2/28/2007
Alonzo (Lon) Ervin Mefford, age 76, on Wednesday, February 21, 2007, in his home near Hartman passed peacefully to a “better place.”
Alonzo was born to the late Ervin Walter and Lettie May Mefford in Erick, Okla. He attended schools in California. Alonzo served in the U. S. Air Force for three and one-half years, serving most of that time in the Philippines. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Worth, Aubrey and Carroll Mefford, and one great-granddaughter Allie Elizabeth Coleman.
He left behind this wife, Marilyn Reicks Mefford; three sons Donnie and Janet Mefford of Russellville, Lonnie and Marcy Mefford of Ozark and Ronnie and Amber Mefford of Clarksville; four daughters, Bonnie O’Dell of Tucson, Ariz., Connie Mefford of Dover, Jannie Dudley of Ozark, and Linda and Mike Gray of New Windsor, Md.; two stepsons Walter Stevens of Hartman and David Stevens of Apple Valley, Calif.; three brothers, Robert and Isabel of Orange County, Calif., Boyd and Lil Mefford of Avondale, Ariz., and Don Mefford of Knoxville; 12 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A Christian service was held on Saturday, Feb. 24, in the chapel at the Roller-Cox Funeral Home in Clarksville with service officiated by Steve Kukla of Tulsa, Okla. Music was provided by Steve and Bonnie Kukla and poems from Lon’s book God’s Laws Your Blessings were read.
Burial was in the Lamar Cemetery with Aubrey (Buzz) Mefford, Mike Mefford, Dion Henson, Eric Harris, Mark Rinke, and Donald Mefford serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Joe Gillaspie, Ernie Faust, Fred De Aryan and Aaron Hein. Lee Jandebewr from Decatur Valley performed the graveside services. The Lon Mefford Memorial Fund has been established at the Regions Bank in Clarksville, Account Number 807 520 7495.
Colleen Mary Vickers Lyle, 71, of Lamar died Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007, at her home.
She was a Christian, member of Trinity Chapel, and daughter of the late Arthur Lee and Ruby Ella Cain Vickers.
Survivors include her husband, Donald Eugene Lyle; four children, Diane Wolff of Wheaton, Minn., Merl Wolff of Lorena, Texas, Brett Wolff of Elkins and Leaon Star of Lamar; four brothers, Mick Vickers of Rapid City, S. D., Patrick Vickers of Wewahitchka, Fla., Larry Vickers of Hermosa, S. D., and Leon Vickers of Claremont, S. D.; one sister, Nancy Gourley of Corwith, Iowa; 12 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; three stepchildren, Nolan Lyle, Robin Piott and Angela Lyle; and two stepgrandchildren.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at Trinity Chapel with Pastor Terry Schlinker and Rev. Paul Payne officiating.
Burial will be in Lamar Cemetery under the direction of Roller-Cox Funeral Home.
Active pallbearers will be Tyler Wolff, Tony Star, Trent Star, Jake Erickson, Brett Wolff, and Meryl Wolff.
Honorary pallbearers will be Nolan Lyle, Erick Lyle, Casey Rogers and Chris Ferguson.
Visitation will be from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, at Roller-Cox Funeral Home.
Eugene R. Tillman, 88, of Clarksville died Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007, at his home.
A native of Paris, he was a son of the late Earnest E. and Emma Jane Cowan Tillman, World War II Army veteran, coal miner, and retired construction employee of the California Naval Base. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Johnny and Guy Tillman; and one grandchild, Derick Freeman.
Survivors include his wife, Mildred Moore Tillman; two daughters, Rita Tillman of Kibler and Pat Arthur of Clarksville; two sons, Allen Tillman of Clarksville and Troy Don Tillman of Seattle, Wash.; one sister, Irene Parks of Paris; ten grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Graveside services and burial were at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at McVay Cemetery in Carbon City. Arrangements were under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home.
Evva Jeane Hammon, 83, of Westminster, Calif., died Feb. 19, 2007.
Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Donald P. Hammon; three sons, John Hammon and wife, Sherry, of Oark, Donald P. Hammon Jr. and wife, Angela, and Glenn Hammon and wife, Michelle, all of California; five grandchildren, John Hammon Jr. and wife, Ginger, of Oark, Elyse Maag and husband, Philip Sr. of Oark, Teri Arnold and Hanna Hammon, both of California, and Donna Heitzman of Clarksville; eight great-grandchildren, Kira Hammon and Cory, Candace and Philip Maag Jr., all of Oark, and Kyle and Paul Arnold, Robbie Fuller and Garrett Heitzman, all of California; and one great-great-granddaughter, Emily Maag.
Funeral will be Friday, March 2, at the Neptune Society in California.
Irene Moyer, 54, of London died Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007, at her home.
A native of Gideon, Mo., she was a daughter of the late John Marvin and Alice Charlotta Morgan Moyer, an avid bowler, and attended the First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sons, Dean Phillips and wife, Denise, of Fair Play, Mo., and Billy Phillips of Russellville; four brothers, Harold Moyer and wife, Verla, of Mountainburg, Leon Moyer of London, Marvin Moyer of Jacksonville, and Bob Page and wife, Jennie, of Hillsboro, Mo.; two sisters, Lois Price of Dardanelle and Iva McKinney of Hartman; and three grandchildren, Zach and Cody Hensley, both of Pleasant View, and Courtney Phillips of Fair Play, Mo.
Graveside services and burial were at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, at Shannon Cemetery near Treat with Rev. Vernon Bass officiating. Arrangements were under the direction of Shinn Funeral Service of Russellville.
Jason Wayne Rainey, age 36, of Benton went to be with the lord on February 22, 2007, at Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton, Arkansas.
He was born August 10, 1970, in Clarksville, Arkansas. He was the manager of a local restaurant in Benton, Arkansas and a Christian.
He is survived by his parents, James Rainey of Knoxville, Arkansas and Shirley Russell Rainey of Clarksville, Arkansas; his grandfather, Glenn Rainey of Knoxville, Arkansas; a brother, Rick Galvin of Mayflower, Arkansas; a sister, Jamie Rainey of Clarksville; a half-brother, Gregg Rainey of Lamar, Arkansas; a half-sister, Missy Dahlem of Clarksville, Arkansas; his partner, Jay Reid of Benton, Arkansas; his favorite nephew, Dawson Rainey of Clarksville and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Calvin Cordell and Billie Ruth Russell and his paternal grandmother, Laura Rainey.
He was a 1989 graduate of Lamar High School and a 1995 graduate of Arkansas Tech University where he received his bachelor of arts degree and his master’s degree in political science. He was a licensed real estate agent, a licensed funeral director and a licensed phlebotomist. Jason enjoyed life, he lived everyday to the fullest no matter where he was. He owned several businesses in Knoxville and Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He will be truly missed by many including Felix the cat which he adored.
A celebration of his life was held at his graveside on Saturday, February 24, 2007, at 10 a.m. at the Hartman Cemetery in Hartman, Arkansas. Open visitation and guestbook can be signed at Roller-Cox Funeral Home.
John Carroll Hern, 68, of Atkins, whose daughter and son-in-law, Rosemary and David Page reside in Clarksville, died Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007, at AMI St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Russellville.
A native of Atkins, he was a son of the late J. A. and Rosa Moore Hern, attended the Atkins Christian Church, member of Atkins Masonic Lodge No. 172, and was preceded in death by two brothers, Albert (Speedy) Hern and Ted Hern.
Other survivors include his wife, Louise Smith Hern; one son, James Carroll Hern of Atkins; three grandchildren, Jeremy Page, Dewayne Hern, and Kody Hern; two brothers, Herbert Eugene Hern of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Owen Ray (Pete) Hern of Texas; and two sisters and brothers-in-law, Loretta and Tom Rethard of Moore, Okla., and Ola Faye and Veo Condley of Hector.
Funeral was Monday, Feb. 19, at Lemley Funeral Chapel with Rev. Bobby Norman officiating. Burial with Masonic rites was at Bells Chapel Cemetery.
Nephews served as pallbearers.
Mabel Lee Lafever Lackey, 86, of Clarksville died Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007.
She was a native of Moulton, Ala., daughter of the late Henry Wesley and Mattie K. Thompson Lafever, raised and educated at Sherrill, former resident of White Hall, Christian, and was preceded in death by four brothers, Paul Lafever, Robert Lafever, James Lafever, and J. D. Lafever; and one sister, Aileen Lafever.
She is survived by one son, Wallace Lackey of Pine Bluff; two daughters, Francene Tackett of White Hall and Katherine Tackett of Clarksville; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services and burial were at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 26, at Bellwood Cemetery with Rev. Bob Harper officiating.
Arrangements were under the direction of Fuller Hale-South Funeral Service of Pine Bluff.
Memorials may be made to the church or charity of the donor’s choice.
Tom Bullock Wilson, 86, of Russellville died Saturday, Feb. 24, 2007, in Roanoke, Va.
He was the son of the late Albert L. and Gussie Bullock Wilson, a graduate of Russellville High School and the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville. After serving as a pilot in the Army Air Corps, he attended Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N. J., and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. He served as minister to churches in Eureka Springs, Huntsville and Hindsville and was a supply minister for numerous churches in the Presbytery. He was also a chaplain for the Arkansas National Guard. He earned his doctorate of philosophy from the University of Arkansas and taught philosophy and humanities at the University of the Ozarks and at Arkansas Tech University. He was a member of Central Presbyterian Church and following retirement taught Hebrew and Greek and served as an academic advisor with the ATU athletic department. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club and maintained membership in the Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS).
Dr. Wilson and his wife of 46 years, the late Janette O. Wilson, were charter members of the Arkansas Audubon Society.
He is survived by two daughters, Jane and Judi; two sons-in-law, John E. Davis and John R. Baker; five grandchildren, Rebecca Roberts, Janette Brown, Elizabeth Laufenberg, Catherine Herter, and John Wilson Baker; and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 3, at the Central Presbyterian Church in Russellville with Rev. Ken Kalvesmaki officiating.
Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery in Russellville under the direction of Shinn Funeral Service of Russellville.
Active pallbearers will be William Chevaillier, F. C. Jock Davis, David Krueger, Johnny Oakley, William Rail and Harold Turner Whitson.
Honorary pallbearers will be Heartsill Bartlett, Troy Burris, John Dollar, B. J. Dunn, Ernest King, Harlan McMillan, Stanley Teeter, James Westbrook and Fisher’s of Men.
Visitation will be from 5-6 p.m. Friday, March 2, at Shinn Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the Building Fund or the Nurturing Committee of the Central Presbyterian Church, 400 West Main Street, Russellville, AR 72801.
