Obituaries

Harold Lee Ford (10/03/03)
Harold Lee Ford, 44, of Trumann died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2003 in St. Bernard's Medical Center. He was of the Pentecostal belief. Survivors include three sisters, Dianne Burnes of St. Louis, Connie Brown of Dyess and Sharon Brooks of Trumann; four brothers, David Ford of Trumann, John Ford of Harrisburg and Dennis Ford and Mike Ford, both of Lexa; his stepfather, Bobby Joe Garrison of Dyess; and his paternal grandfather, George Luther Ford of Trumann...

Henry Garfield Jackson Sr. (10/03/03)
Henry Garfield Jackson Sr., 93, of Burdette, died Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Osceola. Born March 3, 1910, in Clarksdale, Miss., he had been a retired mechanic and was a member of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Burdette. He was preceded in death by his wife, Josephine Rogers Jackson, and his parents, James Jackson and Alice Brown Jackson...

Willie D. Nelson (10/03/03)
Willie D. Nelson, 74, of Lepanto died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003 at his home. An Army veteran, he was a member of Lepanto First Baptist Church and a member of American Legion Post No. 26 of Lepanto. Survivors include his wife, Geneva Milam Nelson of Lepanto; one son, Steven Ray Nelson of Jacksonville, Fla.; three daughters, Janice Mae Benson of Memphis, Shannon Ray Nelson of Brighton, Tenn., and Donna Key Nelson of Beedeville; two sisters, Katherine Britt of Lepanto and Joanie Phillips of Rivervale; and five grandchildren, Amy Horton, Shane Benson, Britni Benson, Callie Nelson and Caitlin Forbus.. ...

Lillian Phillips (10/03/03)
Lillian Phillips, 83, of Osceola died Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003 at St. Bernard's Medical Center. She was a member of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, where she served as an usher and was on the mother board. Survivors include one daughter, Shirley D. Phillips of Osceola; one sister, Lillie M. Willis of Chicago; one brother, Richard Clay of Chicago; and one grandchild...

Charlie Walker (10/03/03)
Charlie Walker, 49 of Southaven, Miss. died on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003 at his home. A purchasing agent for Rayloc in Memphis, Tenn., Walker was a Christian. Survivors include his wife of 13 years, Donna Walker of Southaven, Miss.; one daughter, Christa Clay of Lepanto; one son, Wayne Walker of Lepanto; one stepson, Jonathan Gardner of Southaven, Miss.; his father, Harry Walker of Port Townsend, Wash.; one sister, Rita Barnett of Memphis; one brother, Mike Walker of Marianna, Ark.; and four grandchildren.. ...

Rose Cantrell Carr (10/17/03)
Rose Cantrell Carr, 61, of Jonesboro, formerly of Osceola, died Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 at her residence. She was a waitress and a former restaurant owner. Survivors include two sons, Dany Woodward of Osceola and Dale Woodward of Keiser; two daughters, Tammy Prude of Cordova, Tenn., and Diana Crump of Tennyson, Ind.; four sisters, Mary Elen Scott and Patsy Bradsford, both of Osceola, Doris Sulcer of Dyess and Dixie Wright of Wilson; a brother, Bill Cockram of Etowah; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.. ...

Jess Pruitt (10/17/03)
Jess Pruitt, 94, of Etowah died on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Osceola. A member of the Etowah Baptist Church, Pruitt was a retired merchant. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Maudine Celeste Pruitt Griffith and his wife, Inez Cynthia Ann Low Pruitt...

Evelyn Etoile Simmons (10/17/03)
Evelyn Etoile Simmons, 77, of Marked Tree died Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 at St. Bernard's Medical Center. She was a homemaker and a Jehovah's Witness. Survivors include her husband, Deverl Simmons of Marked Tree; five sons, Jerrell Simmons and Larry Bruce Simmons, both of Marked Tree, Dennis Simmons of Colbert, Ga., Steve Simmons of Henderson, Tenn., and Chris Simmons of Trumann; three sisters, Maurine Tubbs and Sue Stricklin, both of Marked Tree, and Jo Ann McCrary of Payneway; and four grandchildren, Dawn Ellis, Ben Simmons, Lana Simmons and Tyler Simmons.. ...

Betty Mae Smith (10/17/03)
Betty Mae Smith, 73, of Monette died Monday, Oct. 13, 2003 at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. Survivors include three sons, Grady Millard Smith and Gary Don Smith, both of Osceola, and Burl Lynn Smith of Manila; one sister, Wanda Haile of Springdale; four brothers, Hershel Young of Shio, Ohio, and Carmen Young, Russell Young and Gerald Young, all of Springdale; 13 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren...

Jeffery "Brother" Lane Spears Jr. (10/17/03)
Jeffery "Brother" Lane Spears Jr., 20, of Joiner died Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 near Pocahontas. He was a Baptist and a 2001 graduate of Rivercrest High School. He was also a graduate of Arkansas Fire Academy and a volunteer fireman for the Dalton Fire Department...

Opal Mae Roach (10/24/03)
Opal Mae Roach, 66, of Evening Shade died Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003 at White River Medical Center in Batesville. Born on March 8, 1937 at Athens, Ala., to Emery Wade and Lossie Irene (Gatlin) Carter. She was a homemaker and a Christian. Survivors include her husband, R.V. ...

James Larry Hamilton (10/24/03)
James Larry Hamilton, 54, of Marion died Monday, Oct. 20, 2003 at Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis. He was an accountant for Pepsico in Memphis and was of the Pentecostal belief. An All Southland Conference quarterback for the Arkansas State University football Indians, Hamilton was the Most Valuable Player in the 1970 Pecan Bowl and quarterbacked the team during the undefeated season of 1970 when team won the Small College national championship...

Effie Kelly (10/24/03)
Effie Kelly, 93, of Marked Tree died on Oct. 20, 2003 at Three Rivers Nursing Center. She was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, J.O. Kelly and one daughter, Johnnye Rhoads. Survivors include two daughters, Joe Ann Hatley of Waterford, Mich. and Mattie Fleming of Marked Tree; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and one great-great- grandchild...

Raymond Elliott Lamb (10/24/03)
Raymond Elliott Lamb, 53, of Lepanto died Thursday, Oct. 9, 2003 at his residence. He was a member of the Church of Christ in Lepanto. Survivors include two sons, Shane Lamb of Monette and Henry Lamb of California; a daughter, Shanda Lamb of Lake City; two brothers, Bruce Lamb and Greg Lamb, both of Jonesboro; and two grandchildren...

Mable Lean Parker (10/24/03)
Mable Lean Parker, 55, of Osceola died Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003 at St. Bernard's Medical Center. She had worked at American Greetings for 34 years and was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir...

Bobbie Laverne Gray (10/24/03)
Bobbie Laverne Gray, 74, of Memphis, Tenn. died on Oct. 20, 2003 at Baptist Memorial in Tipton County. Gray was a retired manager for Dent Cleaners and was a member of the Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her husband, Hershel Franklin Gray...