Helen May Bryant, 75, of Ward died Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006.
She was preceded in death by her parents Carl and Margaret Hanes and sister Betty Redfearn.
She is survived by her husband of 57 years V. Eldon Byant; daughter Vel Donna R. Troup of Ward; sons Jimmie E. Bryant of Jacksonville and John W. Bryant of England; brothers Oris Hanes, George Hanes, and William Hanes all of Arizona; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Burial will be in Prescott, Ariz., at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or American Cancer Society.
Larry Walker
Larry 'Tony' Walker, 48, of Jacksonville died Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006.
Survivors include his wife Pam Walker; daughter Chelsea Megan Walker; stepdaughter Tiffanie N. Tarrow and husband Richie all of Jacksonville; sister Pam Shields and husband Ric of Cabot; two grandchildren; and his dog, Juvenile.
Memorial services were held Monday, Oct. 23, at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Jacksonville.
Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Billy G. Ellis
Pastor Billy Gene Ellis, 73, of Bald Knob died Wednesday, October 18, 2006.
He from Word of Faith Full Gospel Church, and had pastored many churches in the White County area.
He had also worked 40 years with heavy equipment.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Kenneth Wayne Ellis.
He is survived by his wife Opal 'Sue' Sterling Ellis; sons Luther of Bald Knob, and Ronald Ellis of Texas, Greg of Cabot, Doug of Batesville, and Brian Van Winkle of De Queen; daughters Caroline 'Sam' Burns of Searcy, Teresa McDaniel of Texas, and Amie Van Winkle of Little Rock; sister Darlene Roy; 13 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Powell Funeral Home Chapel in Bald Knob.
Tommy Shores, 72, of Austin died Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006. He was a Baptist.
He was a U.S. Army veteran and retired from CenturyTel after 41 years of service.
He is survived by his wife Betty Shores of Ward; children Donna Eirhart and husband Gary of Laughlin, Nev., Thomas Shores of Memphis, Tenn., and Scott Shores of Griffithville; three grandchildren; and three brothers.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, Oct. 24, at Westbrook Funeral Home with burial at Memorial Gardens in Beebe.
B.J. Utley
B. J. Utley of Austin, Ark., passed away on Oct. 23 at St. Vincent Medical Center in Sherwood.
Born in Austin on Aug. 16, 1914, he was the last surviving son of T. J. and Ella Russell Utley.
He was preceded in death by brothers, Jamie, Vernon, William, Albert and Wilson, and sisters, Eva and Velma.
In May of 1942, B. J. began a 37 year career as a bus driver when he went to work for Capital Transportation Company in North Little Rock, later known as Citizen’s Coach Company, Metro Transit Management and Central Arkansas Transit.
When he began driving, bus fare was only six cents and the Chevrolet buses carried only 21 passengers.
Although he never had the opportunity to drive a streetcar, he began driving a bus when streetcars were still in service.
In an interview with the Arkansas Democrat when he retired in 1979, he estimated he had 'hauled close to a million school kids and driven well over two million miles but never really went anywhere.'
B. J. also 'hauled' thousands of soldiers to and from Camp Robinson during World War II and countless Razorback fans to games at War Memorial Stadium.
For 15 years, from 1962 to 1977, he served as president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local Division 704.
B. J. also served several years on the Central Arkansas Labor Council.
B. J. was a 32nd degree Mason, K.C.C.H, 50-year member and Past Master of Mount Pleasant Lodge #99 in Ward, Arkansas.
He was a member of Austin Station Baptist Church in Austin, Arkansas.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Etoile Hilton Utley, his daughter Linda and her husband Calvin Riedel of Dover, Arkansas, daughter Jane Munch of Austin, Arkansas, grandson John Riedel and his wife, Amber, of Danville, Arkansas, and granddaughter, Becky Sealock and her husband, Jason, of Benton, Kentucky. His two great-grandchildren are Morgan Riedel and Jett Sealock.
Visitation will be Thursday, Oct. 26 from 6-8 p.m. at Cabot Funeral Home.
The funeral will be Friday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. in the chapel of Cabot Funeral Home, followed by a Masonic burial at Dunkard Brethren cemetery in Austin.
Arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home 843-5816.
Canon A. Norman
Our sweet precious Canon was taken to heaven on Oct. 21, 2006.
He was an inspiration to all who knew him.
Canon fought his whole life with a congenital heart defect and went through numerous surgeries.
He underwent a heart transplant Sept. 16, 2006, at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
He fought for five weeks in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
Canon’s smiling face touched so many lives in his brief four years.
Although his body was weak Canon continued to run, play and laugh.
He will forever be missed by his mother Carla Norman, older brother Chase and sister Kamryn Nannan of Cabot; his father Brian Norman of North Little Rock; his meme Sue Pettey of Cabot and Papaw Chuck Drees of Cabot and Papaw Ron Pettey of Jacksonville, his great-grandparents Lola Drees and the late Charles Drees of Cabot and Billie Norman and the late Joe Norman of North Little Rock; his aunt and uncle Tonya and Doug Drees of Cabot; his uncle Scott Drees of Sheridan and his cousins Kelsey and Ashley Drees of Cabot and many more family and friends.
Visitation was held on Tuesday at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Funeral Home, 7724 Landers Road, North Little Rock, AR 72117, 834-3515.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006, at Levy Church of Christ, 5124 Camp Robinson Road, North Little Rock.
For more information on organ donation and donations in memory of Canon go to www.prayforcanon.com or www.caringbridge/visit/canonnorman.com.
James D. McLean
James Dewey McLean, age 38, of Cabot went to be with the Lord on June 24, 2006.
He was born January 28, 1968, in Little Rock to Dewey and Barbara McLean.
He is preceeded in death by his father, Dewey 'Sonny' Mclean; and grandparents Henry McLean and Gertrude McLean Henderson, and Antone Valentine.
He is survived by his loving wife of 15 years, Traci Gills McLean of the home, and one son, Devin McLean of the home; his mother, Barbara McLean; one sister, Barbara (David) Wilson, all of Cabot; one brother, Brian (Melinda) McLean of Jacksonville; and his godparents Paul and Peggy Fulford of North Little Rock; his father-in-law James Gills, sister-in-law Kristi (Greg) Gibson, all of Cabot; brother-in-law Michael (Jill) Gills of Utah; nieces and nephews Brandon and Krisiti Wilson, Page, Jared and Emily Gibson, and Lyra Gills; along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and beloved friends.
A memorial service was held 2 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2006, at Old Austin Baptist Church, Hwy. 38, Cabot.
Arrangements by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot (501) 941-7888.
Mary Lou Boyd
Mary Lou Boyd, 73, of North Little Rock died June 28.
She was a homemaker and a member of the Pentecostal faith.
She is survived by her daughter, the Rev. Velva Lee Maupin of North Little Rock; son the Rev. Townsel Boyd Jr.; brothers Eugene Johnson of Concord and Hubert Johnson of Austin; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Funeral services were held July 1 at Huson Funeral Home Chapel in Sherwood.
She was a case work supervisor with DHHS in Lonoke.
Preceding her in death was a sister, Margaret Virginia Shipman.
Survivors include sons Brian Wyatt and wife Shannon of Lowell, and Gregory Wyatt and wife Joy of Greenbrier; her parents, A.C. and Zada Linn of Carlisle; sisters Mary Linn of Carlisle and Jennette Wilkins of Glendale, Ariz.; grandchildren Brooke Alexander of Savannah, Ga., Dane Wyatt and Seth Wyatt of Lowell, Kieran Wyatt and Noah Wyatt of Greenbrier; and one great-granddaughter.
Funeral services were 10 a.m. Friday, June 30, at Boyd Funeral Home, Lonoke, with interment in Hamilton cemetery.
Lillian Jessome
Lillian Elizabeth Burley Jessome, 84, of Beebe died Monday, June 26.
She retired from the telephone company after 27 years, was a member of The Ageless Divas chapter of the Red Hat Club and Beebe First United Methodist Church, and was a longtime member of Lifeline Baptist Church in Little Rock.
She is survived by her daughter, Cheryl Jean Maack; sisters Naomi Kemp of Beebe and Jeanette Wild of Hot Springs; brother Fred Burley of Oklahoma; twin grandsons and three great-grandchildren.
Graveside services and entombment were held Thursday, June 29, at Pinecrest cemetery in Little.
The family requests that memorials be made to the American Cancer Society in Little Rock or First United Methodist Church in Beebe.
