Obituaries

Thelma Perry Cookston (01/05/05)
Thelma Blythe Perry Cookston, 97, of Memphis, formerly of Marked Tree, died Wednesday, Dec. 29, at Baptist Hospital. She was a member of Union Avenue Baptist Church. Survivors include three daughters, Clara Lee Whitmore and Camellia Harrison, both of Memphis, and Elizabeth "Libby" Wren of West Memphis; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren...

Lizzie Hinton (01/05/05)
Lizzie Hinton, 88, of Tyronza died Monday at the Three Rivers Nursing Center in Marked Tree. A member of the Church of God, Hinton was preceded in death by her husband, Robert E. Hinton and a grandson, Shane Hinton. Hinton is survived by two sons, Robert E. ...

Ida C. Payne (01/05/05)
Ida C. Payne, 97, of Marked Tree died Monday, Dec. 27, at Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis. She was a member of Broadway Street Church of Christ. Survivors include one son, Junaway Payne of Marked Tree; two sisters, Clay Simmons of Ashdown and Leon Ivy of Portageville, Mo.; four grandchildren, Michael Payne, Melina Gregory, Myra Jordon and Matthew Payne, and two great-grandchildren...

William W. Craft (01/13/05)
William W. Craft, 81, of Bakersfield, Calif., formerly of Marked Tree, died Thursday, Jan. 6, at Bakersfield. Survivors include three sons: Bill Craft of Marked Tree, Jim Craft of Friendship and Stan Craft of Bakersfield; a daughter: Margaret Steers of Bakersfield; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren...

Vera Gardner (01/13/05)
Vera Gardner, 84, of Marked Tree died Monday, Jan. 3, at South Mississippi County Medical Center at Osceola. Born at Weldon, she was a homemaker and of the Baptist belief. Survivors include one sister, Emma Buchanan of Marked Tree. Graveside services were held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8 in Pine Rest Cemetery at Lepanto, with Dr. Moses Black officiating. Burial followed under the direction of Wilson Funeral Home of Tyronza...

Avah June Trulis (01/13/05)
Avah June Trulis, 81, of Skokie, Illinois, died Friday, January 6, 2005, in Skokie, Ill. Mrs. Trulis was a retired hostess for the Hyatt Regency in Lincolnwood, Illinois. Survivors include her husband: Andrew Trulis of the home, three grandchildren: Carrie Skipper and Jerry Greitens, Jr., both of Marked Tree, Arkansas, and Thomas Greitens of De Kalb, Illinois, four great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren...

Charles Franklin Barnes (01/19/05)
Charles Franklin Barnes, 68, of Tyronza died Sunday at his home. A farm worker and a Baptist, Barnes was born Sept. 10, 1936 in Cushman, Ark. Barnes is survived by three daughters: Charlotte Kay Mettler of Tyronza, Cynthia Lucas of Marion, Peggy Peters of Marion; four sisters: Bonnie Pilgrim of Lepanto, Debbie Tyler of Lepanto, Betty Lou Vaughn of Fairday, La., Agnes Smalling of Fairday, La.; and five brothers: Rollin Barnes of Arizona, Bob Barnes of Red Oak, Teddy Barnes of Springdale, Dean Barnes of Lepanto and Jackie Barnes of Lepanto. ...

Amanda Renee Evans (01/19/05)
Amanda Renee Evans, 25, of West Ridge died Tuesday, Jan. 11, at Regional Medical Center in Memphis. She graduated from East Poinsett County High School, and attended Arkansas Northeastern College and Arkansas State University. She was a member of Lepanto Baptist Church...

James Dewayne Holmes (01/19/05)
James Dewayne Holmes, 40, of Trumann died last Thursday at his home in Trumann. A tree service worker and of the Pentecostal belief, Holmes is survived by his parents, Martha Curtis of Trumann and William Holmes, two daughters, Felicia Burnett of Trumann, Katie Holmes of Trumann; three sons, Charles Holmes of Trumann, Joey Holmes, Jeffrey Holmes of Trumann; three sisters, Becky Curtis of Trumann, Angela Holmes of North Carolina, Shannon Mekes of Conway; two brothers, Richard Curtis of Trumann and David Curtis of Trumann. ...

Ruth Savage Miller (01/19/05)
Ruth Savage Miller, 85, of Lepantodied Wednesday, Jan. 12, at Quince Nursing Home in Memphis. Miller was a member of Cherokee Baptist Church in Memphis. She was also a member of the Church On Mill in Tempe, Ariz. for forty years. Miller once worked as an assembler at a camera maufactoring company...

Elsie Irene Williams (01/19/05)
Elsie Irene Williams, 86, of Tyronza died January 13. She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church in Tyronza. She was preceded in death by her husband, Newton J. Williams. Survivors include one son, Monte Owen Lillard of Lavinia, Tenn.; one daughter, Christine Lillard Gardner of Tyronza; one sister, Opal Schwantz of Poplar Grove; one brother, Thomas Milburn Montgomery of West Helena; and one grandson, Douglas Owen Gardner of Tyronza...

Edward "Ed" Redd (01/19/05)
Edward "Ed" Redd, 78, of Harrisburg died Thursday, Jan. 13, at Jonesboro. Born at Tyronza, he worked in farm equipment and was a salesman. In the 1960s and 1980s he worked for Marked Tree Equipment Co., in the 1970s for Parkin Equipment Co. and in the 1990s for the People's Implement Co. at Earl. He retired in 2000. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church, where he was an active deacon. He was an Army veteran and member of the American Legion for 50 years...

Kathleen Boxley McGill (01/19/05)
Kathleen Boxley McGill, 41, of Cumming, Ga. Died January 11. She was born in Alton, Ill. Survivors include her husband, Rick McGill, her parents: Howard and Shirley Boxley of Cumming, Ga.; and two brothers: Dr. Robert Boxley of Florida and David Boxley of Colorado...