Obituaries from March 2009

Wilma "Sister" Ferguson, 79, of Etowah died Monday, Feb. 16, 2009. She was born to Andy and Rosalee Barnes, Oct. 30, 1929, at Macks. She was a homemaker and member of Etowah Baptist Church. She is survived by her husband, John Ferguson; daughter, Charlotte Williams of Batesville; nine grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren...

Charles Davis, 85, of Caraway, died Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, in St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro. He was an Army Veteran of WWII and of the Church of God faith. He was preceded in death by his parents William and Adaline Davis, three brothers and two sisters...

George Wood, 62, of Keiser died Tuesday, Feb. 24. He was born Sept. 18, 1946, in Tyronza to the late Carlos and Minnie Wood. He attended Eastside Baptist Church and was a retired army veteran of the Vietnam War...

Loucille Spears, 101 years of age, passed away at her home in Benton, Feb. 23, 2009, with her caregivers, daughter Glenda and husband Lorin Spangler and other family members in attendance. She was born Mattie Loucille Freshour in Sobogli, Miss. ...

Ella Williams Smith, 100, of Marked Tree died Sunday, Feb. 22, at St. Bernards Medical Center. She lived at Three Rivers Nursing Center and was a member of Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church at Gilmore...

Lucille Lee, 78, of Dyess died Friday, Feb. 27, 2009, at Dyess. Born Monday, July 21, 1930, at Parma, Mo., to the late Edward and Elsie Armstrong Counts, she was a member of Dyess Central Baptist Church and a homemaker...

Raymond Gort, 64, of Grand Rapids, Mich. died Feb. 13 while visiting his mother, Vivan Gort of Three Rivers Nursing Center in Marked Tree, and his sister and her husband, Rosemary and Quinton Ray Nichols of Marked Tree...

Roy Belle Adams of Lake St. Louis, Mo. died on Dec. 25, 2008, at the age of 79. Devoted wife of George Adams; dear daughter of the late Roy Wyatt and the late Maggie Bell Wyatt; loving mother of Loretta (Dennis) Beard and Becky (Greg) Shearer; dear sister of Eunice Jane Wyatt; cherished grandmother of Scott (Amy) Wilson, Deana (Keavin) Blount, Joshua (Kristy) Shearer, Heather (Darren) Ambro, W. ...

Sharron Kay "Sybie" DeFord Wray was born on Tuesday, June 27, 1950, daughter of Bob and Wanda Benson DeFord. Wray died Feb. 25, 2009 at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro, at the age of 58 years 7 months and 29 days. ...

Roy Belle Adams of Lake St. Louis, Mo. died on Dec. 25, 2008, at the age of 79. Devoted wife of George Adams; dear daughter of the late Roy Wyatt and the late Maggie Bell Wyatt; loving mother of Loretta (Dennis) Beard and Becky (Greg) Shearer; dear sister of Eunice Jane Wyatt; cherished grandmother of Scott (Amy) Wilson, Deana (Keavin) Blount, Joshua (Kristy) Shearer, Heather (Darren) Ambro, W. ...

Sharron Kay "Sybie" DeFord Wray was born on Tuesday, June 27, 1950, daughter of Bob and Wanda Benson DeFord. Wray died Feb. 25, 2009 at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro, at the age of 58 years 7 months and 29 days. She was born in Memphis, and had lived most of her lifetime in Trumann. She was a nurse and of the Baptist faith. Wray was preceded in death by her father, Bob DeFord and her brother, Paul Deford...

Stael Wigginton Gordon, 90, born to James and Ethel Hazel Wigginton, on March 2, 1919, of Trumann, formerly of Marked Tree, passed away on Sunday at NEA Baptist. She was a retired Marked Tree School district bookkeeper, a WWII veteran, and a Baptist...

Services for Gailand "Gabby" Ladd of Bonham Texas were held Feb 23, 2009 in the Dallas Ft. Worth National Cemetery. Mr. Ladd grew up in the Jonesboro area before joining the U.S. Army. He was a corrections officer at Choice Moore and a member of Bois' Arc Cowboy Church...

Nina Ward Folbott, 75, of San Benton, Texas died Sunday, Mar. 1, at her residence. Folbott was born December 15, 1933, in Long Beach, Calif. to Joe Ward and Lorraine Portis Ward. In her younger years Folbott modeled for stores in Connecticut and Washington. ...

Stael Wigginton Gordon, 90, of Trumann, formerly of Marked Tree, died Sunday, March 8 at NEA Baptist. Born to James and Ethel Hazel Wigginton on March 2, 1919, she was a retired Marked Tree School district bookkeeper, a WWII veteran, and a Baptist...

Raymond Gort, 64, of Grand Rapids, Mich. died Feb. 13 while visiting his mother, Vivan Gort of Three Rivers Nursing Center in Marked Tree, and his sister and her husband, Rosemary and Quinton Ray Nichols of Marked Tree...

Bryson Gage Sparks, the newborn son of Dewayne Sparks and Mandy Carlisle of Tyronza, was born and died Mar. 4 at the St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center. He is survived by his parents; grandparents, Linda and Ronnie Rinehart of Tyronza, Donnie Carlisle of Dyess and Ronnie and Retha Sparks of Marked Tree; great-grandparents, Christine Gilley of Marked Tree, Jimmy and Marlene Sparks of Georgia; and one sister, Kaitlyn Sparks of Tyronza.. ...

Bobbie Jo Williams, 25, of Marked Tree died Mar. 5, at her home. She was born February 26, 1984 in Jonesboro. She was a homemaker and a member of New Life Fellowship in Jonesboro. She is survived by her parents, Gary and Beth Moore of Marked Tree; grandparents, Sonny Bilderback, Viola Parrish and Lawrence Williams of Marked Tree, Linda Moore of Lepanto and Jimmy Smith of Stuart, Fla.; one sister, Kim Moore of Payneway; and three brothers, Timmy Simpson of Trumann, Travis Simpson and Dustin Moore of Marked Tree.. ...

Rev. Vernon L. Barnes, 80, of Trumann died March 13, 2009 at St. Bernard's Medical Center. Born in McCormick, AR, he had lived in the Trumann area most of his lifetime. He was a veteran of the US Army and a minister of the Pentecostal faith. Survivors include three daughters, Margaret Tinsley and Brenda Walton both of Jonesboro, and Darlene Bishop of Trumann; two sisters, Helen Garrett of Jonesboro and Dorothy Prince of Goshen IN; one brother Earnest Barnes of Elkhart, IN; 7 grandchildren and 11 Great-grandchildren.. ...

Mrs. Barbara Jo Duetschman, 62, of Jonesboro passed away March 13, 2009 as the result of a car accident. Deutschman was born in Pine Hill, KY, the daughter of Robert and Dorothy Smith Payne. She had lived in Jonesboro the past 21 years and was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her mother...

Mr. Dwight F. Neal of Trumann, died March 13, 2009 at NEA Baptist Center of Jonesboro at the age of 64. He was born in and was a lifetime member of the Trumann area. Mr. Neal was a Senior Sales Representative for Elk River Machine Company at Elk River, Minnesota, a Staff Sargeant in the US Army National Guard and a member of Maple Grove Baptist Church of Trumann. He was preceded in death by his mother, Matilda McCoy Neal; his grandparents, Tilmon and Myrtle McCoy and Alan and Pearl Neal...

Mrs. Imogene Cravens, 83, of Trumann died March 14, 2009 at Trumann Health & Rehab of Trumann. She was born in Lepanto and was the daughter of the late Shelby and Cora Elizabeth Gann Manley and had lived in Trumann the past 45 years having moved here from Tyronza. She was a retired factory worker and a member of Central Missionary Baptist Church of Trumann. Cravens was preceded in death by one son, Jimmy Lee Dickerson, her parents, two sisters and three brothers...

Christi Gail Jennings, 32, of Dyess, died Saturday, March 14, 2009 at her residence. She was a member of Lepanto First Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by brother, James Daniel Jennings; maternal grandmother, Mary Jo Jennings; paternal grandparents, C.M. (Peewee) and Lena Rogers, and step-grandparents, Jim and Florence Bryan...

Rev. Vernon L. Barnes, 80, of Trumann died Friday, March 13, 2009 at St. Bernard's Medical Center. Born in McCormick, AR, he had lived in the Trumann area most of his lifetime. He was a veteran of the US Army and a minister of the Pentecostal faith...

Imogene Cravens, 83, of Trumann died Saturday, March 14, 2009 at Trumann Health & Rehab of Trumann. She was born in Lepanto and was the daughter of the late Shelby and Cora Elizabeth Gann Manley and had lived in Trumann the past 45 years having moved here from Tyronza. ...

Barbara Jo Duetschman, 62, of Jonesboro passed away March 13, 2009 as the result of a car accident. Deutschman was born in Pine Hill, KY, the daughter of Robert and Dorothy Smith Payne. She had lived in Jonesboro the past 21 years and was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her mother...

Dwight F. Neal of Trumann, died Friday, March 13, 2009 at NEA Baptist Center of Jonesboro at the age of 64. He was born in and was a lifetime member of the Trumann area. Neal was a Senior Sales Representative for Elk River Machine Company at Elk River, Minnesota, a staff sergeant in the US Army National Guard and a member of Maple Grove Baptist Church of Trumann. ...