Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Eddie Rains
Eddie Gene Rains, 59, of Searcy went to be with his Lord Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009.
He was born
Jan. 20, 1950, in Union, Ark., to Timothy and Bessie Rains.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Orval T.B. and Ermal Billy Rains.
Survivors include one brother, Charles Dempsey Rains, and his wife, Margie, of Russellville; three sisters, Bobbie Sexton of Wenatchee, Wash., Faye Garrett and husband, Charlie, of Batesville, and Carolyn Stark and husband, Charles, of Bald Knob; special aunts and uncles, Talmadge and Lillian Lawson of Meeker, Okla., and Jewell Eden of Shawnee, Okla.; and several nieces and nephews including local nieces Marjeana and Ronnie Taylor and Traci and Donnie Tabor.
Graveside service and burial will be at 3 p.m. today at Union Cemetery
on State Highway 9 at Union.
Pallbearers include Jeff Adkins, Jerrod Adkins, Ed Talley, Donnie Helm and Donnie Tabor.
Mathilde Pampus
Mathilde Pampus, 86, of Dardanelle, “Our loss is heaven’s gain.” We had to say goodbye to our mom, she went to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, at River Valley Medical Center in Dardanelle.
She was born
May 2, 1923, in Altenkessel-Saar, Germany, the daughter of Nikolaus Gross and Ida Gries. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Otto Pampus.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Hella Pampus Price and her husband, Bobby, of Dardanelle; grandson Stefan Happ and his wife, Jennifer, of El Paso, Texas, three great-grandchildren; and two step-grandsons.
Funeral service will be announced at a later date by Lemley Funeral Service of Atkins.
Carl Habel Jr.
Carl Habel Jr., age 78, of Pelsor, died Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, at his home.
A son of the late Carl Martin and Elsie Martha Mueller Habel, he was born
Dec. 10, 1931, in Oakland, Calif. He was a 1949 graduate of Concordia High School in Oakland, a former butcher for Pringle Meats in Oakland, and was an active member of The Salvation Army in Russellville. He loved the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his strength and loved his neighbor as himself.
Survivors include a daughter, Cheryl Bookhammer of Byron, Calif.; two sons, Tom Habel of Manteca, Calif., and Ken Habel of Byron; a stepson, Robert Burns of Dover; a brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Sue Habel of Wheatland, Calif.; four grandchildren, Michael Habel, Matthew Habel, Douglas Bookhammer and Jesskah Bookhammer; and a great-grandchild, Skylah Irvin.
Burial by Shinn Funeral Service was private.
The family will conduct a graveside memorial service at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, at Tarlton Cemetery
near Lurton.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 2075, Russellville, AR 72811.
William White Jr.
DARDANELLE - William Clarence White Jr., 60, of Bismark died Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, at his home.
He was born
April 12, 1949, at Tyronza to William Clarence White Sr. and Lue Tishia Jones. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Butch White; and a sister, Susan Elizabeth White.
Survivors include brothers, Gary White of Dardanelle, Robert White of Bigelow and Larry Eugene White of Dardanelle; sisters, Beulah Catherine Eaton of Malvern, Lue Tishia Eaton of Russellville and Martha Ann Dunn of Dover; and many nephews and nieces and other relatives.
The family will hold a memorial service at a later date.
Cremation arrangements by Cornwell Funeral Home.
William Walker
William H. Walker, 90, of Dover, formerly of Waterloo, Iowa, passed away Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009.
He was born
June 15, 1919, in Waterloo, Iowa, son of George and Ella May Walker. he was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Jessie M. Walker; a daughter, Linda; six brothers, and one sister.
Mr. Walker farmed until 1952, then began a life in the construction trade. In 1962, he began Walker Construction in Waterloo, Iowa. He was past president of the Home Builders Association in Waterloo. In 1971, they moved to Arkansas, purchased land, developed Dover Heights subdivision and built homes until his retirement in 1986. He was active in his community and church life. Mr. Walker was president of the Chamber of Commerce and received an Honorary Lifetime Member award for his services.
He is survived by three children, William L. Walker of Russellville, Ronald E. Walker and Ellie of Dover, and Carol Ann Carney and Pat of Cedar Falls, Iowa; five grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
The memorial service will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, at First Baptist Church of Dover officiated by Dr. Jeff Paxton, pastor. Arrangements are under the direction of Roller-Cox Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Pope County Hospice, 404 N. El Paso Ave., Russellville, AR 72801.
Wilma Harms
Wilma Harms, 93, of Russellville, died Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, surrounded by her family.
The daughter of August and Martha Klingsick Gieselmann, she was born
Nov. 6, 1916, in Optima, Okla.
She met and married
Jacob Harms. They moved to McPherson, Kan., where they raised their family and lived for about 50 years. They moved Russellville in 1995 to be close to their children.
Wilma was a devout Lutheran. She loved going to places to hear gospel music. She was born
and raised in the Lutheran faith. When she and Jacob lived in McPherson, Kan., they were one of the six founding couples of Grace Lutheran Church, which celebrated their 60th anniversary, in 2005. She was a Sunday school teacher, LWML member and very active in the church. Wilma is a member of the Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville.
Sewing and quilting was Wilma’s lifetime hobby. She made baby quilts for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and from January 2009 through October 2009, she made 246 quilts. She was still threading her own needles. Her daughter, Evelyn would deliver these to the hospital for her. She was very active with the LWML. Wilma was also a member of the Piney Extension Homemakers Club.
She is survived by her daughter, Evelyn Battershell and husband, Bob, of London; son-in-law, Darold Smith of Canyon, Texas; four grandchildren, Ron Battershell of London, Debra Battershell of North Little Rock, Heather Johnson and husband, Mike, of Canyon, Texas, and Dawn Tangri of Orlando, Fla.; one sister, Ruth Kreutziger of Dumas, Texas; five great-grandchildren, Courtney, Mackenzie and Dexter Johnson, Asha and Shanti Tangri; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009, at Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville with the Rev. Herb Swanson officiating. The church’s temporary location is 117 S. College, Clarksville, AR 72830. Burial will be at Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Humphrey Funeral Service.
Visitation will be 4-6 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Grace Lutheran Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 406, Clarksville, AR 72830.
Thomas Sanchez
Tom Sanchez, a resident of San Jose, Costa Rica, passed away Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009, of a sudden heart attack.
Tom grew up in Russellville and was an athlete, distinguishing himself in both track and swimming. His mother, the late Nina Sanchez, was a long-time teacher at Russellville Junior High School. After graduation from Russellville High School he attended the Citadel on a football scholarship. Playing as a wide receiver, he caught a 50-yard pass on his first play in the game. After the Citadel, he tried Canadian pro-football but was injured and became an elementary school teacher in the Denver, Colo., schools until his retirement. After retirement, he moved to Costa Rica where he became a permanent resident.
He is survived by an older brother, Jim Sanchez of Tucson, Ariz., and a former wife, Renee Babkiewich of Denver, Colo.
A funeral service was held Dec. 12 in Costa Rica with a memorial service in Denver to be arranged later.
Selma Smith
Selma Jean Tucker Smith, 75, of Little Rock died Monday, Dec. 14, 2009.
She was born
June 23, 1934, in Danville to Earl and Edna Mae Tucker.
She was valedictorian of her 1952 high school graduating class and attended Draughon’s Business College. She worked a number of years for GMAC before meeting C. LeMoyne Smith whom she married
May 23, 1964. Her only daughter, Jennifer Lee (Short), was born
July 23, 1966, just before the family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where her husband was engaged in textbook publishing for many years. During her early years in Cincinnati she was very active as a Girl Scout troop leader, the women’s church group and teaching children’s Sunday school classes. Upon her husband’s retirement, they returned to Little Rock where she enjoyed bridge, travel, cooking and the women’s group at Second Presbyterian Church.
She is survived by her husband, C. LeMoyne Smith; daughter, Jennifer Lee Short (Troy), and two grandchildren, Emily and Calvin, all of Minneapolis, Minn. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and dear friend to numerous acquaintances throughout the United States.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009, at Second Presbyterian Church, 600 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock with the Rev. Dr. Karen Akin officiating (no visitation). Private graveside service and burial of her ashes will be at Pisgah Cemetery
at Pottsville.
Memorials may be made to Presbyterian Women Memorial Fund, Second Presbyterian Church, 600 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock, AR 72227, or Arkansas Hospice, 5600 W. 12th St., Little Rock, AR 72204.
