Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Rhonda Wells
Rhonda Lynn Wells, 43, of Van Buren, died Saturday, May 11, 2002, at a local hospital. She was a Baptist.
Survivors include her husband, Harvey; a daughter, Kristall Hays of Fort Smith; two stepdaughters, Nikki Silmon of Bryant and Brooke Wells of Fort Smith; her parents, Carolyn Brewer of Van Buren and Ronald Goins of Pocola; three sisters, Shannon Cowan and Erin Smith-Bauer, both of Van Buren, and Robin Jackson of Alma; two brothers, Michael Smith of Van Buren and Patrick Smith of Chester; and seven grandchildren
Graveside service was held May 14 at Woodlawn Memorial Park Mausoleum under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Phyllis Morton, Nancy Stevens, Allen and Shawn Jones, Kay Lynn Wilkerson and Susan Criser.
Bernice Westfall
Bernice E. Westfall, 98, of Austin, Texas, formerly of Van Buren, died Sunday, May 12, 2002. She was a homemaker and was of the Methodist faith. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence.
Survivors include two daughters, Edith Sisco of Little Rock and Wanda Melton of Austin, Texas; three sons, Rod Westfall of Bakersfield, Calif., Stanley Westfall of Fruitland Park, Fla., and Joe Westfall of Nuevo, Calif.; 21 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Graveside service was held May 15 at Gill Cemetery in Van Buren under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren.
C.M. Thomas
C.M. Tommy Thomas, 83, of Alma, died Tuesday, May 14, 2002. He was a retired businessman with Plastice Research and Development in Granada Hills, Calif., and a resident of Alma since 1974.
Survivors include his wife, Glennis; one daughter, Stormi Thomas; two sons, James M. Thomas of Torrance, Calif., and Dr. Robert J. Thomas of Newport Beach, Calif.; and five grandchildren.
Cremation will be under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Alma.
Charles Vange
Charles Stanley Vange, 77, of Van Buren, died Thursday, May 9, 2002. He was a the former owner of Floorteriors Inc. in San Diego, Calif., the past president of San Diego Floorcovering Association, past president of Los Angeles Floorcovering Association and was employed for over 40 years in the floorcovering business.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley; two stepsons, Joseph Gibbs of Oxnard, Calif., and Jeff Gibbs of Chicago, Ill., two grandchildren, Sean Gibbs and Jenna Gibbs.
Memorial service was held May 13 at Ocker Memorial Chapel. The body will be cremated under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Onial Wortham
Onial C. Wortham, 71, of Van Buren born Aug. 27, 1930, in Kinta of Claud and Lillian Wortham. He died May 7, 2002, in a local hospital.
Mr. Wortham was employed as a purchasing agent for Norge/Whirlpool and Flanders Industries and as a plant manager for Southern Steel & Wire in Fort Smith. He also was the owner and operator of Wortham and Company Paint Store on Main Street in Van Buren. He retired in 1992 from Vought Aircraft in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Mr. Wortham served in the Army from 1947-1949. He was a member of the Lions Club of Fort Smith. Mr. Wortham marriage Doris Collier of Palestine, Texas in 1951.
He is survived by his wife; his daughter, Diana Peer and son-in-law, Steven of Van Buren; his son, Michael Wortham and daughter-in-law, Beverly of Katy, Texas; his grandchildren, Kathy Peer Ashlock and her husband, Jason of Fayetteville, Debbie Peer of Fayetteville, Aaron Peer of Van Buren, Justin Wortham of Katy, Texas and Ross Wortham of Katy, Texas; his brothers, Orville Wortham of Weatherford, Texas, Omar Wortham of Fort Worth, Texas and Otis Wortham of Springfield, Ohio; his sisters, OraDee Ramsey of Tulsa, Ina Norman of Bedford, Texas and Francille Clement of Duncanville, Okla. Mr. Wortham was a member of Heritage United Methodist Church.
A celebration service was held at Heritage United Methodist Church in Van Buren May 10 with internment at Gracelawn Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Aaron Peer, Justin and Ross Wortham, Jason Ashlock, Bob Hollis and Ken Langford.
Memorial contributions may be made to Heritage United Methodist Church in Van Buren.
Evert Cline
Evert Cline, 76, of Van Buren, died Friday, May 17, 2002. He was a retired truck driver for Farmer’s Coop in Van Buren and an Army veteran. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elsie.
Survivors include three daughters, Pat McMinn of Dumas, Texas, and Christine Eversole and Ann Meek, both of Van Buren; two sons, Don Cline of Stephenville, Texas, and Tommy Cline of Alma; 15 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held May 20 at Edwards Van-Alma Chapel. Burial was held at Gill Cemetery in Van Buren.
Pallbearers were his grandsons, Donald Eversole, Chris Eversole, Ricky McMinn, Bobby Don Meek, Shannon Weese, Kaden Cline and Eric Cline.
Rena Tucker
Rena R. Tucker, 105, of Van Buren, died Friday, May 17, 2002, in Van Buren. She was born to William A. Rabold and Josephine Claypool on Dec. 1, 1896 in Bowling Green, Ky. She was formerly of Decatur, was a bookkeeper for the newspaper she and her husband operated in Decatur and was a member of First Baptist Church in Decatur. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy.
Survivors include one daughter, Dorothy Navarro of Ruidoso, N.M., two daughter-in-laws, Gladys Tucker of Van Buren and Jean P. Tucker of Pensacola, Fla.; two nieces, Iva Jo Hutton of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Barbara Penning of New Port Richey, Fla.; seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church in Decatur with Rev. Al Maines officiating. Burial will be held at Decatur Cemetery under the direction of Wasson Funeral Home in Siloam Springs.
Visitation will be held Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the funeral home.
John Parmenter
John W. Parmenter, 88, of Vancouver, Wash., died Thursday, May 2, 2002. He was formerly from Crawford County. He was a contractor in both commercial and residential building, he worked for Sharff Brothers Construction Co., in Salem, Ore., and retired in 1975. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nellie.
Survivors include two daughters, Thelda Dudley of Vancouver, Wash., and Norma Bahr of Klamath Falls; one son, Jonny H. Parmenter of Salem; stepbrother, Joe Stockton of Fort Smith; 13 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held May 8 at Restlawn Funeral Home in Salem.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
