obits

OBITUARY INDEX

Cross County Arkansas Genealogy Trails

(Send obituaries to be included on this page.)

ANDERSON, James Arthur

BARNES, Martha Nell

BENNETT, Charles R.

BUMGARNER, Ernest Daniel

CARCTUST, Lillian O.

CASON, Zelda Nadine Slocum

CHAPMAN, Thomas Earl, Jr.

COURTNEY, Clauda Anice

CUMMINGS, Frances Henderson

GILLIHAN, Charlotte Jean

GRADDY, Thelma L.

HENSON, Robert Harvey

LOVELESS, Elbert Joseph

MC KNIGHT, Hobert William

MOODY, Loyd Z.

SHAW, Huewliott Richard

SHIRKEY, Emmogene

SMITH, Alva Jane Murray

SMITH, Morris Lee

SOUTH, Elmer Clinton

STATLER, Mary Joyce

STEINBERG, Isadore Meyer

TARVIN, F. Neil

VINSON, Bertie Lee Catlett

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TAVARES, FL--JAMES ARTHUR ANDERSON, 68, farmer, a winter resident of Lake Harris Lodge in Tavares coming from Wynne, Ark., since 1980, died Tuesday. Born in Wynne, Ark., he was a farmer and a member of the Wynne Baptist Church. He was a Mason. Survivors: wife, Grace, Wynne, Ark.; daughters, Linda C. McClelland, Mount Dora, Deborah K. McDaniel, Conway, Ark.; son, James, Wynne, Ark.; half-brothers, Jackley Tapley, St. Joseph, Mo., Bobby Tapley, Memphis, Tenn., Charles Tapley, Wynne, Ark.; sisters, Sara Fowler, Wynne, Ark., Helen Pruitt, Greenbrier, Ark.; half-sister, Leta Hunt, Memphis, Tenn.; seven grandchildren. Hamlin and Hilbish Funeral Directors, Tavares.
--Orlando Sentinel, The (FL) - March 14, 1991

LINCOLNTON, NC-- Mrs. Martha Nell Barnes, 53, of 3441 Asbury Church Rd., died May 16, 1997 at North Carolina Baptist Hospital.
Graveside service is 4 p.m. Monday in Forest Lawn Cemetery with Pastor Jim Humphries officiating. Visitation is 7-8:30 p.m. today at Warlick Funeral Home.
Born September 4, 1943 in Cross County, AR, she was a daughter of Myrl Davis Steele and the late Edward M. Byers. She was a homemaker, as well as a loving mother and grandmother.
Survivors include her daughter, Amy Talbert of Lincolnton; mother, Myrl Steele of Centre, AL; sisters, Mary Jo Brannon, Edwina Jenkins and Saratha Watts, all of Gadsden, AL; two grandsons; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 202, Lincolnton, NC 28093-0202.
Warlick Funeral Home is in charge. --Charlotte Observer, The (NC) - May 18, 1997.

FAIR OAKS -- CHARLES R. BENNETT, 75, of Fair Oaks died Thursday, Jan. 2, in Wynne.
Born in Bonnertown, Tenn., he was a truck driver and was employed by ABF Truck Lines for 40 years. He was a member of the Morton Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Almetta Wymer Bennett of Fair Oaks; five sons, Homer Bennett and Sammy Bennett, both of Newport, Gary Bennett of Heber Springs, Danny Bennett of Hampton, Va., and Terry Bennett of North Little Rock; one daughter, Teena Gibson of Wynne; four stepsons, Billy Moore, James Moore and Gail Moore, all of Wynne, and Jackie Moore of Pumpkin Bend; one stepdaughter, Ina Meredith of Morton; one brother, Gary Bennett of Greenwood, Ind.; two sisters, Betty Jo Bennett of Greenwood and Peggy Green of Louisville, Ky.; several grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Rosemary Bennett; his parents, Walter Libie and Carrie Slayton Bennett; and one brother.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Jackson's Newport Funeral Home chapel, with Sammy Bennett officiating. Burial will follow in Walnut Grove Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Charles Ray Jacobs, Steve McIntosh, Billy Inman, Bill Arnold, Mike Fisher, William Brooks and Melissa Allen.
Visitation will be today from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.

PLANT CITY, FL--ERNEST DANIEL BUMGARNER, 69, of Plant City died Sunday (June 9, 1996) at South Florida Baptist Hospital. A native of Cross County, Ark., he moved to Plant City in 1946 from Arkansas. He was retired from the Parks Department, Plant City and Protestant.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth; a son, James S. of Plant City; six daughters, Edna Barron, Sharon Belcher, Brenda Pereira and Martha Smith, all of Plant City, Freda Howell of Willow Oak and Dianne Davis of Lakeland; two brothers, David of Durant and Floyd J. of Cocoa; 18 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Wells Memorial Funeral Home, Plant City.
--Tampa Tribune, The (FL) - June 12, 1996

Cape Girardeau, MO--MRS. LILLIAN O. CARCTUST, 208 North Sprigg, died at 8:20 a.m. today at St. Francis Hospital. She was 87 years old.
Mrs. Carctust was born Oct. 15, 1888 in Wynn, Ark. She resided for several years in Cape Girardeau before moving to Beaverton, Mich., where she owned and operated a drive-in restaurant. She returned to Cape Girardeau eight years ago.
She was a member of the Church of Christ here.
Mrs. Carctust was married to Tom Carctust on Jan. 17, 1928, and he preceded her in death in January 1974.
Surviving: niece, Mrs. Pauline Nanna, Cape Girardeau, and nephew, W. T. Allison, Phoenix, Ariz.
The body is at Ford and Sons Funeral Home where services will be held at 1:30 Tuesday afternoon with the Rev. Wesley Hylton, pastor of the Church of Christ officiating. Burial will be in Lorimier Cemetery. Friends may call at the funral home after 6 tonight. (Date on obituary was 03 Nov 1976.)

OLIVE BRANCH, MS--ZELDA NADINE SLOCUM CASON, 67, of Olive Branch, Miss., formerly of Hickory Ridge, Ark., retired bookkeeper and teller for Cross County (Ark.) Bank, died Tuesday at Baptist Memorial Hospital after a heart attack.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Hickory Ridge United Methodist Church, where she was a member, with burial at 5 p.m. in Stoneville (Miss.) Cemetery. Thompson-Wilson Funeral Home of Wynne, Ark., has charge.
Mrs. Cason, the wife of Wallace Cason, also leaves a daughter, Jenny Lind Cason of Oxford, Miss.; two sons, Wallace B. Cason III of Okolona, Miss., and David Braxton Cason of Paducah, Ky.; two sisters, Sue Elliott of St. Louis and Tina Imboden of Memphis, and five grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - April 17, 1997

CAMDEN - THOMAS EARL CHAPMAN JR., 28, of Camden, formerly of Cross County, Ark., installer of overhead doors, died Wednesday at Valley Regional Hospital in Camden.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Kernodle Funeral Home in Wynne, Ark., with burial in Forrest Memorial Park in Forrest City, Ark.
He was a Baptist.
Mr. Chapman, the husband of Jennifer Leigh Chapman, also leaves two sons, Thomas Wesley Andrew Chapman and Jamie Lee Nathaniel Chapman, both of the home; his mother, Lee Brimhal l Treece of Colt, Ark.; his father, Thomas Earl Chapman of West Memphis, Ark.; three sisters, Susan Denise Taylor and Christy Elizabeth Meadows, both of Wynne, and Dianna Marie Littlejohn of Colt, and his grandmothers, Evelyn Brimhall and Mildred Chapman, both of Forrest City.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - July 30, 1993

Hickory Ridge, AR--Mrs. Claudia Anice Courtney, 67, of Hickory Ridge, Route 1, died Friday in the Cross County Hospital, in Wynne. Born in Jonesboro, (Ark), she had lived in Cross County all of her adult life, where she was a home-maker and a member of the Tilton Baptist Church.

Surviving are one son, Tommy R. Courtney of Wynne; two daughters, Mary F. Holbeck of Memphis,(Tenn) and Cheryl Sue McIllwain of Pine Bluff (Arkansas); six grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren.

Funeral services will be conducted Monday afternoon at 2:00 in the Kernodle Funeral Home Chapel in Wynne, with Rev. Larry Ballard officiating.

Burial will follow in the Harrisburg Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of the Kernodle Funeral Home. --Local newspaper, Sunday, December 3, 1989, contributed by Naomi Spence. (Note: Claudia Anice was born Dec 23, 1921, daughter of Tom and Alie Frances Brinkley Manning. She married Cecil Raymond Courtney Dec. 27, 1935. She died Dec. 1, 1989).

MEMPHIS, TN--FRANCES HENDERSON CUMMINGS, 78, of Memphis, formerly of Cross County, Ark., homemaker, died Monday (March 21, 1994) of lung disease at Memphis.
Services wil be at 2 p.m. today at Kernodle Funeral Home of Wynne, Ark., with burial in Cogbill Cemetery.
She was a member of Convenant Presbyterian Church in Memphis.
She leaves two daughters, Francis Annette Cummings Owen of Raleigh, N.C., and Carolyn Cummings Krauss of Quitman, Ark., five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - March 23, 1994

HICKORY RIDGE, AR - CHARLOTTE JEAN GILLIHAN, 43, homemaker, died of heart disease Saturday (March 11, 1995) at Methodist Hospital in Memphis. Services will be at 10 a.m. today at Amagon Baptist Church, where she was a member, with burial in Fairview Cemetery in Delta, Mo. Jackson's Newport Funeral Home has charge. Mrs. Gillihan, the wife of Robert Gillihan, also leaves her father, Oliver Amos Snider of Delta; two sisters, Verna Blue of Delta and Carman Brown of Charleston, Mo., and two brothers, James E. Snider of Chaffee, Mo., and Oliver A. Snider of Jackson, Mo. -- Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - March 13, 1995

BIRMINGHAM, AL–THELMA L. GRADDY, age 86, of Birmingham, died January 12, 1998. Graveside service will be Friday, January 16, at 10:00 a.m. at Cogbill Cemetery in Wynne, Ark. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Kernodle Funeral Home in Wynne, Ark. Survivors: sons, DeLoss McKnight of Wynne, Ark. and Michael B. Graddy of St. Peters, Mo.; daughters, Rita Hudson of Birmingham and Linda Stanley of Little Rock, Ark.; 11 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren; brother, Luther J. LaRue, Jr.; sisters, Juanita Marie Campbell of Lubbock, Tex. and Mable Miller of Tennessee.
Ridout's Valley Chapel directing.
--Birmingham News (AL) - January 14, 1998.

ROBERT HARVEY HENSON, 58, of Memphis, formerly of Cross County, Ark., brick mason, died Saturday of pneumonia at his home. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. today at Kernodle Funeral Home of Wynne, Ark.
He was an employee of Modern Masonry Inc. in Memphis and a member of the Masonry Union and the Church of Christ.
Mr. Henson, the husband of Rita Henson, also leaves a daughter, Rhonda Skidmore of Wilmington, Ohio; a son, Wesley Henson of Memphis, and two grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - June 16, 1994

Wynne, AR--ELBERT JOSEPH LOVELESS, 66, retired employee of Cross County, AR Road Dept., died Sunday. He was the father of Pamela Wilson and Annette Rogers, both of Jackson, TN. Funeral services were held Wednesday at Thompson-Wilson Chapel in Wynne. Interment followed in Harris Chapel Cemetery. --Jackson Sun, The (TN) - May 29, 2003

Wynne, AR-- HOBERT WILLIAM MCKNIGHT, 82, passed away Thursday, September 14, 2006. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers; and three sisters. Mr. McKnight was a long time resident of Cross County, AR. He was a driver for the Missouri Pacific Truck Lines for 19 years. He was a member of the Levesque Assembly of God Church where he was the Sunday School Superintendent and Deacon. Mr. McKnight was a U. S. Army Veteran of WWII. Survivors include his wife, Jenny Belle McKnight of Wynne; sons, Hobert Stephen McKnight and William Shane McKnight both of Wynne; daughters, Mattie Carol Finley and Brenda Swink both of Wynne; 15 grandchildren; and 15 great grandchildren. Services will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Levesque Assembly of God Church, Levesque, with Sister Wanda Secrease and Rev. Albert Jenkins officiating. Burial in Cogbill Cemetery, Wynne, Arkansas. Kernodle Funeral Home, Wynne, in charge of arrangements. --Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - September 16, 2006.

LAKE PLACID, FL--LOYD Z. "JACK" MOODY, 68, of Lake Placid, died Saturday at Lake Placid Medical Center.
A native of Cross County, Ark., he came to the area 20 years ago from Nappanee, Ind. He was a retired farmer and a member of the Lake Placid Temple Church of God.
He is survived by five brothers, Arthur of Lake Placid, James Elliott of Malden, Mo., Troy Elliott of Mountain Home, Ark., Bennie Abb Elliott of Muskegon, Mich., and C.M. Elliott of South Beloit, Ill.; and a sister, Martha Edwards of Muskegon.
Scott Funeral Home, Lake Placid.
--Tampa Tribune, The (FL) - December 20, 1993.

Grassey, MO.--HUEWLIOTT RICHARD (H. R.) SHAW, 78, of Grassy died Friday, May 4, 2007 at his home. He was born Aug. 18, 1928 in Wynne, Ark., son of the Rev. R. E. and Nona Shaw. He and Betty Masters were married Dec. 18, 1998 at Bernie, Mo.
H. R. was employed at Frisco and Burlington Northern Railroad for more than 40 years. He was an active member of the First Assembly of God Church of Scott City, and upon moving to Bollinger County, a member of The First Assembly of God Church of Marble Hill, Mo.
Survivors include his wife, Betty Shaw; three children, son, Richard Todd Shaw of Cape Girardeau, Mo.; two daughters, Stephanie Anderson and her husband, Mark, of Sikeston, Mo. and Christina Bachew and husband, Pastor Jason Bachew of Cape Girardeau; a brother, Harold Shaw of Litchfield, KY; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Nola Lee; his second wife, Shirley Jean; and his daughter, Teresa Lorrainne Shaw.
Friends called from 9 a.m. until noon Monday, May 7, 2007 at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill, Mo. Funeral was held at noon May 7, 2007 at the funeral home. The Rev. Randall Morris and the Rev. Wayne Kinder officiated, with burial at Memorial Park Cemetery in Blytheville, Ark.

MOREHOUSE, MO--EMMOGENE SHIRKEY, 90, of Morehouse died May 16, 2008 at her home. She was born Dec. 23, 1917 in Tilton, Ark., daughter of Emmet and Nellie Cooksey Miller. She and Chester James Shirkey were married March 5, 1937 in Talapoosa, Mo. He died April 18, 1989.
Shirkey was a member of Oneness Pentecostal Church in Morehouse.
Survivors include three daughters, Aleta Shirkey of Morehouse, Bertie Evans of Chaffee, Mo., Melba Gates of Sikeston, Mo.; four sons, Charles M. Shirkey and Eldon "Keith" Shirkey, both of Morehouse, Chester Shirkey of Dexter, Mo., Harvey Ray Shirkey of Sikeston; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, four brothers and two sisters.
Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. James Vent officiating. Burial will be in Bernie Cemetery in Bernie, Mo.

Wynn, AR--ALVA JANE MURRAY SMITH, 81, died Sunday at Wynne, AR. She was born July 16, 1924 in Wynne. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thompson Bernard and Kathleen Hays Murray; husband; William Maurice Smith, Jr. Mrs. Smith was a lifelong resident of Cross County, AR. She was a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She was a member of the Wynne Presbyterian Church and former director of the Cross County Library. Mrs. Smith was an advocate for the spinal cord injured and helped establish the Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission. Survivors include son, Mark Smith of Wynne; daughters Murray Smith Johnson and husband Ken of Wynne; Annette Smith Stacy and husband Bob of Wynne; brother, T. B. "Buddy" Murray of Wynne, 5 grandchildren, Stan Bradshaw, Sarah Jane Martin, Jake Stacy, Sam Stacy and Reece Smith. Graveside services will be 10:30 a.m. at Cogbill Cemetery with memorial services at 11 a.m. at the Wynne Presbyterian Church, Tuesday with Rev. Seth Wheeler officiating. Kernodle Funeral Home --Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - August 2, 2005.

PARKIN, ARK--MORRIS LEE 'PETE' SMITH, 62, of Parkin, Ark., retired farmer, died of heart disease Monday at Crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. today at Earle (Ark.) Assembly of God Church, where he was a member of the board of directors, with burial in Parkin Cemetery. Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in West Memphis has charge.
Mr. Smith, the husband of Doris Smith, also leaves a daughter, Dianne Parrish of Springdale, Ark.; a son, Mark Smith of Wynne, Ark.; a sister, Amy Mancellas of Scott City, Mo.; a brother, Butch Smith of Hattiesburg, Miss., three grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - December 10, 1997

BRILLIANT, AL–ELMER CLINTON SOUTH, age 74, of Brilliant Route 1, died Monday, April 18, 1994. He was a native of Cross County, Ark., lived in the Brilliant area most of his life, member of Center United Methodist Church, and a retired miner, with 30 years of service. Funeral service Wednesday, 2:00 p.m. from the Center United Methodist Church with burial to follow in the church cemetery. The body will be placed in the church one hour prior to service. Miles Funeral Home of Winfield, directing.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Clezel Linley South; son, Tommy Elmer South, both of Brilliant Rt. 1; daughter, Mrs. Gaynell Worth of Oswego, Ill.; brother, Noonen South of Cherry Valley, Ark.; half-brother, Robert Walker; step-brothers, Jerry and Henry Walker; sister, Mrs. Rosie Frost of Lafayette, Ind.; step-sisters, Mrs. Lonie Linley and Mrs. Mae Dooley; ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
--Birmingham News (AL) - April 18, 1994.

WYNNE, AR - MS. MARY JOYCE STATLER, 56, died Saturday in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Thompson-Wilson Funeral Home with burial in Cogbill Cemetery. She was a Pentecostal.
Ms. Statler leaves five daughters, Ms. Donna Cotton, Ms. Joyce Ann Cotton and Ms. Carol Gushroyski, all of West Memphis, Ms. Debbie Robertson of Huntsville and Ms. Gloria Statler of Atoka, Tenn.; a son, David Statler of West Memphis; two sisters, Ms. Doris Parker of St. Charles, Mo., and Ms. Pearl Grimes of Milan, Tenn.; four brothers, Max Duncan of Cahokia, Ill., Earl Statler of New York City, Levi Statler of Proctor and Robert Statler of Racine, Wis.; her grandmother, Mrs. Opal Statler of West Memphis, and 11 grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - May 8, 1991

MEMPHIS, TN--ISADORE MEYER STEINBERG, 90, of Memphis, formerly of Wynne, Ark., retired merchant, died of heart failure Friday at Memphis Jewish Home.
Services were at 3 p.m. Friday at Sam Abraham Chapel with burial in Baron Hirsch Cemetery. Canale Funeral Directors has charge.
He was a member of Baron Hirsch Synagogue and B'nai B'rith, past president and treasurer of B'nai Shalom Lodge of Eastern Arkansas, a member of the Board of Directors of Cross County (Ark.) Bank, and past president of the Merchants and Farmers Gin.
Mr. Steinberg, the husband of Pearl Milstein Steinberg, also leaves a daughter, Elaine S. Miner; a son, Alvin C. Steinberg; a sister, Sadie S. Evensky, and a brother, Morris Steinberg, all of Memphis, and six grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - July 29, 1995.

CLINTON. ILL -F. NEIL TARVIN, 72, Wynne, Ark., formerly of Clinton, retired manager for the Social Security office in Altus, Okla., died Monday (Sept. 27, 1993). Member: Kiwanis Club and the Church of Christ, both of Wynne, Ark.
Survivors: wife, Pauline; sister, Betty Dixson, Decatur.
Graveside services: 2 p.m. Thursday, Memorial Park Cemetery, Clinton. Visitation: two hours before services, Herington-Calvert Funeral Home, Clinton.
--Herald & Review (Decatur, IL) - September 29, 1993.

MEMPHIS, TN--BERTIE LEE CATLETT VINSON, 85, of Memphis, formerly of Cross County, Ark., homemaker, died Thursday after a stroke at her home. Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Thompson-Wilson Funeral Home of Wynne, Ark., with burial in Misner Cemetery in Cherry Valley, Ark.
She was a member of Feltner Assembly of God.
Mrs. Vinson, the widow of Earl Vinson, leaves a daughter, Sarah Bowen of Memphis; a brother, Forrest Catlett of Sikeston, Mo., four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - May 21, 1994