Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland And Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas
Hannah McPeak
Hannah McPeak, 91, of Van Buren, formerly of Gillett, died peacefully April 3, 2002, in Van Buren. She was the widow of Custer McPeak. She was a homemaker and attended First Baptist Church in Van Buren.
Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Mary Lou and Frank Titsworth of Van Buren; two sons and daughters-in-law, Joe Tom and Janie McPeak of Alma and Jimmy and Sandra McPeak of Vallejo, Calif.; nine grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Also, two brothers, Walter Fietz and Mack Fietz, both of Dewitt; three sisters, Linda Wilson of Little Rock, Velma Nutt of San Jose, Calif., and Vonda Frazier of Kansas City, Mo., and many nieces and nephews.
Graveside service was held April 6 at Gillett Cemetery under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren with the Rev. Mike Franklin officiating.
Harold Loyd
Harold Loyd, 67, of Van Buren, died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002. He was an Army veteran, former deputy circuit clerk, county clerk and Crawford County judge. He was a member of Van Buren Masonic Lodge No. 6, County Judge’s Association, County Clerk’s Association, Cattlemen’s Association, Crawford County Fair Association, Crawford County Junior Livestock, Lion’s Club, WAEDA, Area Agency on Aging & Comprehensive Juvenile Services and Oak Grove Baptist Church.
Funeral services were held Feb. 1 at Van Buren First Assembly of God. Burial was held at Gill Cemetery in Van Buren under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Survivors include his wife, Carolyn; a daughter, Debra Bridges of Fort Smith; a son, Randy Loyd of Van Buren; a stepson, Kevin Moore of Alma; and four grandchildren, Heather and Chris Bridges, Desirae and Brooklyn Loyd.
Pallbearers were Judge Gary Cottrell, Bill Farrar, Gerald Medlock, Bruce Neidecker, Johnny Parker, Bill Thomas, Judge Joe Powell and Larry McClure.
Honorary pallbearers were Patti Hill, Sammie Page, Dianna Gentry and Tina McAlister, Donnie Easter, Dorvan Wiley, col. Weldon Ramey, Johnny Ragsdale, Jim Medley, Milton Brownlee, Judge Pete Rogers, Wylie Brewer, Bill Edwards, Dean Metheny, Herman Pulse, Herman Kimes, Jim Sargent Jr., Russell Montag, and David Burkhart.
Memorial contributions may be made to Stepping Stone School, P.O. Box 2389, Alma, AR 72923.
Euticha Parker
Euticha Parker, 81, of Van Buren, died Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2002. She was a homemaker and a Protestant. She was preceded in death by her husband John Parker.
Survivors include six daughters, Bea Kirkendall of Van Buren, Alfreda Covert of Altus, Alice Fancher and Wanda Rainy, both of Clinton, Geneva Scott of Paris and Pauline King of Big Sandy, Texas, half-brother, John Gregory of Bakersfield, Calif.; 21 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held Jan. 26 at Shaffer Funeral Home Chapel in Ozark. Burial was held at Jackson Cemetery in Ozark.
Pallbearers were her grandsons.
Betty Smith
Betty Lou Smith, 54, of Van Buren, died Saturday, June 28, 2002, at a Fort Smith hospital. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, James; four sons, Jeremy Keck and James Smith Jr., both of Van Buren, and Bobby and Billy Smith, both of Fort Smith; two sisters, Mildred Britton of Judsonia and Lorene Russell of Benton; three brothers, Tommy Phillips of Fort Smith, James Phillips of Benton and Robert Phillips of Alma; and six grandchildren.
Graveside service was held July 2 at Fairview Cemetery in Van Buren under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Peggy Autry
Peggy Autry, 73, of Van Buren, died Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003, at her home. She was retired from J.C. Penney Co. in Fort Smith and was the widow of Dayton Autry. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Van Buren, had been the delinquent tax collector for Crawford County and had been active in the Crawford County Democratic Committee.
She is survived by her son, Gary Autry of Abilene, Texas; two sisters, Maycene Hicks of Fort Smith and Jeannie Elliot of Groves, Texas; two grandchildren, Suzanne Conaway and Amanda Crossno, both of Van Buren; and two great-grandchildren, Landon Crossno and Lexie Conaway, both of Van Buren.
Funeral service was held Feb. 4 at Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home Chapel with burial at Steephill Cemetery in Fort Smith.
Pallbearers were Jason Conaway, Aaron Crossno, Frankie Vines, Gene Fields and Kevin and Jimmy Bell.
Velma Walters
Velma Weldon Walters, 82, of Van Buren, died Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003, at a local nursing home. She was a homemaker and a member of the Catcher Freewill Baptist Church. She was the widow of Clifford Weldon and Blake Walters.
is survived by a son, Bob Weldon of Van Buren; a brother, Harold Watson of Shawnee, Okla.; a grandson, Clifford Weldon of Van Buren; a great-granddaughter, Heather Hickey of Van Buren; and two great-great-grandchildren, Skyler and Serenity Hickey.
Graveside service was held Feb. 4 at Gill Cemetery Arbor under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Honorary pallbearers will be the nursing staff at Beverly Healthcare.
Benjamin Jones
Benjamin Jones, 91, of Van Buren, died Feb. 1, 2003, at a local hospital. He was retired after 52 years with Ryder Trucking Co. as a truck driver.
He is survived by a daughter, Peggy Parks and her husband Art of Van Buren; two grandchildren, Butch Parks and his wife Renee and Phyllis Richardson and her husband Phillip, all of Van Buren; two step-grandchildren, Zackery and Sarah; four great-grandchildren, Brandon, Jessica, Trey and Emily, all of Van Buren; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral service was held Feb. 5 at Ocker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Van Buren with burial at Hall Cemetery in Natural Dam.
Pallbearers were Butch Parks, Phillip Richardson, Ben Jones, Brent Griffis and James Boykin.
Delores Fulgham
Delores Davenport Fulgham, 65, of Van Buren, died Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003, at her home. She was born Aug. 20, 1937, to Haskell and Thelma Myers Davenport. She was a homemaker and had worked as a bus driver for the Van Buren School System.
She is survived by her husband, Bill; two daughters and sons-in-law, Teresa and Mike Barron of Hamptonville, N.C., and Dana and Mike Wagner of Van Buren; a stepdaughter, Sharon Fulgham of Van Buren; a son and daughter-in-law, John and Christi Killian of Charlotte, N.C.; a stepson, David Fulgham of Alma; a sister, Diane Mayes of Van Buren; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, James Killian; a sister, Joann Ball; her mother, Thelma Davenport; and a stepdaughter, Dianna Fulgham.
Funeral service was held Feb. 4 at Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home Chapel in Van Buren with burial at Newberry Cemetery in Alma.
Pallbearers were her grandsons and sons-in-law.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Van Buren High School Athletic or Band Departments.
