Mr. Roy Wilson of Heber Springs, Arkansas, passed away Tuesday, May 6, 2003, at the
Westlake Nursing Home in Sherwood, Arkansas. Born in Quitman, Arkansas, on
March 20, 1912, Roy was 91 years of age. He was the son of the late Jim and Josie
Ramer Wilson.
In the late 1930 s/early 1940 s, Roy left Heber Springs and traveled across the United
States, riding railcars, hitch hiking, living in hobo camps, and eventually settling on a
ranch and working as a ranch hand in Montana. In 1941, Roy left Montana, returned to
Arkansas, and married
Flora Pike in 1942. On July 18, 1943, their daughter was born,
and on March 31, 1948, their son was born.
Roy had an eighth grade education, yet he worked without complaint at various hard,
physical labor-type jobs to support his family. Roy worked fifteen years for Olmstead
Funeral Home, Inc. and was a funeral director. He drove an ambulance and hearse
among other duties for the Olmstead's. Roy loved working for the Olmstead's,
especially the long out-of-state runs. These seemed to provide Roy with the outlet he
needed for his roaming spirit. The years he roamed around the west and the times he was
driving for the Olmstead's were the happiest of his life.
Roy loved his family. He loved God and was a member of the First Assembly of God
Church. Roy was a happy person. He never spoke ill of others and always had a story to
tell of his many adventures.
Roy and Flora were married
for fifty years. She preceded him in death on July 23, 1992.
Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Richard N. and Chong Cha Wilson of
Jacksonville, AR, and his daughter, Erma McPherson of North Little Rock, AR,
two granddaughters, Vickie Jinkins and Christina Landers, and four great grandchildren,
Alisha Cass, Sean Cass, Elizabeth Landers, and Jacob Landers.
Roy lived a long, healthy and adventurous life. He had many blessings from God, a
loving and supporting wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, friends, and
many adventures to fulfill his life.
Visitation will be held Thursday, May 8, from 9:00 A.M-4:00 P.M. at the Olmstead
Funeral Home. Graveside services and interment will be held Friday, May 9, at
11:00 A.M. at the Center Point cemetery with Rev. Lee Brown officiating. Arrangements
are by Olmstead Funeral Home, Inc., 601 W. Main, Heber Springs, AR 72543.
Mrs. Bessie Lee Tucker
Mrs. Bessie Lee Tucker of Lexington, Texas, passed away Friday, May 2, 2003, at
the Manor Oaks Nursing Home in Rockdale, Texas. Born June 25, 1925, at Caldwell,
Texas, Mrs. Tucker was 77 years of age. She was the daughter of the late Walter A. and
Zelda (Blackmon) Louis.
Mrs. Tucker was a homemaker and had been a resident of Lexington for nine years.
She was preceded in death by her husband Louis Glenn Tucker on September 13, 1993.
She was also preceded in death by her brothers and sisters, Buster, Louella, Ollie, Callie,
and Ruth.
Survivors include:
two sons: Glenn Lee Tucker of Lexington, Texas
and Jimmy Don Tucker of Cave City, Arkansas
and one brother: Authur Louis of Bellville, Texas
Mrs. Tucker is also survived by other relatives and her many friends.
Graveside services for Mrs. Tucker will be held Tuesday, May 6, 2003, at 2:00 P.M. at
the Center Point cemetery. Arrangements are by Olmstead Funeral Home, Inc., 601 W.
Main, Heber Springs, AR 72543.
GENEVIEVE C. JETHRO
GENEVIEVE C. JETHRO, THE DAUGHTER OF O.V. AND ROSE McKAY
SMITH, WAS BORN IN MT. VIEW, ARKANSAS, ON MARCH 6, 1927, AND
passed away AT HER HOME IN HEBER SPRINGS, ARKANSAS ON MAY
3, 2003, AT THE AGE OF 76 YEARS.
MRS. JETHRO WAS A RETIRED NURSE S ASSISTANT AT THE CLEBURNE
COUNTY HOSPITAL AND A BOOKKEEPER. HER RELIGIOUS BELIEF
WAS BAPTIST. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE VFW WOMEN S
AUXILIARY, ENJOYED KNITTING AND SEWING, READING AND HER
GRANDCHILDREN.
SHE WAS preceded in death BY HER PARENTS O.V. AND ROSE
SMITH AND HER HUSBAND JOHN W. JETHRO, JR. WHO passed away IN 1999. SHE IS SURVIVED BY A SON JOHN V. JETHRO OF HEBER
SPRINGS; TWO DAUGHTERS KATHRYN SPINKS GALLOWAY OF BEEBE
AND CAROL ANN THOMPSON HOLLAND OF WARD; A BROTHER JAMES
M. SMITH OF JACKSONVILLE; EIGHT GRANDCHILDREN AND MANY
GREAT GRANDCHILDREN BESIDES OTHER RELATIVES AND MANY
FRIENDS.
VISITATION WILL BE SUNDAY MAY 4, 2003, FROM 2:00 UNTIL 7:00 PM AT
OLMSTEAD FUNERAL HOME WITH FAMILY PRESENT FROM 5:00 UNTIL
7:00 PM AND MONDAY MAY 5 WITH FAMILY VISITATION FROM 5:00
UNTIL 7:00 PM. FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE TUESDAY, MAY 6 AT 11:00
A.M. IN THE OLMSTEAD FUNERAL CHAPEL BY REV. J. O. ALTOM.
PALLBEARERS WERE LOUIS MOORE, BILL SPINKS, ANDREW SPINKS,
JIMMY THOMPSON, ALLEN THOMPSON AND WILLIE MORGAN.
INTERMENT FOLLOWED IN CLEBURNE COUNTY MEMORIAL GARDENS
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF OLMSTEAD FUNERAL HOME, INC. OF
HEBER SPRINGS.
Mr. Coil Ray Eddings
Mr. Coil Ray Eddings of Edgemont, Arkansas, passed away Thursday, May 1, 2003, at
Baptist Health Medical Center in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Born in Five Mile, Arkansas,
on September 23, 1933, Mr. Eddings was 69 years of age. He was the son of the late
Levi and Viola (Liles) Eddings.
Mr. Eddings was a retired driver salesman and lived in Michigan for forty years. He had
been a resident of Cleburne County since 1996. Mr. Eddings was a veteran of the Korean
War, having served in the United States Marines, and was a member of the Veterans of
Foreign War. He was President of the Cleburne County Master Gardener and worked
with gardening in Cleburne County and Heber Springs. Mr. Eddings worked on the
Cleburne County Fair Board and with the 4-H and County Extension Office. He was a
member of the Prim Volunteer Fire Department. His religious belief was Methodist.
Mr. Eddings was preceded in death by his parents, Levi and Viola; his wife, Virginia; one
brother, Vern Eddings; and one sister, Lela Cranford.
Survivors include:
four sons, Paul Eddings and his wife, Janet,
Ray Eddings
Dale Eddings and his wife, Tracy,
and Wayne Eddings and his wife, Sheila, all of Michigan
one daughter, Faith Steffey and her husband, Jack, of Michigan
two sisters, Doris Harper of Drasco, Arkansas
and Norma Hartman and her husband, Linn, of Searcy, Arkansas
seven grandchildren, Levi, Ryan, Nicholas, Joshua, Samantha, Spencer, and Jacob
his companion, Loyce Ward of Heber Springs, Arkansas
and his sister-in-law, Audrey Eddings of Batesville, Arkansas
Mr. Eddings is also survived by other relatives and his many friends.
Visitation will be held Friday, May 2, from 4:00-9:00 P.M. at Olmstead Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 3, at 3:00 P.M. in the Olmstead Chapel with
Rev. Billy Henderson officiating. Arrangements are by Olmstead Funeral Home, Inc.,
601 W. Main, Heber Springs, AR 72543.
Louie Ramsey
Louie Ramsey, 75, of Port Charlotte passed away April 24, 2003. He was born March 28, 1928 in Pang burn. Arkansas. Louie was in auto sales and management before retiring: he came to this area in 1835 from Westland, Michigan. He was a member of the Punta Gorda Elks and was of the Christian faith. He loved to help others, loved working in his yard with flowers and plants, and really enjoyed life.
Louie will be greatly missed by his wife of thirteen years, Rose; daughter, Lila (James) Jones of Canton, Ml; son, Carlton (Sarah) Ramsey of Livonia, Ml; step-sons, James Fowler of Evert, MI, Kevin Fowler of Louisa, KY, and Russell Fowler o[ Vermillion, OH; sisters, Ruby Feister of Brooksvlle, FL, and Hellen Mc Cullom of Wayne, MI, brother, Luther Ramsey of Pangbrn, AR; three grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, one great-grandchild many nieces and nephews, and Boots, , his best friend. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Lottie Feister and Mildred Howell; brothers, Albert, Lowell, Calvin, Shelbey, and Lawrence Ramsey; and step-son, Robert Fowler.
The family will receive friends 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Tuesday, April 29, at Larry Taylor Funeral and Cremation Services. The service in celebration of Louie s life will be 11:00 am. April 30 at Larry Taylor Funeral and Cremation Services with Rev, Bill Klossner Officiating. The family requests memorial donations for children s books be made to the Charlotte-Glades Library System, c/o Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce, 2702 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL 33952.
A second service for Mr. Ramsey will be held on Friday, May 2, 2003, at Henderson cemetery at Pangburn, AR, at 12:30 pm, with visitation from 10:00 to 12:00 before the service.
Arrangements by: Olmstead Funeral Home, Inc.
Bradley James Hoffman
Bradley James Hoffman of Greers Ferry, Arkansas, passed away Monday, April 28,
2003, at Baptist Health Medical Center in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Born in Racine,
Wisconsin, on November 7, 1957, Brad was 45 years of age.
He moved to Arkansas in July of 1995 and was a machine operator for Centerline Tool
and Die in Heber Springs. Brad was a veteran of the United States Army. He enjoyed
children and sports and attended Lone Star Baptist Church.
Survivors include:
his wife, Vickie (Sparks) Hoffman of Greers Ferry, AR
one son, Logan Hoffman of Greers Ferry, AR
one daughter, Megan Smith of Las Vegas, Nevada
his parents, Douglas and Sharlene (Vratil) Hill of Counce, Tennessee
one brother, Dale Hill and his wife, Melody, of Tulsa, Oklahoma
one sister, Joanne Wainwright of Longmont, Colorado
and one grandson, David.
Brad is also survived by other relatives and his many friends.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, April 30, from 6:00-8:00 P.M. at the Olmstead
Woodland Chapel at Edgemont. Graveside services will be held Thursday, May 1, at
2:00 P.M. at Shiloh Cross Roads cemetery with Rev. David Holcomb officiating.
Arrangements are by Olmstead Funeral Home, Inc., 601 W. Main, Heber Springs, AR
72543.
Robert Steele Jones, Jr.
Robert Steele Jones, Jr., of Higden, Arkansas, a longtime resident of Cleburne County,
died Sunday, April 27, 2003, at his home. Born January 25, 1935, in Weatherford,
Texas, Mr. Jones was 68 years of age. He was the son of the late Robert Steele Jones, Sr.
and Sarah Alta Hamilton Jones.
Mr. Jones was a thirty-year veteran of the United States Army, serving twice in Vietnam.
He retired in 1985 as a Lieutenant Colonel with a Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart,
24 Air Medals, two Vietnamese Crosses of Galantry Silver and Bronze. He was
Airborne and Ranger qualified and was a Master Army aviator with top-secret clearance.
Mr. Jones was active in Greers Ferry community affairs and was a Past President of the
Greers Ferry Chamber of Commerce, Greers Ferry Optimist Club, and Cleburne County
Equalization Board. He was a former board member of Community Water System, and
taught Red Cross beginner swimming and canoeing for many years. He spent most of his
time operating and maintaining the family retreat, Sandiff, Inc. He was a life member of
the VFW and The Military Officers Association of America, as well as a member of the
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association. Mr. Jones was a member of Holiday Hills
Methodist Church.
He is survived by:
his wife, Catherine (Cay) Hamilton Jones of Higden, AR
one son, Frank S. Jones and his wife, Debbie, of Birmingham, Alabama
one daughter, Julia N. Reynolds and her husband, Glenn, of Lake Wales, Florida
two stepsons, C. Michael Joyce of Abita Springs, Louisiana
and Christopher H. Joyce and his wife, Lisa, of Bartlett, Tennessee
one sister, Sara Jo Morse of Rogers, Arkansas
and four grandchildren.
Mr. Jones is also survived by other relatives and his many friends.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, April 29, at Olmstead Woodland Chapel at Edgemont
from 6:00-8:00 P.M. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, April 30, at 10:00 A.M.
at Holiday Hills Methodist Church with Rev. Denzel Stokes officiating. Interment with
military honors will be held at Woodland Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Douglas
Crabtree, Carl Hamilton, Ben Traylor, Edwin Johnson, Edwin Williams, Larry Moody,
Kenneth Carpenter, and Jimmy Davis. Honorary pallbearer will be Richard Cunningham.
Memorials may be made to Arkansas Sheriff s Youth Ranch, P. O. Box 3964, Batesville,
AR 72503; Holiday Hills Methodist Church, Hwy. 16, Greers Ferry, AR 72067, and
Greers Ferry Ambulance Fund, P. O. Box 1264, Greers Ferry, AR 72067. Arrangements
are by Olmstead Funeral Home, Inc., 601 W. Main, Heber Springs, AR 72543.
