Anna I. Johnston

Anna Imogene Garrett Johnston, 87, of Newport died Thursday, Aug. 15, 2002, at Newport.

A native of Clarksville, she was a daughter of the late Harlow and Anna Williams Garrett, 1932 graduate of Clarksville High School and earned a bachelor of science degree in home economics in 1935 from The College of the Ozarks (now University of the Ozarks). She was a home economics teacher and basketball coach at Oppelo from 1935-37. She later became a home management supervisor for Farm Securtiy Administration in Marked Tree prior to being promoted in 1941 to supervisor over the Jonesboro District and later the Hot Springs District before being promoted again to the regional office of Farm Security Administration where she worked in loans and collections in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississsippi until her marriage to David L. Johnston in 1944.

She was a former resident of Mesilla Park, N. M., Las Cruces, N. M., and Yuma County, Ariz. While residing in Yuma County, Ariz., she was in charge of the family farming operation from 1955-60 before returning to Newport and becoming a member of the First United Methodist Church, Circle and United Methodist Women where she served as local treasurer, district treasurer, publicity and communications chairman from 1992-96, and program resources chairman in 1997. She was also active in several 4-H clubs, PTA, Jackson County Saddle Club and co-sponsored the youth of the First United Methodist Church for many years.

While in Las Cruces, N. M., she was named the Kiwaniqueen in 1955 and was also voted the Newport Kiwanis Queen of 1985-86. She was a member of the American Legion Neil-Griffin Post No. 47, recipient of an award for providing 10,000-plus hours of volunteer work at the Veterans Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and a certificate of appreciation for volunteer work at the Veterans Hospital in North Little Rock.

She was preceded in death by one son, David L. Johnston Jr.; one brother, Harry Garrett; and one sister, Doris G. Johnson.

Other than her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Martha Johnston of Birmingham, Ala., and Ruth Elizabeth Johnston of Little Rock; two sisters, Ruth Garrett and Midge Blackmon, both of Albuquerque, N. M.; three nieces, Jean Waszak, Sue Ann Foster and Kathy Blackmon; and five nephews, Edwin Sherman, Jim Blackmon, David Blackmon, Tom Johnston, and Jim Johnston.

Funeral was at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19, at the First United Methodist Church in Newport with Rev. Roger Glover and Dr. John C. Wright officiating.

Burial was in Walnut Grove Cemetery under the direction of Jackson’s Newport Funeral Home.

Active pallbearers were Gay Lacy III, John Minor Sr., John Minor Jr., Mark McGaughey, Gary Carlton, Penn Stafford, and Marvin Thaxton.

Honorary pallbearers were Bill Pratt, Bug Chapman, and members of the United Methodist Women and the Newport Kiwanis Club.

Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, Third and Laurel streets, Newport, AR 72112 or David L. Johnston Jr., Nursing Scholarship, c/o United Methodist Foundation, 5300 Evergreen, Little Rock, AR 72205.

Alton Vire

Alton Vire, 63, of Tucson, Ariz., died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2002, in Tucson, Ariz.

He was a former resident of Johnson County and son of the late Randolph Vire.

Survivors are one daughter, Melanie Andress of Memphis, Tenn.; one son, Brian Scott Vire of Clarksville; mother, Beulah Vire of Clarksville; three brothers, Rabin Vire and Clyde Vire, both of Clarksville, and Rickie Vire of Corpus Christi, Texas; and four grandchildren.

Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, at Roller-Cox Chapel with Rev. Bill Milam officiating. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery.

J. L. Melson

J. L. Melson, 69, a native of Arkansas, died Saturday, Aug. 10, 2002, in Sacramento, Calif.

He retired from McClellan AFB in 1975 and was operator of an antique and used tools business.

Survivors include his widow, Oleander Melson; two daughters, Barbara Lawrence and Michele Corbus; two sons, Joseph Melson and Patrick Melson; 15 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; mother-in-law, Rosa Van Loh; four sisters, Loissie Wood, Lucy Ritchie, Mary Russell, and Florence Sloan; three brothers, Sammie, Paul and James Melson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral was at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at North Sacramento Funeral Home with burial at Sunset Lawn Memorial Park.

Memorials may be made to Del Oro Caregivers, Resource Center, 5713 Marconi Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95821.

John B. Weinberg

John Bernard Weinberg, 35, of Clarksville died Thursday, Aug. 15, 2002, at Eugene Towbin Health Center.

He was a retail sales employee and son of the late Charles M. and Dorothy Livingston Weinberg.

Survivors include two sisters and one brother-in-law, Nancy and Robert Bailey of Clarksville and Dena Garcia of Libby, Mont.; one brother, Frank Starkey of Olympia, Wash.; and eight nieces and nephews.

Graveside services and burial were at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Hagarville Cemetery with Rev. Robert Boen officiating. Arrangements were under the direction of Roller-Cox Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Arkansas Hospice Center, 2200 Fort Roots Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72114.

Leroy (Skip) Wiggins

Leroy (Skip) Wiggins, 62, of Knoxville died Friday, Aug. 16, 2002, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.

He was an employee of King and Company, Navy veteran having served on the USS Volador SS 490 during the Indo-China conflict in which he was an engineman and underwater demolition technician, member of Knoxville Masonic Lodge No. 370, Baptist, native of Chicago, Ill., and son of the late Leonard Leroy and Ruth Christan Wiggins.

Survivors include his widow, Catherine Dahlem Wiggins; three sons and one daughter-in-law, Mickey Wiggins, Kerry and Brandy Wiggins and Jeremy Wiggins, all of Knoxville; six grandsons, Michael A. Wiggins, Robert A. Wiggins, Coty L. Wiggins, Devin S. Wiggins, A. J. Wiggins, and Shawn-Michael Stapleton, all of Knoxville; one granddaughter, Jessica Ann Wiggins Summers of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and one great-grandchild, Lydia Summers of St. Petersburg, Fla.

Funeral was at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, at Roller-Cox Chapel with Rev. Jim Milloway officiating. Burial and Masonic graveside services were at Knoxville Cemetery.

Active pallbearers were William Nichols, Matthew Nichols, Jerry Boen, Johnny Hayes, Brian Nichols, Michael Collins, Teddy Morrow, and John Tyson.

Honorary pallbearers were Doc Ramsey, Dennis Sutterfield, Fred Rainey, Carl Collins, and Fred Tumbleson.

Margaret Ann Palm

Margaret Ann Palm, 65, of Clarksville died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2002, at her home.

A native of Burlington, Vt., she was a daughter of the late John Bales and Annastacia Ruby Maynard Mowatt, attended school in Port Jervis, N.Y., employed as a meat packer and was a member of the meat packers union and the extension homemakers club.

She is survived by two sisters and brothers-in-law, Selma and Roger Stanley of Hagarville and Charlotte and Donald Kaufman of Glen Spey, N. Y.; two brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Lorna Mowatt of Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Edward and Kathy Mowatt of Port Jervis, N. Y.; and several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

The body was cremated. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Local arrangements were under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home.

Pete Vinson

Pete Vinson, 79, of Clarksville died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2002, at the University of Arkansas Medical Center Hospital.

A native of London, he was a son of the late Jasper and Melinda Sims Vinson, retired auto body repairman, served in the Army Air Corp with the 8th Photo Recon Squadron, and was preceded in death by three brothers, Marvin Vinson, Allen Vinson, and Elmer Vinson; and one sister, Zoe Lord.

Survivors are three daughters and two sons-in-law, Suzie Sanders and Violet and William Yousey, all of Mustang, Okla., and Stacy and Michael McCloskey of Katy, Texas; one son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Vicky Vinson of Skiatook, Okla.; two sisters and one brother-in-law, Violet Hatfield and Wanda and Blackie Blackman, all of Clarksville; one sister-in-law, Emma Vinson of Clarksville; and five grandchildren, Joe Yousey, Christopher McCloskey, Amy Yousey, Kayla Sanders, and Katie Sanders.

Funeral was at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Hardwicke Funeral Chapel with Rev. Jerry Schlinker officiating. Burial was in Price Cemetery at London.

Pallbearers were Clint Vinson. Tommy Vinson, Joe Brasel, Joe Head, William Yousey, and John Rankin.

Memorials may be made to the London Assembly of God Church, P. O. Box 246, London, AR 72847.

Robert A. Nordin

Robert Aaron Nordin, 89, of Route 1, London (Hickeytown Community) died Saturday, Aug. 17, 2002, at his home.

He was a retired employee of Sears and Roebuck Company, Johnson Regional Medical Center and farmer, member of Oakland Street Church, Gideons International, Johnson Regional Medical Center Auxiliary, and American Legion Post No. 22, and son of the late John A. and Mary Barley Nordin.

Survivors include his widow, Sybil Pless Nordin; three sons and daughters-in-law, Leland and Mary Jean Nordin and Milton and Susan Nordin of Lamar and Russell and Sheila Nordin of Fort Worth, Texas; one brother and sister-in-law, Frank and Kathryn Nordin of London; six grandchildren, Dody Pelts, Emily Nordin, Jed Nordin, Sam Nordin, Dustin Nordin, and Keena Nordin; and two great-grandchildren, Macy and Ike Pelts.

Funeral was at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, at Oakland Street Church with Rev. Carl Sory and Rev. Steve Maczko officiating.

Private graveside services and burial were at the Nordin Cemetery in the Hickeytown Community. Arrangements were under the direction of Roller-Cox Funeral Home.

Active pallbearers were Jim Graham, Paul Weir, Bud Bauman, Ray Cowell, Larry Holman, and Ken Wood.

Honorary pallbearers were Lee Kimbrough, Coralee Kimbrough, and the American Legion Post No. 22.

Memorials may be made to Gideons International, P. O. Box 243, Clarksville, AR 72830.

Regina F. Shirley

Regina F. Shirley, 42, of Lamar died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2002, at her home.

She was a daughter of the late Nancy Baugh Anderson and Pentecostal.

Survivors include her husband, James R. Shirley; five daughters, Ashley Shirley and Karen Shirley, both of Lamar, Jamie Dennison of Kewanee, Ill., Kimberly Nichols of Clarksville and Brenda Jolley of Jacksonville; one son, James R. Shirley Jr. of Lamar; father, Donald Anderson of Dardanelle; four sisters, Sandra Parrish of Lamar and Virginia Lynn Stell, Judy Corbelle and Donna Anderson, all of Hot Springs; two brothers, Dean Anderson of Port Orchard, Wash., and Joe Anderson of Wasco, Calif.; and four grandchildren, Samantha Jolley, Tyler Shirley, Eric Dennison and Neil Dennison.

Funeral was at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Roller-Cox Chapel with Rev. Don Sjostrand officiating. Burial was in McKendree Cemetery north of Subiaco.

Active pallbearers were James Massey, John Massey, Mark Shirley Sr., Mark Shirley Jr., John Shirley, and Neil Dennison.

Honorary pallbearer was Michael Carter.

Tommy King

Tommy King, 58, of Ozark died Monday, Aug. 12, 2002, at his home.

A native of Clarksville, he was a son of the late Richard King, retired electrician, and a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles at Altus.

Survivors include his widow, Allie Thompson; two daughters, Shannon Whitson of Alma and Suzie Johnson of Ozark; two sons, Richard King of Ozark and Greg Thompson of Clarksville; mother Pauline Hook King McClain of Ozark; two brothers, Steve and Walter King, both of Ozark, and 11 grandchildren.

Graveside services and burial were at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at the Mt. Airy Cemetery with Morris Boseman officiating. Arrangements were under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark.

Pallbearers were Dwayne and Randall George, John Milam, Michael Howard, Lark Price and Ronnie Perry.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis, 76, of Knoxville died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2002, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.

A native of Lamar, she was a daughter of the late John and Tamsey Atwell Chavers, widow of Elden Davis, and member of Knoxville Bethel Baptist Church.

She is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie and Bob Nichols of Knoxville; one son, John Jennings of Knoxville; one sister, Lizzie Mefford of Lamar; three brothers, Nelson Chavers of Springdale, Walter Chavers of Clarksville, and Robert Lee Chavers of Ponca City, Okla.; six grandchildren, Susan Smith of Lamar, Nicki Jennings and Angela Johnson of Clarksville, William Nichols and Matthew Nichols of Knoxville, and Shelia Pitts of Garfield; 14 great-grandchildren, Savannah Keith, Brooke Smith, Zachary Smith, T. J. Johnson, Flecia Johnson, Adam Demmitt, Jessica Pitts, Nathan Pitts, Nick Coffron, Dustin White, Shandi Yarber, Shawn Nichols, Victoria Nichols and Caleb Nichols; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral was at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at Knoxville First Baptist Church with Rev. Richard Snyder officiating.

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

Active pallbearers were Bob Nichols, John Jennings, Nathan Pitts, Matt Nichols, William Nichols and Adam Demmitt.

Honorary pallbearers were Zachary Smith, T. J. Johnson, Dustin White, Shawn Nichols, Nick Coffron, Jessica Pitts, Shandi Yarber, Victoria Nichols, Savannah Keith, Brooke Smith, Flecia Johnson and Neal Pitts.