Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Gail Wayne Steele
Gail Wayne Steele, 69, of Bald Knob, Ark., died Nov. 25, 2008, at a Little Rock hospital. He was born Feb. 28, 1939, at Cave City, Ark., to Joe R. and Lettia White Steele.
He was a U.S. Army veteran, owner of AAA Window Cleaning in Bald Knob, a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and of the Methodist faith.
He is survived by: one son, Michael Joseph Steele of New Windsor, Md.; one daughter, Gail Marie Hibbeln of Oldsmar, Fla.; and one sister, Amy Shaver of Batesville, Ark.; four grandchildren; several nieces; nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by: his parents; and one brother, Dean Steele.
Graveside memorial services were held Dec. 3 at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery at Sidney with Rev. Carl Ownbey officiating.
Arrangements by Qualls Funeral Home of Cave City.
Easter L. Foster
Easter L. Foster was born April 4, 1920, and died Nov. 23, 2008, at the age of 88.
She was the youngest of 10 children born to Clem S. and Lelah Talley of Viola, Ark.
She was preceded in death by: her husband, Clifford D. Foster; her parents; five brothers, Ralph, Hubert, Truman, Erby and Charles; four sisters, Mable Phillips, Myrtle Williford Deatherage, Gladys Crotts and Hazel Talley; and two sons, Duke and Bobby.
She is survived by: three sons, Jerry and wife, Jeanne of Viola, Gary Mack and wife Jane of Claremore, Okla., Terry and wife, Anita of Olive Branch, Miss.; 12 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and several nieces; nephews; and cousins.
Graveside service were held Dec. 1, at Alex, Okla.
Mary Courtwright
Mary Kathryn Brewster Grider Courtwright, 77, of Ash Flat, Ark., daughter of the late Kenneth Merle and Helen Monica (Randolph) Brewster, was born Dec. 16, 1930, in Borger, Texas. She died Nov. 27, 2008, at the Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains, Mo.
She married Allen L. Grider in 1948, and together raised seven children. She worked as a nurse in a nursing home in Portales, N.M. Following the death of her husband in 1999, she renewed her relationship with her lifelong friend and loving companion, Charles Courtwright of Ash Flat, Ark., in October 2006. She was a member of the Saddle Baptist Church.
She is survived by: her companion, Charles Courtwright of Ash Flat; six children, Jeannetta Boyden of Los Lunas, N.M., Kenneth Grider (Paula) of Rogers, Jo Knuth (Eric) of Bella Vista, Jim Grider (Suzanne) of Bentonville, Roy Grider of Centerton and Betty Nolte (Jeff) of Springdale; brother, Richard Brewster (Nancy); sister-in-law, Jean Brewster; brother-in-law, Vernal Mills; 10 grandchildren, John "Jay" Boyden, Kathryn Boyden, Emily Colston (Matt), Jennifer Johnson (David), Sarah Smith, Karen Phelps (Brian), Krystal Hophins (Jimmie), Daniel Boyden, Andrea Snitker (Jeremy), Chance Just; nine great-grandchildren; and many cousins; nieces; and nephews.
She was preceded in death by: her first husband; parents; brother, Charles Brewster; sister, Betty Ann Mills; step-son, Darrell Grider; and son-in-law, J. W. Sumner.
Funeral Services were held Dec. 1 at the Saddle Baptist Church in Saddle, Ark., with Bro. Jackie Dockins officiating. Interment followed in the Humphries Cemetery at Glencoe, Ark., under the direction of Barker Funeral Home in Salem, Ark.
Pallbearers were family members.
Memorials preferred to the Saddle Baptist Church, 8689 Heart Road, Mammoth Spring, AR 72554.
Ethel Margaret Jestila
Ethel Margaret (Peggy) Utley Snow Jestila was born Oct. 13, 1916, in Bay, Ark., and died Nov. 30, 2008, in Hot Springs, Ark.
Her family moved to Hardy, Ark. in 1925. She attended school in the area and married Arthur Collins Snow in Hardy where her only son, Gene Carroll Snow, was born in 1934. She met William Adolph Jestila and married him in June, 1944, in Toledo, Ohio. She attended Fairdale Baptist Church in Hot Springs.
She was preceded in death by: her two husbands; her grandson, Shawn Snow; and her sisters, Elizabeth and Hazel McIlvane.
She is survived by: her son, Gene Snow and his wife, Helen; and her grandson Kevin and his wife Martha; Shawn's wife Roberta; and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at Carpenter of Trinity Baptist Church of Melvern, Ark. Arrangements were under the direction of the Gross Funeral Home of Hot Springs, Ark.
She will be interred at Baker Cemetery in Hardy, Ark.
J.C. Robinson
J. C. Robinson, 84, of Bentonville, Ark., formerly of Mammoth Spring, Ark., died Dec. 3, 2008, at Regency Hospital in Fayetteville, Ark. He was born Aug. 24, 1924, in Salem, Ark., the son of the late John Charles and Mary Ann Vaughn Robinson.
J.C. farmed in the Mammoth Spring area for more than 53 years.
J.C. is survived by: his wife of 62 years, Maxine; a daughter, Barbara and a son-in-law, Rick Garrison; a grandson, Jay Garrison and his wife, Liz of Manvel, Texas, and their sons, Kristofer and Jayson; a granddaughter, Lindsay Bedgood and her husband, Greg of Bentonville, Ark., and their son, Connor; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Wanda and Rayburn Holloway of Salem, Ark.; three brothers-in-law, Kenneth Peterson of West Plains, Mo., Thurman Peterson of Jonesboro, Ark., and Dale Peterson of Melbourne, Ark.; a cousin, Leon Vaughn and his wife, Bonita; several nieces; nephews; other family and friends.
He was preceded in death by: his parents; two brothers, Dee Robinson and Verdis Hall; and two infant granddaughters, Kari Elizabeth and Lesan Renae Garrison.
Funeral services were held Dec. 6 in the Carter Funeral Home Chapel at Thayer, Mo., with Rev. J.R. Wiles officiating. Burial followed in the Salem Cemetery at Salem, Ark., with arrangements under the direction of the Carter Funeral Home of Thayer.
Ivan Eugene Welch
Ivan Eugene Welch of Salem, Ark., son of the late David Aquilla Welch and Eliza Agnes Godwin Welch, was born March 3, 1919 in Love, Ark. He died Dec. 8, 2008, at Cox South Medical Center in Springfield, Mo., at the age of 89.
He was married to Floy Evelyn Thomas in Aug. 1937, at Salem, Ark. To this union three children were born. She preceded him in death and in Feb. 1947, he married Norma Martin, who also preceded him in death.
He served his country in the United States Navy during World War II.
He was a self-employed auto mechanic and was a member of the Church of Christ.
Survivors include: his daughter, Evelyn Runsick and husband Herman of Evening Shade; his son, Floyd D. Welch of Salem; grandchildren, Eva Jean Runsick Haley and husband Lonnie, Randal Scott Runsick and David Lynn Runsick; two great-grandchildren; a sister, Enid V. Williams of Mobile, Ala.; several nieces; nephews; and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by: both wives; a daughter who died in infancy; two brothers, Scott and Bruce Welch; a sister who died in infancy; and his father and mother.
Services were held Dec. 10 at Cox-Blevins Chapel in Salem, with burial following in the Baker Cemetery, Evening Shade. Arrangements were by Cox-Blevins Funeral Home of Salem.
Kailey Allyse Moss
Kailey Allyse Moss, daughter of William Gregory Moss and Rhonda Elaine Owens Moss, was born Aug. 12, 1992, in Salem, Ark. She died Dec. 11, 2008, in Little Rock, Ark., at the age of 16 years.
Kailey was a junior at Izard County Consolidated School. She was active in the Izard County High School Livestock Show Team, Key Club, Izard County High School Softball Team and was the manager of the Izard County Senior High Girls Basketball Team. She was a member of the Oxford Meth-odist and Presbyterian Church.
She is survived by: her parents, Greg and Rhonda Moss of the home; one sister, Tori Moss of Columbia, Mo.; her paternal grandparents, Herbert and Ima Moss of Oxford; her maternal grandparents, Jimmy and Sue Owens of Oxford; 12 aunts and uncles; numerous cousins; great aunts and uncles; and a host of other relatives, and many good friends.
Services were held Dec. 14 at the Izard County Consolidated School Gymnasium with Steve Stevenson officiating and remarks by Bobby Coleman. Burial followed at Oxford Cemetery under the direction of Eddie's Family Funeral Home in Melbourne.
Memorials may be made to the Oxford Methodist and Presbyterian Church Building Fund, Oxford, AR 72565 or the Izard County Consolidated Livestock Show Team, P.O. Box 115, Brockwell, AR 72517.
Pallbearers were Kyle McCandlis, Steven Walker, David Harmon, Matt Orf, Wayne Neal and Spencer Caraway.
Honorary pallbearers were Rachel Harmon, Kristen Smith, Courtney Bookout, Lane Norvold and Sierra Riley.
