Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Basil W. Hardgrave
Basil W. Hardgrave, 88, of Pueblo, Colo., died Jan. 23, 2009.
He was a native of Clarksville, son of the late Benjamin Earl and Coy Mae Boyer Hardgrave, member of Pueblo West Ecumenical Church, retired from the Civil Service with the U. S. Air Force and served in the U. S. Navy in World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Sue Ashley Hardgrave; two sons, Billy D. (Charlotte L.) Hardgrave of Weld County, Colo., and Barry W. (Diane) Hardgrave of Clinton, Okla.; seven grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; four sisters, Earla (Don) Everett, Wanda (Tom) Spetter, Joanne Bohannon and Yvonne (James) Howell; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at Pueblo West Ecumenical Church under the direction of Imperial Funeral Home.
Billy E. Carlton
Billy Edward Carlton, 55, of Nail died Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
He was a native of Hominy, Okla., logger, veteran of the U. S. Army, member of Deer Church of Christ, lived most of his life in Newton County and was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Adams Carlton; three daughters, Melissa Clayborn of Deer, Brandy Williams of Nail and Sonyia Taylor of Clarksville; parents, Ishmel Freeman Carlton and Johnia Wilson Carlton of Nail; three brothers, David Carlton, Bobby Carlton and Jimmy Carlton, all of Clarksville; four sisters, Jeana Breedlove of Rogers, Tonya Parker of Jasper, Tochia McCutcheon of Nail, and Betty Palmer of Russellville; and ten grandchildren.
Funeral was at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, at Coffman Funeral Home Chapel in Jasper with Billy Paul Matlock and Anthony McCutcheon officiating. Burial was in Nail cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Danny Clayborn, Dennis Williams, Tim Davis, Anthony McCutcheon, Ricky Davis, Brett Langdon, Joshua Williams and Zachary Clayborn.
Honorary pallbearers were grandchildren, Latesha Williams, Evan Williams, Ty Williams, Blake Williams, Brady Taylor, Dylan Taylor and Shaelyn Taylor.
Jay Williams
Jay Williams, 76, of Pottsville died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, in Atkins.
He was a son of the late John and Violet Brashear Williams of Crow Mountain, a retired construction supervisor and member of the Mars Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder and was a former Sunday school teacher. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Rev. Bill Williams and Frank Williams; and one sister, Della Murphy.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Peggy Norris Williams; two daughters and sons-in-law, Janice "Kathy" and Sam Davis of Cortlandt Manor, N. Y., and Carol and Wayne Brock of Pottsville; four grandchildren, Heath Brock and wife, Amanda, of Pottsville, Hugh Davis and wife, Michelle, of Charleston, Heather Heflin and husband, David, of Russellville, and Sarah Avery and husband, Josh, of Greenbrier; four great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Brock, Riley Davis, Boston Heflin and Kaylee Davis; four sisters, Erma Smith and husband, Harvey, of Glendora, Calif., Betty Tilley and husband, Rev. Herb Tilley of Knoxville, Lynn Casey and husband, Bill, of Atkins, and Pat Norman of Clarksville; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral was at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Humphrey Funeral Service Chapel in Russellville with Rev. Herb Tilley and Rev. Bill Moody officiating. Burial was at Bowden cemetery in Pottsville.
Joseph Gray
Joseph (Joe) Gray, 72, of Scranton died Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, in Russellville.
He was a native of Scranton, son of the late Carl and Annie Gray, member of Dublin Free Will Baptist Church, dairy farmer, and was preceded in death by one sister, Annetta Ford.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Lou Ann Gray; two daughters, Della Newman and husband, Thomas, of New Blaine and Pam Gray of Scranton; one sister, Dorothy Hayward of Scranton; one brother, William Riley Gray of Scranton; three grandchildren, Timothy Newman and wife, Christina, of Dover, Dayna Morgan and husband, Justin, of San Diego, Calif., and Holly Harwood and husband, Dustin, of Fort Smith; and five great-grandchildren, Preston Newman, Carly Morgan, Tyler Newman, Tanner Newman, and Michael Aidan Neumeier.
Funeral was at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 16, at Dublin Free Will Baptist Church.
Burial was at Wares Chapel cemetery under the direction of Roller Funeral Home of Paris.
Active pallbearers were Mike Henderson, Steve Henderson, Dustin Harwood, Justin Morgan, Tim Newman and Scott Suess.
Honorary pallbearers were Preston Newton, Tyler Newman, Tanner Newman, Aidan Neumeier and Carly Morgan.
Kenneth P. Laudermilk Sr.
Kenneth P. Laudermilk Sr., 71, of Coal Hill died Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
His occupation was printing and he was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Carol Ann Blair Laudermilk; son-in-law, Delbert Turnbow Jr.; great-granddaughter, Emily Anne Stevens; daughter, Irene Laudermilk; and two brothers, H. E. Laudermilk and Billy Laudermilk.
He is survived by six daughters, Dessie Moye and husband, Carl, of Coal Hill, Karen Turnbow of Covina, Calif., Carolyn Cotton and husband, William, of Clarksville, Carla Cowels of Fullerton, Calif., Penny Perry and husband, Gary, of Clarksville, and Samantha Flaherty and husband, Truman, of Coal Hill; two sons, Kenneth Laudermilk Jr. and wife, Rosana, of Covina, Calif., and Keith Laudermilk and Marian Moore of Clarksville; two sisters, Gladys Blair of Baltimore, Md., and Joyce Fonjtowski of Loughman, Fla.; one brother, Alvey Pate Jr. of Baltimore, Md.; 29 grandchildren; 46 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral was at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at Roller-Cox Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Terry Schlinker officiating.
Pallbearers were Keith Laudermilk, Gary Perry, Uriah Green, William Cotton, Gary Perry Jr., Quintinn Cotton, and Victor Perry.
Burial was at Oakdale cemetery in Glendora, Calif.
Manley L. Bean
Manley L. Bean, 87, of Lafayette, Colo., died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009.
He was a native of Clarksville, son of the late T. L. and Mary Bean of Clarksville, and served in the U. S. Army during World War II and the Korean War. He retired from the military in 1958, and moved to Boulder, Colo., where he attended C. U., graduated with an MBA degree and was employed for many years as a comptroller at NCAR prior to becoming a vice president of Neoplan, USA. He helped to plan and build the Neoplan bus manufacturing plant at Lamar, Colo.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Geraldine Bowles Bean; one son, Mark; one daughter, Susan; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at Darrell Howe Mortuary in Lafayette, Colo.
Memorials may be made to Amesbury for Africa, 24 Morrill Place, Amesbury, MA 01913.
Nickey Jo Gonzalez
Nickey Jo Gonzalez, 43, of Lamar died Monday, Feb. 9, 2009, at her home.
She was a native of Orange County, Calif., and attended Hedgeway Church.
Survivors include her husband, Sergio Gonzalez; one stepdaughter, Selena Gonzalez Martinez of Washington, D. C.; one stepson, Sergio David Gonzalez of Washington, D. C.; mother, Robbie Rudd of Clarksville; two sisters, Kara Whitkanack and husband, Michael, of Clarksville and Evette Rashidi and husband, Tony, of Lavaca; two brothers, Michael Hunt of Clarksville and Robert Woods of Lavaca; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13, at First Baptist Church in Clarksville with Rev. Darrell Bridges officiating. The body was cremated.
Arrangements were under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home.
Norma M. Johnson
Norma McKennon Johnson, age 81, a lifelong resident of Clarksville, passed away at her home after an extended illness. She was born to the late State Senator Paul McKennon and Pearl Blackard McKennon on October 12, 1926.
She was a loyal and lifetime member of the First United Methodist Church of Clarksville. She was predeceased by her husband, Earle King (E. K.) Johnson, and by her siblings, one sister, Pauline McKennon Amos and twin brothers, Clyde and Claude McKennon.
Norma is the last surviving Clarksville member of a large group of McKennons who migrated to Clarksville at the end of the Civil War. She was descended from a pioneer Johnson County family on her maternal side, the Blackards. She was a great-great-granddaughter of Tolliver Goldstone Blackard, who arrived in Johnson County in the 1830s.
Following graduation from Clarksville High School she was proud to have worked for the War Department during World War II at the Los Angeles Port of Embarkation. She returned to Clarksville after the War where she met her husband, E. K., at the Palace Drug Store. They married
January 26, 1947, and immediately worked together to build their family business, Eureka Brick and Tile Company in Clarksville. The family continued operation of the business for 53 years.
In healthier years, she enjoyed playing bridge, boating on the Arkansas River and landscaping. She also enjoyed a lifelong love of poetry. She was a member of the Supper Club which met at the Johnson Family Lodge on Little Piney. She was a member of the T.T.T. society and considered sharing time at the river with her “Cousins” group as one of the highlights of her life. Her greatest joy on earth was her devoted family.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Johnson Glasgow and her husband, Roger, and by her beloved grandson, Kingsley Johnson Glasgow and his wife, Angela, all of Little Rock. She is also survived by her son, Bradford Earle Johnson, and his wife, Suzanne, and two step grandchildren, Justin and Anthony Webb, all of Clarksville.
Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 535, Clarksville, Arkansas 72830, or to the University of the Ozarks, Earle K. and Norma M. Johnson Communications Program Endowment, 415 North College Avenue, Clarksville, Arkansas 72830.
Visitation will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, at Hardwicke Funeral Home in Clarksville. A private graveside service will be held at Oakland cemetery on Thursday, May 1, 2008. A memorial service to honor Norma’s life will be at Clarksville’s First United Methodist Church at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 2, 2008.
Honorary Pallbearers are Carroll Bumpers, Paul Bumpers, Dane Clay, Dudley Flint, Harold Lewis, Drew Linder, Ross McCarley, Dr. Richard McKelvey, Dierk Pulliam, Dr. W. Ernest King, Virgil Knight, Dr. John Rommel and Stewart Willey.
The family is deeply grateful to the dedicated and loving caregivers who extended Norma’s life who brought her much love and joy. The Johnson family asks your prayers in the days ahead as we give thanks for Norma’s life which provided the heartbeat of our family for 61 years.
