Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Earl Oliver
Earl Ray Oliver, 64, of Alma, died Friday, March 28, 2003, at his home. He was a retired rancher and a member of the Oak Grove Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Nellie; a son, Donald Oliver of Alma; two sisters, Betty Hamilton of Alma and Donna Hamilton of Van Buren; and four grandsons, Charles, D.J., Matthew and Jordan Oliver.
Funeral service was held April 1 at Ocker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Van Buren with burial at Yoestown Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Chuck and D.J. Oliver, Ricky and Henry Hamilton, Bill Brock and Jeff Painter. Honorary pallbearers were Bill Dewitt Jr., Harold Oliver, Frank Neal, Joe LaRocca, Ted Martin, Ben Taylor, Ed Gibbs, Francis Davis, Leslie Thomas Sr., Jimmy Gooch and Don Newton.
Charles Coble
Charles Wayne Coble, 77, of Van Buren, died Monday, March 31, 2003, at a local nursing home. He was a retired truck driver from ABF Freight Systems and a member of Van Buren First Baptist Church, Van Buren Masonic Lodge No. 6 and Cedar Masonic Lodge No. 762. He was a Navy Seabee veteran of World War II, having served in the New Caledonia.
Survivors include his wife, Ruby; one daughter, Donna Edwards of Van Buren; two sons, Ron Coble of Van Buren and Charles Coble of El Dorado; two grandchildren, Brad and Karen Coble, both of Van Buren; and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Ocker Memorial Chapel in Van Buren. Burial will be at Gracelawn Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Brad Coble, Erhard Schulze, Dr. Larry Englehoven, Allen Penrod, Jim Freeman and Michael O’Bryan.
The family will visit with friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Ocker Funeral Home, 700 Jefferson, Van Buren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Van Buren First Baptist Church Building Fund, 1121 E. Main St., Van Buren, AR 72956.
Curtis Langston
Curtis McVey Langston, 73, of Van Buren, died Tuesday, April 1, 2003, at his home. He was an Army and Navy veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Robbie Langston; one daughter, Staycee Shelly of Van Buren; two sons, Curtis Langston Jr. of Tulsa and Bobby R. Moore of Van Buren; one brother, William Langston of Porterville, Calif., and seven grandchildren.
Graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Cain Cemetery near Mountainburg under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Fred Sharrah
Fred Sharrah, 50, of Van Buren, died Sunday, March 30, 2003, at a local hospital. He was a dairy worker.
He is survived by his wife, Gail; four daughters, Vickie and Felicia Sharrah, both of the home, Mary of Ada, Okla., and Anna of Dallas; two sons, Matthew and Joseph Sharrah, both of the home; his mother, Louise Blasingame of Van Buren; two sisters, Veneta Blasingame and Cathy Jones, both of Van Buren; seven brothers, Roy Sharrah of Cameron, Cordell, Rick, Troy and Leroy Sharrah, all of Van Buren, Larry Sharrah of Sapulpa, Okla., and Randy Casey of Punta Gorda, Fla.; and seven grandchildren.
Graveside service was held April 2 at Hall Cemetery Arbor with burial at Hall Cemetery in Natural Dam under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were his brothers.
L.C. Strickland
L.C. “Buck” Strickland, 61, of Alma, died Monday, April 8, 2002. He was of the Baptist faith and a self-employed engine repairman.
Survivors include his wife, Edith; one daughter, Shannon Bridges of Kathy, Texas; two sons, Mike Strickland and Steve Strickland, both of DeQuincy, La.; one sister, Sue Bolton of Mena; three brothers, Cecil Strickland of Van Buren, Joe Strickland of Fayetteville and Atalee Strickland of Texas; six grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held April 10 at Ocker Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was Antioch Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Alma.
Pallbearers were George Strain, Jamie Allen, Bill Barker, Ralph Figles, Jason Symonds and Tony Ritchie.
Honorary pallbearers were Eddie Symonds, Don Rose and Josh Bolton.
Billy Lincks
Billy Don Lincks, 70, of Van Buren, died Thursday, March 28, 2002, at a local hospital. He was a retired dispatcher for the sheriff’s department, attended Gospel Rescue Mission and was a lifelong Arkansas Razorback and Van Buren Pointers sports fan. His hobby was making scrapbooks on local sports teams and local history.
Survivors include one sister, Josephine Hobbs of Vacaville, Calif., and several nieces and nephews.
Graveside service was held April 1 at Gracelawn Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Bill Grill, Dwight Hopkins, George Graf, James Graf and Lloyd Overby.
Etta Kendig
Etta Mae Kendig, 95, of Van Buren, died Friday, March 29, 2002, at a local nursing home. She was a homemaker and was preceded in death by her husband, James.
Survivors include three daughters, Bobbie Kimbley of Stockton, Calif., Betty Hill of Fresno, Calif., and Linda Meyer of Whitehouse Station, N.J.; one son, Harold Kindig of Clovis, Calif.; one sister, Zora Ashlock of Van Buren; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral service was held April 2 at Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren. Burial was at Gill Cemetery under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Donnie Ashlock, Vernon Moore, Buddy Burkhart, Bob Frazier, Daymon Blount and Ronnie Blount.
Lois Bond
Lois Bond, 72, of Van Buren, died Tuesday, March 26, 2002, at a local hospital. He was a member of Grandview Assembly of God Church in Natural Dam, a former employee of Tyson Foods Hatchries and a homemaker.
Survivors include one daughter, Vera Russell of Van Buren; two sons, J.B. Bond and Randy Bond, both of Natural Dam; one sister, Sylvia Fain of Van Buren; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held March 29 at Grandview Assembly of God Church of Natural Dam. Burial was at Hall Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Pallbearers were Clifford Mongold, Don Murphy, Mike Murphy, Gary Floyd, David Tudor, Luther Mongold, Cecil Bond, Kenneth Shelly and Floyd Mongold.
