavina, Tenn., a son of Dave and Irene (Walker) Mattox. He died Monday, Dec. 25, 2006, in Springfield, Mo., at the age of 75. Dave was a farmer. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Golden, Mo., and the Men's Monday Night Bowling League in Berryville...

Jerry Lynn Jones, age 57, died in his home in La Habra Heights, Calif., on Dec. 19, 2006. Jerry was born to Clifford Floyd Jones (1922-1989) and Marie (Trantham) Jones (1927-1998). He was born in Seligman, Mo., but the family moved to southern California when he was less than two years old. Both of his parents were born and raised in Green Forest...

NELLIE JEAN CRAWFORD, 83, of Eureka Springs, died on Dec. 19, 2006. She was born on March 31, 1923, in Prospect Park, N.J., the daughter of Harry and Mae Norman. Mrs. Crawford, loving wife and mother, was a Yeoman Second Class in the U.S. Naval Service in 1943. The family moved to Eureka Springs in 1960, where she held jobs in the revenue office, the hospital and the Country Cousin before retirement...

HOLIDAY ISLAND -- The Holiday Island Planning Commission (HIPC) met Dec. 22 to issue one permit and one approval before the Christmas holiday. Builder Ralph Lemme requested a permit to build a 2,274-square-foot house at 63 Table Rock Drive for property owners Jim and Valerie Frazier. Permit #2137 was approved for 180 days with a variance to the front setback for the house not to exceed the front corners of the houses on either side...

BERRYVILLE -- The Berryville Police Department is asking for help from the public to find the driver of a two-door, blue Dodge Colt after several motorists witnessed a hit-and-run accident on U.S. Hwy. 62 Wednesday. Berryville Patrolman Randy Mayfield explained that Missouri couple Clarence and Leatrice Whittington were hit after they pulled out in front of the Dodge Colt at approximately 12:35 p.m...

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Police are investigating the theft of Baby Jesus from his manger in the Basin Park bandshell, located in the heart of Eureka Springs. The figurine is annually displayed in a nativity scene and heists by local pranksters are common...

BERRYVILLE -- Jared Wood joined the staff of Freeman Heights Baptist Church as youth pastor this month, according to church spokesman Shane Stracner. "We really like his list of four goals," Stracner said. Those goals are: "I believe that as families begin to take God more seriously the church will automatically be more effective in fulfilling the responsibilities that Jesus gave us before He returned to heaven," Wood said. ...

JOHN EDWARD WILLIAMS, 78, of Green Forest, died Dec. 22, 2006, at his home. He was born on Dec. 17, 1928, in Lonoke, Ark., a son of the late Carroll and Kathaline Hand Williams. On Oct. 9, 1948, he married Geneva Vey Thompson of Alpena. Mr. Williams honorably served in the Navy during WW II as a seaman first class. ...