George "Butch" Blevins
George "Butch" Blevins, 45, of Jonesboro, son of Shelby and Lois Blevins of Smithville, died July 25, 2006. Burial was Thursday in Unity Cemetery under the direction of Roller-Farmers Union Funeral Home. An online guestbook is available at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com.
Hazel Geurin Cole
Hazel Geurin Cole, 91, of Rockford, Ill., formerly of the Smithville and Imboden areas, died July 26, 2006, in Rockford.
Born Dec. 26, 1914, she was the daughter of Elijah Watson and Lila Maude Smith Geurin. She and her husband, Noland Cole, taught school in the Smithville and Imboden communities for several years. After moving to Rockford, she worked as an inspector for Sunstrane Corporation until her retirement. She was a member of Temple Baptist Church in Rockford.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Noland Cole, on Jan. 29, 2006, whom she married June 20, 1942, at New Hope.
Survivors include a son, Bruce Cole, Tustin, Calif.; four sisters, Oneida Tucker, Springfield, Mo., Hester Helms, Batesville, and Fay Campbell and Jean Griffith, both of Pocahontas; and a brother, Ancel Geurin, Carthage, Mo.
Funeral was Tuesday at Temple Baptist in Rockford under the direction of Olson Funeral Funeral Home of Rockford. Local services are Thursday at 11 a.m. at Higginbotham Chapel with Bro. Charles Helms officiating. Burial will be in Hope Cemetery near Smithville under the direction of Higginbotham Funeral Service.
Visitation is Thursday from 9 a.m. until time of the service.
Martha Mae Coleman
Martha Mae Coleman, 82, of Walnut Ridge, died July 28, 2006, at Walnut Ridge.
She had lived in Walnut Ridge since moving from Memphis in 1980. She was a homemaker and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Richard Coleman; two sisters; and a half-brother.
Survivors include a son, Richard Coleman, Bartlett, Tenn.; two daughters, Marty Moore, Memphis, and Glenda Loyd, Jonesboro; 13 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Funeral was Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Jonesboro with Walter L. Shanks Jr. officiating. Burial was in Forest Hill Cemetery under the direction of House-Gregg Funeral Home.
Bobby Joe Diller Sr.
Bobby Joe Diller Sr., 56, of Pocahontas, father of Tina Rogers of Hoxie, died July 21, 2006. Funeral was Thursday at 10 a.m. in the chapel of McNabb Funeral Home in Pocahontas with Don Clayton officiating.
Waudine Flanigan
Waudine Flanigan, 77, of Indianapolis, formerly of Lawrence County, died July 20, 2006, at her home, following a lengthy illness.
She was the daughter of Floyd and Loma Hurst of Clover Bend.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Max Flanigan, whom she married Sept. 7, 1946; a sister, Pauline Hurst; and an infant brother, Carroll Gene Hurst.
Survivors include two daughters, Connie Garland, Greenwood, Ind., and Leslie Flanigan, Indianapolis; a son, Vic Flanigan, Scottsdale, Ariz.; four sisters, Janis Hurst and Geraldine Baker, both of Jonesboro, Barbara Cox, Columbia, Mo., and Maxine Short, Indianapolis; three brothers, Glenn Hurst, Monticello, Ky., Estel Hurst, Acton, Ind., and Lavon Hurst, Fairland, Ind.; a granddaughter, Julie Cross; and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral was Monday, July 24, at South Keystone Church of Christ in Indianapolis with Donald Short officiating. Burial was in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Greenwood, Ind.
Mildred Glenn
Mildred Glenn, 93, of Center Line, Mich., formerly of Hoxie, died Aug. 1, 2006, in Michigan.
Survivors include two sons, Dorman Glenn, Philadelphia, and Price Glenn, Warren, Mich.; a brother, Murr Durham, Strawberry; and several grandchildren.
Arrangements will be announced by Bryan Funeral Home.
Buford Oakley
Buford L. Oakley, 64, formerly of Walnut Ridge, died July 21, 2006, at his home in Barnhart, Mo.
Born Sept. 16, 1941, he worked for J.H. Berra Construction and was a member of the Laborers Union.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce Goad Oakley; five daughters, Robin Gant, Richwoods, Mo., Laura Coleman and Karen Chotron, both of Imperial, Mo., Kelly Johnston, Festus, Mo., Tanya Moder-Boehm, Barnhart, Mo.; a son, Jimmy Oakley, Imperial, Mo.; his mother, Lottie Louise Whitford Shatsar, Walnut Ridge; three sisters, Connie Holloway, Barnhart, Mo.; Wanda Dobbs, Kankakee, Ill., and Mary Culbertson of Walnut Ridge; three brothers, Jimmy Shatsar of Sherwood, Eddie Shatsar and Freddie Shatsar, both of Jonesboro; and 19 grandchildren.
A brother, James Shatsar; and his stepfather, Otis Shatsar, preceded him in death.
Funeral was July 24 at Vinyard's Hillcrest Funeral Home in Pevely. Burial was in Shepherd Hills Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Association.
Wendell Royce Pegram
Wendell Royce Pegram, 71, of Springdale, brother-in-law of Leslie Smith of Lawrence County, died July 28, 2006, in Springdale. Burial was Monday at Bluff Cemetery in Springdale under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home of Springdale. Memorials may be made to Circle of Life Hospice, 610 E. Emma, Springdale, AR 72764 or to First Baptist Church of Springdale, 1709 Johnson Road, Springdale, AR 72762.
Alma Florida Thacker
Alma Florida Thacker, 73, of Paragould, formerly of Smithville, died July 26, 2006, at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould.
Born Nov. 28, 1932, at Belle City, Mo., she was the daughter of Jack and Grace Tanner Thacker. She was a homemaker and a member of Lone Oak Baptist Church.
Survivors include six sisters, Joyce Malone, Rector, Shirley Drury and Loveda Drury, both of Marmaduke, Linda Swenson, Debary, Fla., Dee Carter, Lake Wells, Fla., and Dolores Brooks, Smithville; and a brother, Harold Thacker, Boydsville.
Funeral was Saturday at 2 p.m. at Lone Oak Baptist Church, near Smithville, with Jackie Pickett offiating. Burial was in Townsend Cemetery under the direction of Higginbotham Funeral Service.
Bud Tolson
Enos A. "Bud" Tolson, 85, of Walnut Ridge, died July 30, 2006, at St. Bernards in Jonesboro, following a short illness.
Born Aug. 20, 1920, in Walnut Ridge, he was the son of Enos C. and Edith Pauline Parrish Tolson. He was a World War II Army veteran and co-owned and operated Tolson Motor Company in Walnut Ridge. He was a deacon and dedicated member of First Baptist Church in Walnut Ridge.
He was preceded in death by a brother, James Parrish Tolson.
Survivors include his wife, Juanita Miller Tolson, whom he married Sept. 16, 1945; two sons, Wendell Tolson, Walnut Ridge, and Michael Tolson, San Francisco; three daughters, Sharon Spades, Doniphan, Mo., Darla McEntire, Walnut Ridge, and Mary Margaret Davis, North Little Rock; a brother, Bill Tolson, Walnut Ridge; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.
Funeral is today at noon at First Baptist Church with Bros. Mark Harris and Jim Tillman officiating. Burial will be in Lawrence Memorial Park under the direction of Bryan Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Jeff Roberts, Steve Ditto, Larry Forrester, Rigo Reyes, Adam Boyd, Vaughn Andrews, Stefan Morgan and Clint Adams. Honorary pallbearers will be the Deacon Fellowship and Herman Shaw.
Iva A. Waddell
Iva A. Waddell, 70, of Imboden, died July 27, 2006, at her home.
Born Dec. 27, 1935, in Memphis, she was a homemaker, a substitute teacher at Sloan-Hendrix School, a former employee of Cinch Manufacturing in Pocahontas and a member of the Methodist Church of Imboden.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Lilla Gene Waddell; her parents, Melvin and Lilla Burgess Downing; her birth mother, Katy Lou Burke; and a sister, Shirley.
Survivors include her husband, Lawrence Vance Waddell Jr., whom she married May 29, 1955; two sons, Lawrence Vance (L. Van) Waddell III, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Anthony Waddell, Imboden; two daughters, Adella Bookout, Smithville, and Angela Perrin, Imboden; three brothers, Gene Wilburn, Don Wilburn and Jim Watts, all of Phoenix; seven grandchildren, Erica, Miranda, Kandace, Samantha, Lance, Taylor and Logan; and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral was Sunday at 2 p.m., at the Methodist Church of Imboden with Rev. Ron Kitchens officiating. Burial was in Hope Cemetery at Imboden under the direction of Bryan Funeral Home.
Pallbearers were Mike Holland, Mitch Walton, Gevan Murphy, Larry Steele, Jim Jones and Steve Jones. Honorary pallbearers were Barney Perrin, Johnny Bookout, Lance Waddell, Logan Waddell, Dallas House, Frank Kindelberger and Linny Finney.
Thelma Wewers
Thelma Louise Wewers, 67, of Jonesboro, died July 26, 2006, at St. Bernards in Jonesboro.
Born at Alicia, she lived in Northeast Arkansas most of her life. She was a homemaker and a member of Old Enterprise Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, A.W. "Ollie" Wewers; her parents, Henry Edward and Helen Cook Arnold; two brothers, John Arnold and Lewis "Richard" Arnold; and a grandchild, Ronnie Gene Wewers Jr.
Survivors include a son, Ronnie Wewers, Jonesboro; a daughter, Teresa Cope, Jonesboro; two brothers, Glen Arnold and Jimmy Arnold, both of Jonesboro; three sisters, Mary Cogburn, Jonesboro, Sharon Wewers, Sedgwick, and Linda Goad, Mellwood; and three grandchildren, Sara Wewers, Jacob Monroe and Kristie Monroe.
Funeral was Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Roller-Farmers Union Chapel with Zane Gragg officiating. Burial was in Old Enterprise Cemetery under the direction of Roller-Farmers Union Funeral Home.
Pallbearers were Barry Wewers, Louis Wewers, Chris Wewers, Bobby Ring, Blake Lamberson and Tommy Cox. Honorary pallbearers were Darrin Scott Warren, Steve Arnold and Gary Arnold.
Memorials may be made to Old Enterprise Cemetery Fund or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
An online guestbook is available at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com.
