Armil O. Curran

Armil O. Curran, 70, of Clarksville died Thursday, March 16, 2006, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.

He grew up on the Johnson-Newton county line at Salus, son of the late W. E. (Bill) and Beryl Warren Curran, graduate of Oark High School and Capital City Business College in Little Rock having studied accounting and administration, employee of the Arkansas Air National Guard for approximately eight years, co-owner and operator of a poultry and cattle farm north of Ozone from 1961-79, employed as executive director of the Johnson County Neighborhood Youth Corps in 1965-66 and later served as job development coordinator for ARVAC from 1966-70.

He was elected circuit clerk and ex-officio recorder for Johnson County from 1971-78, after which he was co-owner and operator of Curran's Abstract and Title, Inc., served as chairman of the Johnson County Democratic Committee and the Johnson County Election Commission for four years, past president of the Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, served eight years on the board of directors of the Johnson County Development Corporation, past president of the Ludwig Water Users Association, served on the board of governors of the Arkansas Land Title Association from 1987-1993, immediate past president of the Arkansas Land Title Association, member of Cabin Creek Baptist Church, served Johnson County and the western one-fourth of Pope County in the Arkansas Legislature in 1992-98, member of city, county and local affairs committee, the health, welfare and labor committee, joint legislative audit committee, joint retirement and Social Security committee, ex-officio member of energy committee, chairman of interim committee local government personnel for city, county and local affairs, member of the commission to assist persons who have catastrophic financial loss, co-chairman of the legislative audit subcommittee on city, county and local affairs, member of the telecommunications committee of American Legislative Exchange Committee.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Orville and Harrison Curran.

Survivors are his wife, Lura Berry Curran; two sons, A. O. Curran and wife, Pat, of Clarksville and William Curran and wife, Donna, of Cookeville, Tenn.; two grandsons, Pierce and Austin Curran of Clarksville; and two sisters, Reta Patton and husband, Bob, of Springdale and Harriett Smiley and husband, Bill, of Farmers Bench, Texas.

Funeral was at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Hardwicke Funeral Chapel with Rev. Jack Ramsey officiating. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Buddy Smith, Darrel Wheeler, M. L. Griffith, Joe Fields, Don Wilkins, and Larry Selby.

Arnold E. Turner

Arnold Eugene Turner, 82, of Lamar died Thursday, March 16, 2006, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Little Rock.

He was a native of Lamar, son of the late Alfred B. and Lena Pearl Crutchfield Turner, Army veteran of World War II having fought in the Invasion of Normandy, member of Lamar Baptist Church and was preceded in death by two brothers, Elbert Fay and Delbert Ray Turner.

Survivors are his wife, Arvetta Seeman Turner; two daughters, Shirley Farmer-Russell of Fort Smith and Belinda J. Shannon of Lutherville; one son, Danny Lee Turner of Rogers; three brothers, Kenneth Turner of Lamar, Leonard Turner of Portland, Ore., and Burl Wayne Turner of Sun City, Calif.; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral was at 10 a.m. Monday, March 20, at Hardwicke Funeral Chapel with Rev. Clyde Vire officiating. Burial was in Holman Cemetery.

Active pallbearers were Jim Clabo, Joe McCarley, Norman Reynolds, Lloyd Reynolds, Terry Miller, and Leon Bachus.

Eula E. Strickland

Eula Etta Curtis Strickland, 86, of Clarksville died Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.

She was a daughter of the late James Bruce and Minnie Young White, was of the Assembly of God faith, and was preceded in death by her first husband, Rual Curtis, and second husband, Earl Strickland; one daughter, Wanda Bernice Curtis; three brothers, William, Perry and Archie White; and three sisters, Evelyn (Evie) Garrison, Alvie White, and Eunice Kraus.

Survivors include five daughters, Betty Waddill, Juanita Cooper, Mary Bean, Tricia Gregory and Glenda Self, all of Clarksville; two sons, Paul Curtis of Clarksville and Jerry D. Curtis of Lamar; 15 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral was at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Roller-Cox Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Jerry Self officiating. Burial was in Annie's Chapel Cemetery.

Active pallbearers were Eric Daniel, Brian Cooper, Steve Bean, Jeff Curtis, Mike Self, and Tim Self.

Inez C. VanAllen

Inez Cowan Shoopman VanAllen, 82, of Zanesville, Ohio, died Saturday, March 18, 2006, at Willow Haven Care Center.

A native of the Jamestown Community, she was a daughter of the late William Newton Sr. and Martha Angeline Davis Cowan, 1943 graduate of Oark High School and later taught in the Oark Elementary School, municipal court bookkeeper for the state of Ohio, bookkeeper for Zanesville Country Club, secretary and receptionist for Dr. Donald Merker for many years, member of Market Street Baptist Church and an active member of the Order of Eastern Star Chapter No. 485 having served as past worthy matron.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, James Eugene Shoopman and David VanAllen; one son, Staff Sgt. Gary Michael Shoopman; three sisters, Ama, Anna and Minnie; and three brothers, Verlin, Roy and W. N. Jr.

Survivors include one son, Terry Joe (Audrey Lynn) Shoopman of Marietta, Ga.; two grandsons, Gregory James Shoopman and Douglas Matthew Shoopman, both of Marietta, Ga.; two sisters, Maude (Victor) Henninger of Kirbyville, Texas, and Margaret (Don) Adams of Russellville.

Jerry Wayne Fultz

Jerry Wayne Fultz, 55, of Hartman died Thursday, March 16, 2006, at Hartman.

A native of Clarksville, he was a son of the late Jesse Fultz Sr., graduate of the University of the Ozarks, Army veteran of the Vietnam War, self-employed general contractor, and chairman of the Coal Hill Planning and Zoning Commission from 1998-2003.

He is survived by one son, Jerry Fultz II of Ozark; mother, Violet Wood Allen of Coal Hill; one sister, Sherrill Nichols of Paris; and four brothers, David Fultz of Clarksville, Larry Fultz of Pine Bluff, Jesse Fultz of Ozark and Randy Allen of Coal Hill.

Funeral was at 10 a.m. Monday, March 20, at Shaffer Funeral Home Chapel in Ozark with Rev. James L. Wisdom Sr. officiating. Burial was in Coal Hill Cemetery.

Active pallbearers were Larry Fultz, David Fultz, Jesse Fultz, Randy Allen, Travis Fultz, and Ryan Fultz.

Honorary pallbearers were Bill Brockett and Orla Larsen.

Ruby D. Clayborn

Ruby Duell Clayborn, 90, of Clarksville died Wednesday, March 15, 2006, at Clarksville Convalescent Home.

She was a daughter of the late Earl Washington and Emma Bonnie Warren Smith, widow of James Leonard Clayborn, and was preceded in death by one son, Jimmy Clayborn; one brother, Jiles Smith; and one sister, Elsie Casey.

Survivors include five daughters, Geneva Carlton of Fayetteville, Donnie Helen Bradley of Clarksville, Ora Lou Aichele of Charleston, S. C., Bonnie Knick of Lamar and Connie Bernier of Fort Smith; three sons, Danny and Tommy Clayborn, both of Clarksville, and Fred Clayborn of Russellville; 22 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral was at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 18, at Roller-Cox Funeral Home Chapel with Minister Susie Drinkwitz officiating. Burial was in Rosetta Cemetery.

Active pallbearers were Weldon Bradley, Steve Bradley, Jerry Bradley, Arlis Wise, Billy Clayborn, and Dwaylin Clayborn.

Ruby B. Walters

Ruby B. Walters, 82, of Clarksville died Tuesday, March 14, 2006, at Clarksville Convalescent Home.

A native of South Mound, Kan., she was a daughter of the late Harvey and Daisy Blackburn Shepard, member of the First United Methodist Church in Clarksville, member and past president of Johnson County Twirler Square Dance Club, and was preceded in death by two brothers, Wayne and Charles Shepard; two sisters, Virginia Walters and Erma Shepard; one grandchild; and one great-grandchild.

Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Walters; three daughters, Sharon Brantley of St. Mary's, Ga., Rae Ann Brooke of Little Rock, and Marilyn Chrisman of Hartman; one son, George Kilgore Jr. of Clarksville; two sisters, Bonnie Dack of Parsons, Kan., and Donna McElroy of Altamont, Kan.; two brothers, Lloyd Shepard of Parsons, Kan., and Billy Joe Shepard of Ft. Scott, Kan.; 11 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral was at 2 p.m. Friday, March 17, at the First United Methodist Church in Clarksville with Rev. Steve Wingo officiating.

Burial was in Oakland Cemetery under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home.

Pallbearers were Michael Weathers, Eric Kilgore, Chad Chrisman, Leon Baldwin, Darrell Shepard, Kevin Farmer, Heath Zimmerman, and Mike Kraft.

Wesley D. Balkcom

Wesley Daniel Balkcom, 26, of Clarksville died Wednesday, March 15, 2006, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident at Altus.

He was a native of Ocala, Fla., and was employed in the house roofing business.

He is survived by one daughter, Kallie Leann Balkcom of Clarksville; two sons, William Lee Balkcom and Wesley James Balkcom, both of Clarksville; father and stepmother, W. L. and Carolyn Balkcom of Clarksville; mother, Donna Heule of Tennessee; one sister, Lynnett Krachey and husband, Rodney, of Lamar; one nephew, Blake Smith of Lamar; one niece, Michaela Smith of Lamar; several aunts and uncles; and the mother of his children, Christi Cole of Clarksville.

Funeral was at 10 a.m. Friday, March 17, at Hardwicke Funeral Chapel with Rev. Tony Reynolds officiating. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery.