Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1972
Nancy L. Heineman
Nancy L. Heineman, 58, of Bella Vista, Ark., cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, Memorial Processing Center, P. O. Box 1653, Topeka, KS 66601-1653; or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Lois Marie Thomas
Lois Marie Thomas, 89, of Bella Vista, Ark., cemetery near Jane.
Memorials may be made to the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, in care of Ozark Funeral Home of Anderson.
Online condolences may be made at www. ozarkfuneralhome. com
Mae Louise Bealmer
Mae Louise Bealmer, 100, of Rogers, Ark., cemetery with military honors provided by Bella Vista Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9063. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Abundant Grace Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 723, Rogers, AR 72757.
Roland W. Case
Roland W. Case, Sr., 81 of Bella Vista, Arkansas died May 1, 2006 at Highland Health Care in Bella Vista. Services are pending. Arrangements are by the Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory, 2258 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Ark.
Betty L. Elrod
Betty Lease Elrod, 82, of Bella Vista, Ark., died May 2, 2006, at her home. She was born July 30, 1923, in Intake, Mont., to Albert Lease and Ethel Hirsch Lease. She was a member of the Erin (Tenn.) United Methodist Church, the Methodist Women’s Club, Friends of the Library and Meals on Wheels. She was preceded in death by her husband, Flavil Joseph Elrod.
Robert M. Archer
Robert M. Archer, 84, of Bella Vista, Ark., died May 7, 2006, at Concordia Care Center in Bella Vista. He was born March 28, 1922, in Truro, Iowa, to John William Archer and Henryetta Larrington Archer. He was a 50-year Mason at Waveland Lodge in Des Moines, Iowa, and a member of the Shriners in Des Moines. He was a member of the Christian Church in Truro. He moved to Bella Vista in 1979 from Des Moines. He was a former member of the Golf Association and card clubs. He was preceded in death by a brother and a sister.
Arthur E. Blecke
Arthur E. Blecke, 79, of Bella Vista, Ark., died May 19, 2006, at the Regency Hospital in Fayetteville, Ark. He was born Sept. 21, 1926, in Oak Park, Ill., to of Paul Gerard Blecke and Mathilde Anna Ziebell Blecke. He was raised and educated in the Chicago area. He served in the U.S. Army. He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Illinois in 1950, and his masters in education from Loyola University of Chicago in 1967. He taught at Buckley High School, Paxton High School, Luther North High School in Chicago and at Elmhurst College. He spent 25 years of his 40-year teaching career at Antioch High School, where he was principal for 19 years. He coached basketball, football and baseball, and was an Illinois High School Association official in all three sports. He served on the Principal’s Advisory Committee to the Illinois State School Superintendent’s Office. He authored many articles on education and sportsmanship. He was a member of the Antioch (Ill.) Rotary Club.
Kenneth W. Bates
Kenneth W. Bates, 91, of Pea Ridge, Ark., died May 23, 2006, in Pea Ridge. He was born Sept. 6, 1914, in Alton, Kan., to Walter Bates and Elva M. Eaton Bates. He graduated from Alton High School in 1932. He married
Lola V. Conn on Feb. 7, 1937, in Osborne, Kan. He worked as a farmer, retiring in 1994. He was an advocate of ecological methods of farming and earned various soil conservation awards. He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Alton. He enjoyed music and played banjo and guitar at area nursing homes and other places for years.
Carl E. Duncan
Carl E. Duncan, 68, of Congress, Ariz., formerly of northwest Arkansas, died April 16, 2006. He was born Sept. 1, 1937, in Richmond, Calif., to Lester Duncan and Ethel Duncan. He served on the USS York Town-Navel Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. He fixed bicycles and donated them to children. He enjoyed working on cars, and while living in northwest Arkansas, he owned a body shop in Bentonville. He moved to Congress in 1998. He was preceded in death by his second wife, Mary F.
Lorenna M. Banks
Lorenna M. Banks, 72, of Hiwasse, Ark., died June 15, 2006, in Kansas City, Kan. She was born on Aug. 14, 1933, in Limestone, Ark., to Russell and Flora Sams Davis. She retired from Sunshine Biscuit in Kansas and moved to Hiwasse in 1979. She was a member of the Hiwasse Church of Christ. She loved gardening and spending time with family. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack R. Banks; and one infant grandson. Survivors include three sons, Ron Banks of Oklahoma, Rick Banks of Hiwasse, and Jessie Banks of Bella Vista, Ark.; one daughter, Sherry Heppler of Hiwasse; five grandchildren ; five sisters, Glenna Nichols of Bentonville, Ark., Sylvia Garman of Missouri, Sue Habermehl of Bella Vista, Gretta Tigue of Kansas, and Barbara Cauveren of Kansas; one brother, Russell Davis of Kansas.
Carlin L. ‘Carl’ Hart
Carlin L. “Carl” Hart, 84, of Gravette, Ark., died June 16, 2006, at Innisfree Nursing Center in Rogers, Ark. He was born Feb. 23, 1922, in Cherryvale, Kan., to Ernest Hart and Edna Leona Ferris Hart. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He moved to Gravette 52 years ago from Joplin, Mo. He owned and operated Harts Gifts for more than 20 years in Gravette, Bentonville and Bella Vista, Ark. He was a member of the Christian Church. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie Jo Hart, in 1991; two brothers, Kenneth Hart and Ross Lee Hart; and two sisters, Rachael Smith and Marjorie Treadway. -
Bernice Alma Durfey
Bernice Alma Durfey, 83, of Bella Vista, Ark., died June 29, 2006, at Highland Health Care in Bella Vista. She was born Nov. 25, 1922, in Farson, Iowa, to Lewis Avery Davis and Bessie Alta Davis. She worked in various positions as a legal and land secretary, and an office manager. She moved to Bella Vista in October 1977 from Midland, Texas. She was a member of the Bella Vista First United Methodist Church and the Ladies Nine Hole Golf Association. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Dean Durfey, on March 12, 2002; a brother, Dale Davis; and a sister, Juanita Schafer. Survivors include two sons and a daughter-in-law, Walter Lewis Durfey and Chris Durfey of Stephenville, Texas, and Garry Dean Durfey of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a daughter and son-in-law, Deanna Lynn Day and Don Day of Bella Vista; a brother and sister-in-law, Wayne E. Davis and Nancy Davis of Marshalltown, Iowa; four sisters and a brother-in-law, Doris Roland, and Geneva McWhirter and Rodger McWhirter.
Harold R. Armstrong
Harold R. Armstrong, 80, of Bentonville, Ark., died June 29, 2006, in Bentonville. He was born Dec. 25, 1925, in Bentonville to Oscar Armstrong and Electra Red Armstrong. He retired from the Bella Vista Property Owners Association and worked for Car-Mart in Rogers. He was a member of the Church of the Nazarene and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He enjoyed watching professional baseball, especially the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves, and watching his grandchildren play baseball. He was preceded in death by his wife, Opal Armstrong, on Feb. 16, 2006; a son, Billy Joe “Buddy” Armstrong ; a brother, Burrell Armstrong; and a sister, Dorothy Vinson. Survivors include two daughters and a son-in-law, Mary Lou Duncan and Larry Duncan of Corpus Christy, Texas, and Alice Faye Cray of Bentonville; five sons and two daughters-in-law, Harold Dean Armstrong and Connie Armstrong of San Angelo, Texas, Arthur Lee Armstrong of Hobbs, N.M., Tim Seratt and Terry Mc-Cauley, both of Rogers.
Helen Louise Bender
Helen Louise Bender, 81, of Bella Vista, Ark., died July 8, 2006 at Highlands Healthcare in Bella Vista. She was born Jan. 29, 1925, in Owings Mills, Md., to Elmer Shoemaker and Lillian Shoemaker. She attended high school in Westminster, Md. She was a nurse’s aid and a gallon blood donor during World War II. She married
E. Charles Bender on March 23, 1946, in Reisterstown, Md., following his return from four years in the U.S. Navy. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by a sister, Mary; and a brother, Edward.
George W. Bowles
George W. Bowles died July 8, 2006. Born Oct. 3, 1915, he served during WWII and was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Iowa, the Scottish Rite in Des Moines and the Za-Zag-Zig Shrine Temple in Des Monies. Bowles graduated from Simpson College and was voted into their Hall of Fame for multiple sports. He lived in and around Warren and Polk counties until his retirement when he moved to Arkansas and then to Kentucky. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Georgiana M Bowles. Bowles is survived by his wife Beverly and by four children and two step-children : George (Mac) Bowles of Arlington, Va.; Ahna Lineback of Swan, Iowa; Ed Bowles of Plano, Texas; Betty Fulton of North Canton, Ohio; Toni Ganzel of Louisville, Ky.; and Steve Haskins of Louisville, Ky.
W.H. ‘Bill’ Bennett
W.H. “Bill” Bennett, 89, of Rogers, Ark., died July 26, 2006, at a local nursing home. He was born July 30, 1916, in Weston, W.Va., to Worthy O. Bennett and Gertrude Boggs Bennett. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He married
Joyce Curtis on June 23, 1945, in Little Rock, Ark. He had lived in northwest Arkansas since 1971, moving from northern California. He was a member of the Southside Church of Christ in Rogers. For 26 years, he owned and operated the Conoco on North Second Street in Rogers, where he made many friends and had longtime customers. He was also a machinist at Applied Radiation in Walnut Creek, Calif., for many years. He was preceded in death by a son, Wayne Bennett; and two brothers.
Delores Jean Behrens
Delores Jean Behrens, 78, of Sebring, Fla., formerly of Lowell, Ark., died July 30, 2006, in Sebring. She was born Feb. 23, 1928, in Rowan, Iowa, to George R. Echelberger and Lucy Esther Haupi Echelberger. She married
Laverne Myron Behrens on Aug. 18, 1946. She moved to Sebring in 1993 from Lowell. She was a homemaker and a member of the Activities Committee at The Bluffs of Sebring and Faith Lutheran Church in Rogers, Ark. Survivors include her husband, Laverne Myron Behrens; two sons, Ricky Laverne Behrens of Lake Stevens, Wash., and James Allen Behrens of Bella Vista, Ark.; three grandchildren ; and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held Aug. 3 at the Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home Chapel in Sebring with Pastor Gary Kindle.
George Albert Connell
George Albert Connell, 84, of Bella Vista, Ark., died Aug. 6, 2006, at an area nursing home. He was born July 22, 1922, in southwest Missouri to Clemmie B. Connell and Annabelle Youngblood Connell. He was raised and educated in Licking, Mo., then continued his education at Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Mo. He served in the U.S. Army. He later worked in sales and promotions in the agricultural industry. He married
Wilma Lee Dorman on May 9, 1942. She preceded him in death. He later married
Mabel Sutton. After moving to Bella Vista in 1987, he became involved in the community and was active in the Masonic Lodge, the Chamber of Commerce in Bella Vista and the Village Baptist Church. He was known as the village chauffeur.
Robert S. Ekiss
Robert S. Ekiss, 61, of Bella Vista, Ark., died Aug. 18, 2006, at his home. He was born on Nov. 28, 1944, in Decatur, Ill., to Robert H. Ekiss and Mary E. Lemons Ekiss. He attended the University of Nebraska, University of Michigan Business School, Darden Business School, University of Virginia and Maheer Executive Education. He retired in 2000 after 37 years with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. as plant manager in Lincoln, Neb. He was on the Advisory Board of United Way in Lincoln. He was a member of the Bella Vista Sportsman Club, Chairman of the Bella Vista POA Nominating Committee, Ducks Unlimited and Quail Unlimited. He was an avid golfer and hunter.
Vernon Walter Becker
Vernon Walter Becker, 97, of Bella Vista, Ark., died Aug. 23, 2006, at Highlands Health Care in Bella Vista. He was born Sept. 2, 1908, to Walter Riley and Anna Eliza Becker in Argentine, Kan.
