Obituaries

Odis Carl Tyler (04/03/03)
Odis Carl Tyler, 87, died on Wednesday, March 26, 2003 at the Three Rivers Nursing Center in Marked Tree. Tyler was a WWII Army veteran, a member of the American Legion and the First Baptist Church of Lepanto. He was a retired farmer. Survivors include his wife, Irene Powell Tyler; three sons, Harold Tyler, Alton Tyler and Mitchell Tyler; two daughters, Sandra Benton and Darlene House; one sister, Lena Rogers; two brothers, Paul Tyler and Gene Tyler; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, all of Lepanto.. ...

Eul James Griffin (04/03/03)
Eul James "Shorty" Griifin, 84, of Payneway, died on Monday, March 31, 2003 at St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro. Born on October 1, 1918 in Bethesda, Ark., Griffin was a member of the Broadway Church of Christ and worked for Singer after retiring from farming. He played semi-pro baseball...

Rickey Elinburg (04/03/03)
Rickey "Wayne" Elinburg, 55, of Osceola died on Thursday, March 27, 2003 at the Methodist Hospital in Memphis. Born February 24, 1948 in Union, Miss., Elinburg was a farm worker and a member of the Pentecostal Church of God in Etowah. Survivors include his wife, Patsy Elinburg of Osceola; two sons, Rickey Joe Elinburg and Mark Wayne Elinburg, both of Etowah; three daughters, Melissa Ann Ray of Cherokee Village, Melanie Ray of Osceola and Kimberly Evance of Mountain Grove, Mo.; one sister, Wilma Kirk of Etowah; five brothers, Willie Elinburg of Belk, Ark., Sam Elinburg of Watson, Ark., John Elinburg of Caraway, Ark., Tommy Elinburg of Etowah and Mike Elinburg of West Ridge; and 13 grandchildren.. ...

John Robert Balek (04/11/03)
John Robert Balek, 73, of Wilson, died on Friday, April 4, 2003 at the Baptist Hospital in Osceola. Balek was born on November 30, 1929 in Chicago. He was a business owner and retired salesman. He was of the Catholic faith and was owner of Marie Grocery for 11 years...

Mary Ann Jacobs (04/11/03)
Mary Ann Jacobs, 45, of Osceola, died on Thursday, April 3 at Baptist East in Memphis. Jacobs was born on May 25, 1957 in St. Louis to Oscar Reynolds, Sr. and Marie Simpson. She was a secretary at South Miss. Co. School District and a member of Promiseland Church of God in Christ in Osceola...

Becky Ann Jones (04/11/03)
Becky Ann Jones, 47, of Trumann, died on April 8, 2003 on Hwy. 69 near Trumann. Jones was born February 26, 1956. She was a homemaker of the Pentecostal faith. Survivors include two sons, Greg Jones of Harrisburg and James Jones of Virginia Beach, Va.; one daughter, Beckie Duncan of Lepanto; two sisters, Ruby Lee Gaddis of Tyronza and Nannie Sue Tillotson of Fair Born, Ohio; five brothers, Gordon Gaddis of Michigan City, Ind., Lee Gaddis of Tyronza, Eugene and Lowell Gaddis of Marked Tree and John Troy Gaddis of Harrison; and four grandchildren.. ...

Fred Shackelford, Jr. (04/11/03)
Fred M. Shackelford, Jr., 73, of Memphis, died on April 3, 2003 at his home. Born on September 5, 1929 in Osceola, Shackelford was formerly of Marked Tree. He was a member and deacon of Ridgeway Baptist Church and a sales executive of MDR and Transcon Lines...

Ottie Willis Smith (04/11/03)
Ottie Willis Smith, 76, of Tyronza, died on Friday, April 4, 2003, at his home. Smith was a member of the Tyronza First United Methodist Church, a retired volunteer fireman for the Tyronza Fire Department and a WWII Army veteran. He was a retired truck driver for Home Oil Co...

Patricia Bynum (04/19/03)
Patricia Bynum, 65, died on Tuesday, April 15, 2003 at her home in Luxora. Born December 23, 1937 in Counce, Tenn., Bynum was a lifetime resident of Luxora. She was a homemaker and a member of Rosa Baptist Church. Survivors include her husband, Lemuel Bynum Jr. ...

Will Gill (04/19/03)
Will Gill, 91, of Turrell died April 16, 2003, at the Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis. Gill was born July 4, 1911 in Hardemann County, Tenn. and was a farmer and a member of the First Baptist Church in Turrell. He is preceded in death by Ruby Mae Gill...

Ruby Ruth Ingle (04/19/03)
Ruby Ruth Ingle, 84, of Marked Tree died April 11, 2003 at the Three Rivers Nursing Center in Marked Tree. She was a homemaker and a member of the Church of Christ in Marked Tree. Survivors include one son, Earnest Lee Ingle Jr. of Bella Vista, Ark; four sisters, Alma Stephens of El Campo, Texas, Kay Jackson of Tyler, Texas, Pauline Ryan of West Memphis and Louise Miller of St. Louis, Mo.; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren...

Glen Madison May Sr. (04/19/03)
Glen Madison May Sr., 89, died April 12, 2003 at the St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro. He was a farm worker, a Baptist and a WWII veteran. He is survived by one daughter, Rose Peridore of Caraway; four sons, Danny May of Horn Lake, Miss., Bobby May of Park Hills, Mo., Gordon May of Osceola, Steven of Manila; 13 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren...

Ruben "Buster" Shinall (04/19/03)
Ruben "Buster" Shinall, 77, of Lepanto died April 14, 2003 at the Methodist Hospital Central in Memphis. Shinall was born July 4, 1925 in Calhoun City, Miss. He was a retired farmer and of the Baptist faith. Survivors include his wife, Jimmie Faye Shinall; two daughters, Peggy Foshee of Collierville, Tenn., and Anna Buck of West Memphis; one son, John Shinall of Lepanto; three sisters, Mary Freshour of Little Rock, Pearl Clark of Memphis, and Dolly Caldwell of Lepanto; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.. ...

Frances Annette Smith (04/19/03)
Frances Annette Smith, 62, of Lexington, Tenn. died on Sunday, April 13, 2003 at Osceola Baptist Hospital. A retired school teacher of Hollow Rock School District, Smith was preceded in death by her husband Jerry F. Smith. Survivors include one brother, Mike Flunk of Lepanto...

Doris Arlene Watkins (04/19/03)
Doris Arlene Watkins, 50, of Lepanto, died on April 15, 2003 at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Born January 27, 1953 in Tyronza, Watkins was a housewife and of the Pentecostal faith. Survivors include two sons, Robert Lee Fuller of Lepanto and Joe Christopher Watkins of Marked Tree; seven sisters, Diane Robbins of Brush, Colo., Lisa Kay Zitts of Springfield, Ohio, Marie Sipes and Kathy Ridge of Marked Tree, Patricia Kirkpatrick of Lepanto, Pamela Byrd of Bassett and Sandra Ham of Dyess; and one brother, Ronnie Allen Kirkpatrick of Jonesboro.. ...

Erma Dean Baker (04/29/03)
Erma Dean Baker, 46, of Luxora, died Wednesday, April 16, 2003 at the Methodist Hospital in Memphis. She was born July 26, 1956 in Luxora to Allen Walters and Hattie Rhines. She was a factory worker, a member of New Salem M.B. Church in Luxora, church choir member, and Eastern Star...

Ruby Lavern Holder (04/29/03)
Ruby Lavern Holder, 79, of Osceola died Sunday, April 20, 2003 at the Baptist Hospital at Osceola. Holder was a retired school cafeteria worker and a member of Bethel Church of Lord Jesus Christ. Survivors include her husband, John Holder of Osceola; one daughter, Eva Schoepp of New Orleans, La.; two sons, Jimmy Holder and Michael Holder both of Osceola; one sister, Lena Mae Burchan of Tupelo, Miss.; two brothers, JR Brooks of Dell and Paul Brooks of Osceola; 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.. ...

Carlton Eugene "Buddy" Kent (04/29/03)
Carlton Eugene "Buddy" Kent, 66, died Sunday, April 20, 2003, at his home in Payneway. Born on May 15, 1936 in Mississippi County, Ark., Kent was a farmer, and an avid hunter and fisherman. He was a board member of Marked Tree Co-Op and Payneway Water Association, a member of Stumpy Point Hunting Club and of the Baptist faith...

Billy Ray Williamson (04/29/03)
Billy Ray Williamson, 69, of Memphis, died on Thursday, April 17, 2003. He is preceded in death by his parents, Row and Velma Williamson; two aunts Thelma Marbry and Pearl Smith; and one uncle, Melvin George, all of Marked Tree. Survivors include his wife, Flora Williamson of Memphis; two daughters, Trina Anderson of Bartlett, Tenn. ...

Jo Ann T. Wood (04/29/03)
Jo Ann T. Wood, 67, of Tyronza died Wednesday, April 16, 2003 at the Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was an office manager for the ASCS office and a member of Tyronza Baptist Church. Survivors include two daughters, Paula Hatcher of Lepanto, and Melinda Acoach of Atlanta, Ga.; and two grandchildren...