OBITUARIES

Caldwell-AR--EARNEST ASHBURN, 76, of Caldwell, Ark., butcher, restaurant cook and minister, died Friday at the Memphis Veterans Medical Center. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in West Memphis with burial in Parkin (Ark.) Cemetery. He was a member of Assembly of God of Des Arc, Mo. Mr. Ashburn, the husband of Jewel Ashburn, also leaves two daughters, Sharon Newman of Hesperia, Calif., and Donna Arroyo of Glendale, Calif.; two sons, Terry Ashurn of Glendale and Ronnie Ashburn of San Bernardino, Calif.; a sister, Francis Harvey of Hot Springs, Ark., seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - March 14, 1999

FORREST CITY, AR--GARNETT LEE BEGGS, 91, of Forrest City, formerly of McNairy County, Tenn., retired carpenter, died Sunday at Crestpark Intermediate Retirement Inn. Services will be at 10 a.m. today at Kernodle Funeral Home with burial in McElroy Cemetery near Wynne. He was a 35-year member of Carpenters Union and Caldwell (Ark.) Baptist Church. Mr. Beggs leaves a son, John Wayne Beggs of Forrest City, eight grandchildren and 15 great- grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - March 3, 1992

Hughes, Ark--THOMAS E. CLARK, 58, of Hughes, Ark., formerly of Memphis, retired patrol officer with the Memphis Police Department, died Tuesday at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City (Ark.). Services were Friday at Stevens Funeral Home in Forrest City with burial in Memorial Park in Memphis. He was an Air Force veteran and a member of St. Francis County (Ark.) Sheriff's Auxiliary Division. Mr. Clark leaves a son, Steven E. Clark of Memphis, and his mother, Eva Clark, and a sister, Dorothy Ann Waide, both of Corpus Christi, Texas. --Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - November 14, 1993.

Cape Girardeau, MO--CHARLES CLEMONS, JR., 84, of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, March 7, 2007 at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 22, 1922 in Forrest City, AR, son of Charles and Lillie Eston Clemons. He and Marie Graham were married in Arkansas in 1952. She died Sept. 17, 1991.
Clemons served in the Army during World War II. He worked in maintenance at Limbaugh, Limbaugh & Russell for 20 years and at Cape Municipal Airport 15 years. He had also been a chef at Blue Hole BBQ. He was a member of St. James AME Church.
Survivors include three sons, Michael Clemons of Elgin, IL, Phillip Clemons of Cape Girardeau, Charles Clemons of Philadelphia; a daughter, Rita Jones of Cape Girardeau; two stepdaughters, Diane Wright of Bloomington-Normal, IL, Nancy A. Hill of Hazel Crest, IL; a brother, Paul Clemons of St. Louis, MO; and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother and two sisters.
Friends may call from 10 a.m. to service time Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at St. James AME Church. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church with the Rev. Debbie Thornton officiating. Burial will be in Fairmont Cemetery at Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Akron, OH--EVELYN FILAS, 68, died Oct. 27, 1988 at her home. She was born in Caldwell, Ark., and had been an Akron resident since 1936. She was employed by the B. F. Goodrich Co. for over 10 years, retiring in 1952. She spent many hours working as a volunteer for St. John the Baptist
Catholic Church.
Mrs. Filas is survived by her husband, Paul; her sons, David of San Diego, Calif., Jeffery of Akron; sisters, Ruth Osborne of Akron, Helen Abraham of Norton; nephews, Steve Blankenship and Craig Abraham, both of Akron; nieces Nancy Burkhart of Akron, Georgann Abraham of Malibu, Calif.; and her former daughter-in-law, Sue Willet of San Diego, Calif.
Funeral services will be held Monday, 11 a.m., at the Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz Funeral Home, 95 W. WATERLOO RD. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery. The family will receive friends Sunday, 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., at the funeral home.
--Akron Beacon Journal (OH) - October 30, 1988

COLT, AR–RUTH VIRGINIA FINN FLEMING, 75, retired seamstress for the former Rainfair Sewing Co., died of cancer Sunday at her home. Services were Tuesday at Caldwell (Ark.) Baptist Church, where she was a member, with burial in Forrest Park Cemetery in Forrest City. Thompson-Wilson Funeral Home of Wynne and McCrory had charge. She also had worked for Halstead Industries. Mrs. Fleming, the widow of Gerald Warren Fleming, leaves a daughter, Sue Miller of Garland, Texas; three sons, Jerry Fleming of Colt, Kenneth Fleming of Fort Worth, Texas, and Glenn Fleming of North Charleston, S.C.; a sister, Emogene McKinnie of Memphis; two brothers, Alton Finn of Memphis and John Finn of Parkin, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - March 19, 1997

Sikeston, MO--OCTAVIA GRANT GREEN was born October 1, 1918 in Hughes, Arkansas, the daughter of William and Albany Houston Grant. Her parents have preceded her in death.

Octavia met Ural Dick Green while living in Arkansas and they were united in marriage on October 9, 1939. They relocated to Sikeston, Missouri in 1948.

She became a member of Smith Chapel United Methodist Church in Sikeston where she was an usher and a member of the Mother’s Board. She was a very faithful member to her church for over 40 years, until her health failed.

Octavia was the proud mother of 13 children; six boys and seven girls. Her husband preceded her in death on October 21, 1976. She is also preceded in death by two sons, McKinley Green and Ural Green, Jr. and four daughters, Vema Dudley, Betty Jacob, Peggy White and Wilma Green.

On Tuesday, May 12, 2009 God dispatched angels to Close to Home Family Care Center in Matthews, Missouri to bring back the soul of our beloved Octavia Green at the age of 90 years, seven months and 11 days.

She leaves to cherish precious memories, four sons and three daughters-in-law Willie Lee and Mary Green and Richard Lee “Ricky” Green of Sikeston, Missouri, Roy Lee and Dorothy Green of Marion, Indiana and Tommy Lee and Myra Green of St. Charles, Missouri, three daughters and one son-in-law, Daisy Green, Gloria Carrington and Sadie and Earnest Hubrins of Sikeston, Missouri and a host of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Funeral services were conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 16, 2009 at Smith Chapel United Methodist Church in Sikeston, Mo. with Rev. Byron Jordan officiating. Interment followed in Sunset of Memories Cemetery in Sikeston, Mo.

Williams Funeral Home in Charleston, Mo. in charge of arrangements.

--Published: Cairo (IL) Citizen, Wednesday, May 20, 2009.

Forrest City, AR--JESSE B. LAMB, 74, of Forrest City, farmer, died Saturday at Baptist Memorial Hospital of Forrest City. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Akin Cemetery in Cherry Valley, Ark. Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in West Memphis has charge. He was a member of American Legion Post 4 in Forrest City. Mr. Lamb, the husband of Virginia Lamb, also leaves five sons, James Lamb of Pensacola, Fla., Jerry Lamb of Caldwell, Ark., Joel Lamb of Foxworth, Miss., Johnny Lamb of Shipshewana, Ind., and Jackie Lamb of Glennville, Ga.; a sister, Ethel Rogers of Earle, Ark., 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - May 30, 1993.

FIRST U.S. SOLDIER TO STEP ONTO OKINAWA DIES AT 66

MEMPHIS, TN–RUFUS LUKER, 66, the first U.S. soldier to step foot on Okinawa on April 1, 1945, as American forces fought to capture the island from the Japanese, died Wednesday in Los Banos Community Hospital in California.
Luker, a native of the town of Colt in St. Francis County, Ark., was wounded in the fight for control of Okinawa nine days after American troops landed. He said medics said a wallet in his back pocket saved his life.
He had told his family that he was in the first landing craft to hit the beach and was the first soldier to step out onto the sand.
Joel Whitehurst Jr. of the Whitehurst Funeral Chapel in Los Banos said efforts are under way through the White House to have Luker be the first person buried at the new national cemetery near Los Banos.
After Luker's injury, he spent almost a year at Kennedy Veterans Hospital in Memphis prior to being discharged from the Army with a 100 percent disability. He and his wife, Lois Luker, lived in Gunnison, Miss., Wynne, Ark., and Forrest City, Ark., before moving to California in 1958.
Luker attended school in Colt, north of Forrest City and about 50 miles west of Memphis. He was married in 1943, and joined the Army in 1944.
He won two Bronze Stars and a Bronze Arrowhead, in addition to the Purple Heart and medals from the South Philippines and Ryukyu Islands campaigns.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday in Whitehurst Funeral Chapel.
He also leaves six daughters, Mrs. Tina Richardson, Miss Anne Luker, Mrs. Debbie Zuspan, Miss Sandy Luker and Mrs. Karen Moore, all of Los Banos, and Stella Thompson of Salinas, Calif.; three sons, Dusty Luker and Randy Luker, both of Los Banos, and David Luker of Utah; his mother, Mrs. Nellie Evans of Forrest City; five brothers, Parnell Luker of Salinas, Antioch Luker of Washington, Bill Luker of Widener, Ark., Oscar Luker of Caldwell, Ark., and Larry Evans of West Memphis; a sister, Mrs. Theora Campbell of Missouri, 20 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. --Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - June 21, 1991

Kansas City, MO–SYLVESTER MAYO JR., 54, central Kansas City, a former dry-cleaning business owner, was found dead Jan. 8, 1992, at the home.
Mr. Mayo owned and operated Mayo's Cleaners for more than 15 years until 1979. Later he worked for Ann's Laundry & Dry Cleaners and did home remodeling for the last two years.
He was a Mason and had served in the Air Force. He was born in Caldwell, Ark., and lived in Memphis, Tenn., before moving to this area in the 1940s. Survivors include two sons, Mark Jerome Mayo and Malord A. Mayo of Kansas City; five daughters, Sheila Walker and Stephanie Eubanks of Kansas City, Paula Ann Mitchell and Marie Valine Mitchell of Los Angeles, and Sherry L. Williams, Anchorage, Alaska; his mother, Precious Pendivers, Kansas City; three half brothers, Henry Lee Mayo, Des Moines, Iowa, and Ralph Mayo and Bryan Mayo of Kansas City, Kan.; five half sisters, Sylvia McIntosh, Donna Smith and Yolanda Richerson of Kansas City, Kan., Darlene Oliver, Philadelphia, and Laney Ruth Madden, Grand Rapids, Mich.; and five grandchildren.
--Kansas City Star, The (MO) - January 12, 1992.

COLCHESTER, IL -- C. H. "ROSIE" NORRIS, 86, of Forrest City, Ark., a Colchester native, died Friday, May 21, 1999, at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
Born April 5, 1913, in Colchester to Harry Clarence and Lula Myrtle Gunn Norris, he married Ora Beatrice Campbell in 1935. She died in 1994. Surviving are one son, Joe of Henning, Tenn.; two grandsons; and three sisters, Mildred Robinson of Prairie City, Myrtle VanFleet of Plymouth and Lorene Donaldson of California.
He was a resident of St. Francis County, Ark., for 30 years. He was a farmer.
Services were Sunday at Stevens Funeral Home in Forrest City. Burial was in Forrest Park Cemetery in Forrest City. -- Peoria Journal Star, The (IL) - May 26, 1999

Minco, OK--MENOLIA B. SCHUTTEN, died Monday evenining at Presbyterian Hospital in Okla. City. Services have been set for 1:30 pm Thursday at the First Baptist Church in Minco. Burial in Evergreen Cemetery, Minco. Under direction of Reynolds Funeral Home. She was born Sept. 1, 1910 in Wheatley, Arkansas and came to Minco at 7 years of age. She was a homemaker, a member of the First Baptist Church, where she taught the Naomi Sunday School class. She is also a member of the Iona Flower Club and the Women's Missionary Union. She married William Edward Schutten, Aug. 14, 1929 in El Reno and they made their home in Minco. He survives her in death. She is also survived by one son Edward Griffin Schutten of Minco, a daughter Mrs. R.W. (Janell) Clum of Houston Tx, one brother, Owen Griffin of Glouchester Mass, four grandchildren, Pamela Sue Crowe, William Bradford Crowe, Kenneth Edward Schutten, John Travis Schutten, one niece Jeannie Smith and one nephew Tom Griffin. --Daily Oklahoman, The (Oklahoma City, OK) - December 2, 1982

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Hughes, AR--PARALEE STARKS, 83, of Hughes, Ark., homemaker, died of heart failure Tuesday at Crestpark Retirement Center in Forrest City, Ark. Services will be at noon Sunday at Locust Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Hughes with burial in Paradise Gardens Cemetery in Edmondson, Ark. Anthony Funeral Home in West Memphis has charge. She leaves two daughters, Emma Presley of Memphis and Adleaner Starks of Caldwell, Ark.; four sons, Johnny Sims of St. Louis, Freddie Jones and Timothy Starks, both of Hughes, and Will Starks of Caldwell, Ark.; a sister, Sadie Lee Williams of Forrest City, 16 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - January 16, 1998.

GREENVILLE - OPAL LILLIE HOLCOMB VOWELL, 73, formerly of Greenville, homemaker, died of cancer Tuesday at Westside Nursing Home in Greenville, S.C. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery. Boone-Wells Funeral Home has charge. She was a native of St. Francis County, Ark., and a former resident of Sunflower County.
Mrs. Vowell, the widow of Walsie L. Vowell, leaves a daughter, Melba Clark of Taylors, S.C.; two sons, Gerald L. Vowell of Maryville, Tenn., and Cary L. Vowell of Southaven; a sister, Carmen Jones of Shaw; four brothers, J. D. Holcomb of Duck Hill, Joseph G. Holcomb of Shaw, and Lonnie Carl Holcomb and Lloyd Thomas Holcomb, both of Greenville, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. --Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - March 28, 1996

COLT, AR–GROVER WALRAVEN, 65, former owner of Grover Auto Parts in West Memphis, died Wednesday at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Stevens Funeral Home with burial in Forrest Park Cemetery in Forrest City. He was a member of Caldwell (Ark.) Baptist Church. Mr. Walraven, the husband of Mavis Gilmer Walraven of Colt, also leaves a daughter, Brenda Walraven of Colt; three sons, Bill Walraven of Memphis, Donald Walraven of West Memphis, and Allen Dean Walraven of Colt; a brother, Carl Edward Walraven of Trenton, N.J., and five grandchildren.
--Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - January 10, 1992.

Denver, CO--MURPHY CLEOPHAS WILLIAMS, 74 of Los Angeles died May 31 at Ceders-Sinai Medical Center. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9, at Caldwell Kirk Mortuary, 2101 Marion St. Burial will be at Fairmount Cemetery. The Rev. Williams, a native of St. Francis County, Ark., was pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Denver for 26 years before serving as pastor of Roger Williams Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
He is survived by his wife, Anna Lee Hayden- Williams of Los Angeles; a son, Michael Cleophas, Los Angeles; a daughter, Pepper D'Ann Williams, Los Angeles; four sisters, Bealer Dennard-Moore, Sacramento, Calif., Theaworthia Gray, Opal Simms and Precious Williams, all of Detroit; and a brother, Ulysses Williams, also of Detroit. --Rocky Mountain News (CO) - June 9, 1990

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