Obituaries from August 2007

Robert C. "Bob" Collins, 85, of Little Rock, formerly of Marked Tree, died Tuesday, July 24 at Arkansas Hospice Center in Little Rock. He was a member of Praise Assembly of God in Little Rock and an Army Veteran of WWII. He was preceded in death by his parents, R.G. and Cordelia Collins, three brothers and one sister...

Joann Merritt, 64, of Jonesboro, died Friday, August 27 at the NEA Hospital. Until her death, she was an assistant to the disabled and handicapped. Preceded in death by her daughter Pearline Gray, she leaves her stepfather and stepmother, Leroy and Carolyn Madlock of Lepanto; her special companion James Nichols of North Little Rock; her stepbrother Zachary Patterson of Lepanto; as well as two grandchildren and two great grandchildren...

Charles E. Parks, 89 of Trumann died Monday, July 23, 2007 at Trumann Health and Rehabilitation Center. He was born in Harrisburg on May 9, 1918, and had lived in Trumann for the past 40 years. He was retired from the Singer Company and a member of the First Baptist Church...

Mable Blasingame Waters Haws, 90, of Trumann died Sunday, July 29, 2007 at Woodbriar Nursing Center in Harrisburg. Born in Mound City, she had lived in the Trumann area most of her lifetime. She was a retired volunteer grandparent at the Children's Colony in Jonesboro and retired CNA at Melody Nursing Center in Trumann...

Wasil Boblack, 86, of Marked Tree died Saturday, August 4. In St. Bernard Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born February 11, 1921, in Korezowo, Poland. He is preceded in death by his wife, Helena Boblack. Survivors include one son, Anthony Boblack of Jonesboro; two daughters, Christine Boblack of Marked Tree and Irene Boblack of Alhambra, Calif.; one granddaughter, Jennifer Wrinkle and one great grandson, Braxton Wrinkle...

Carolyn Craft, 63, of Marked Tree died Sunday, August 5, 2007, at St. Bernard Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She attended Marked Tree Church of God. She was a former member of the Jaycettes and a member of Beta Sigma Phi. She was actively involved with the Head Start Program for 20 years and served on the Head Start Policy Council. ...

Cecil Dean Buckner, Jr., 28, of Tyronza died on August 7 at Little Rock. He was a member of the Church of Christ and was preceded in death by his father, Cecil Dean Buckner, Sr. He is survived by his wife, Rhonda Buckner of Tyronza; his mother, Jacqueline Coleman of Crawfordsville; his grandmother, Mary Lee Phillips of Crawfordsville; two brothers, Orlando Buckner and Johnaton Buckner of Crawfordsville; two step daughters, Tiffany Hendrix and Alycia Hendrix of Tyronza and one step son, Huey Warren of Tyronza.. ...

Karen Lee Bridger Patin, 40, of Breaux Bridge, LA, formerly of Marked Tree died Monday, August 6. She was preceded in death by her father, William Bridger; her maternal grandparents, Donald and Irene McWhirter and her paternal grandparents, Wylie "Doc" and Gladys Bridger...

Lorene Mae Haynes, 83, of Jonesboro died Monday, August 6, 2007, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Saturday, Nov. 17, 1923 in Sturkie and had lived most of her lifetime in Trumann before moving to Jonesboro five years ago. She was retired from the Singer Company and a member of the First Christian Church in Trumann...

Marvin Lee Pippinger, 83 of Trumann, died Thursday at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born in Harrisburg and had lived most of his lifetime in the Trumann area. He was a former employee of the McCormick Gin, Singer Company, City of Trumann and Trumann Schools. He lived a long life and will be missed dearly by the people who got a chance to know him...

Mr. Freeman Travis French, 67 of Jonesboro died Tuesday at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis. Mr. French was born May 14, 1940 in Harrisburg and had lived in Jonesboro for the past 11 years and was formerly of Trumann. Mr. French was a retired engineer draftsman for Craighead Electric and a member of Temple Baptist Church...

Nella Rue Watts, 81, died August 16, 2007 at the home of her daughter and son-in-law after an extended illness. Watts was a dedicated housewife who married Douglas Charles Watts on April 11, 1943, in Mississippi. They moved to Arkansas after Douglas returned from his overseas military service and finally settled in Memphis in 1953. ...

Manuel Enrique Morales, 35, of Lepanto died Saturday, August 18 at his residence. Survivors include his wife, Esmeralda Morales of the home; one daughter, Claudia Elizabeth Morales; two sons, Manuel E. Morales, Jr. and Erick Alejandro Morales; one brother, Carlos Morales of Mission, Tex.; and two sisters, Monica Morales and Viviana Morales, both of Mission...

Nina Pearl "Peggy" Gillespie, 72, of Snow Lake, departed this life on August 16, 2007, at 1:45 p.m. She fought cancer with her grateful spirit; she never complained or shed a tear. She was more concerned with everyone else's well being, instead of her own, until the end. Her love, strength and courage will live on in our hearts forever...

Paul B. Bryan, 83, of Lepanto, died Saturday, August 18, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was a member of Lepanto First Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his wife, Golda Bryan. Survivors include one daughter: Betty Talley of Bedford, Tex.; two sons, Jerry Bryan of Tampa, Fla., Gary Bryan of Lepanto; one brother, Charles M. Bryan of Lepanto, eight grandchildren, twenty-eight great-grandchildren and three great great grandchildren...

Seth Wallace Whited, 18, of Monette died Friday Aug. 10, 2007. Born at Jonesboro Aug. 25, 1988, he was a farmer and was attending Arkansas Northeastern College, pursuing a physical therapy degree. He was a member of Monette First Baptist Church, where he was active in the youth program. He was an avid outdoor hunter, fisherman and water sportsman...

Veoma Isaacs, 84, of Trumann, died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007 at her home. She was born in Bay and moved to Trumann in 1943. She was a Past Matron of the Nettleton Eastern Star #409. She is survived by two sisters, Irene Bush and Nelma Pauline Barnhill, both of Jonesboro and one brother Donald Isaacs of Las Vegas, Nev...

Pauline Ballinger, 91, of Auberndale, Fla. died July 6, 2007 at Winter Haven Hospital in Winter Haven, Fla. She was a former resident of Trumann where she was active in the First Baptist Church. She was the daughter of Charles and Laura Thorne. Of her 12 siblings, she was the last surviving one...

Nona Lee Long, 98, of Marked Tree died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007 at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born on Sunday, August 15, 1909, to the late William Robert and Bertie Myrtle Moore Davis. She was born in Prentis County, Miss., and had lived in the Trumann and Marked Tree area for the past 57 years. She was a housewife and of the Baptist faith...

Johnathan Grant Long, 20, of Trumann died Saturday, Aug. 25, 2007 from injuries received in a one car accident near Trumann. He was born on Wednesday, June 17, 1987, the son of Marlin Grant and Etta White Long. He was born in West Memphis and was a lifetime resident of the Trumann and Harrisburg area. ...

James W. "Dick" Davis, 87, of Bay died Monday, Aug. 12, 2007 at Trumann Health and Rehab Center where he had lived for two months. Born in Qulin, Mo. he lived in Jonesboro before moving to Bay several years ago. He operated Dick's Barber Shop in Bay for several years and farmed. He was a U.S. Army veteran of W.W. II...

Nona Lee Long, 98, of Marked Tree died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007 at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born on Sunday, August 15, 1909, to the late William Robert and Bertie Myrtle Moore Davis. She was born in Prentis County, Miss., and had lived in the Trumann and Marked Tree area for the past 57 years. She was a housewife and of the Baptist faith...

Kathy Steen, 59, of Marked Tree died Tuesday, August 21, 2007, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Steen of the home; three sons, Greg East of Marked Tree, Michael Steen of Olive Branch, Miss., Greg Steen of Brookland; one brother, Olen Bragg, Jr. of Jonesboro; six grandchildren; Harlee Beth East, Savannah and Chloe Steen, and Dillon, Logan and Christen Poppleton...

Jessica Lougena Kelso, 23, died Wednesday, Aug. 22 at the Elvis Presley Trauma Center in Memphis. She was a member of Dominion World Outreach Ministries in Marion where she served on the minister's staff of intercessory prayer, leader of the dance ministry and director of youth ministry as well as other church ministries. She especially loved the dance and music ministries of the church...