4/2/2008
Delmer Ray (Bud) Burgess Sr., 81, of Clarksville died Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at his home.
He was a native of Lamar, son of the late Charlie Winfield and Jessie Edna Berry Burgess, retired construction employee, member of Franklin Masonic Lodge No. 9 at Clarksville, and was preceded in death by his wife, Lula Bell McKinney Burgess; and two brothers, Amos and Namon Burgess.
Survivors include two sons, Ronnie Burgess and Buddy Burgess, both of Clarksville; three daughters, Betty Burgess and Diane Linker of Clarksville and Patty Del-Reyes of Washington; three sisters, Syble Leavell and Gelletta Crutchfield, both of Clarksville, and Marcella Turner of Seal Beach, Calif.; and eight grandchildren.
Funeral was at 10 a.m. Friday, March 28, at Roller-Cox Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Amos Pledger officiating. Burial was in Annie’s Chapel Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Rick Guinnip, Glenn Crutchfield, Hartsel Crutchfield, Roger Crutchfield, Johnny Bagsby, and Duke VanEpren.
Honorary pallbearers were Paul Cumbie, Arnold Hutchens, and Dub Vaught.
Horace Dawson (H. D.) Benson, 75, of Clarksville died Wednesday, March 26, 2008, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
He was a son of the late Harry Oscar and Betha Ann Bayless Benson, Protestant, and truck driver.
Survivors include two sons, Harry Lee Dawson Benson of Conway and Willie Charlie Benson of Fayetteville; two sisters, Virginia Corbit and Nora Lee Turner, both of Clarksville; and one grandchild.
Funeral was at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at the Yale Church with Rev. Terry Schlinker officiating.
Burial was at Yale Cemetery under the direction of Roller-Cox Funeral Home.
Active pallbearers were Billy Ray Acord, Ron Patterson, Clay Bean, David Willis, T. A. Willis, and Carl Easley.
Honorary pallbearers were Miles A. Baldwin Jr., James Kruger, Bill Gregory, Wayne Gregory, Matt Benson, Monte Corbit, and Charlie Lee Reed.
Jackie Joe Thomas, 78, of Hartman died Thursday, March 27, 2008, at Clarksville Convalescent Home.
A native of Hartman, he was a son of the late Howard and Ellie Howell Thomas, retired farmer, Army veteran of the Korean War, member of Springhill Masonic Lodge No. 118, attended the Assembly of God Church, and was preceded in death by his wife, Irma Lee Patterson Thomas; three brothers, Howard Thomas Jr., Von Thomas, and Harry Thomas; and two sisters, Donna Bell and Ethel Pannell.
He is survived by one daughter, Donna Dobbs of Delaware; one son, Jimmy Lee Thomas of Wisconsin; two sisters, Anna Rye of Pocola, Okla., and Sally Thomas of Tulsa, Okla.; one brother, Tommy Thomas of Clarksville; and two grandchildren.
Funeral was at 10 a.m. Monday, March 31, at Hardwicke Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Terry Schlinker officiating. Burial was in West Mount Zion Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Ashton LaRue, Kyle Thomas, Gary LaRue, Gary Vaught, Tom Fowler, and Tommy Boston.
Larry Mitchell Russell, 53, died March 20, 2008, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.
He was a native of Willits, Calif., son of the late Neman Russell, was employed in North Kansas City and Excelsior Springs, Mo., most of his life, and was preceded in death by one sister, Ruth Hupp.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Russell; one son, Dylan, of the home; mother, Mickey Russell of Clarksville; two sisters, Kimberly and Douglas Needham of Pocola, Okla., and Roberta and Larry Shoemaker of Excelsior Springs, Mo.; five nephews, Nathan Stewart and wife, Tabitha, of Greenwood, Tommy Hupp of Richmond, Mo., Bradley Mausby, Ryan Needham and Kaleb Needham, all of Pocola, Okla.; and one great-nephew, Even Gage Stewart of Greenwood.
Funeral was Tuesday, March 25, with Rev. Ray Todd officiating. Burial was in South Point Cemetery in Orrick, Mo., under the direction of Polley Funeral Home.
Pallbearers were Mel Thompson, Pat Thompson, Tony Smallwood, Daniel Smallwood, Bradley Mausby, and Nathan Stewart.
Martha Mae Tillery, 71, of Hartman died Monday, March 31, 2008, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
A native of Denning, she was a daughter of the late John and Glenn Smith Stover, member of Alix Assembly of God Church, and retired after having been employed as a registered nurse for 40 years with 31 years being at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include her husband, Clifford Tillery; two daughters, Carla Jackson of Clarksville and Carol Jordan of Ozark; two sons, Ernest Tillery and wife, Sandy, of Clarksville and Richard Tillery and wife, Twila, of Knoxville; three sisters, Juanita Walker of Webb City, Frances Tollison of Clarksville, and Nancy Smith of Ozark; two brothers, Sam Stover and Gary Stover, both of Denning; mother-in-law, Erva Tillery of Ozark; nine grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 3, at Hardwicke Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Amos Pledger officiating. Burial will be in Liberty Hill Cemetery at Hunt.
Active pallbearers will be Dr. David Goodman, Dr. Richard McKelvey, Dr. Don Pennington, Dr. Jack Patterson, Dr. Ben Jacobs, and Jimmy Dorney.
Honorary pallbearers will be Dean Tillery, Richard Tillery II, Zac Shadwick, and Daniel Shadwick.
Visitation will be from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, at Hardwicke Funeral Home.
Mary Ann Bartlett, 53, of Napa, Idaho, formerly of Clarksville, died Thursday, March 27, 2008, at St. Alfranuss Hospital in Idaho.
Survivors are one son, Steven Bartlett; one daughter, Sylvia Banks; father, Harlen Brown; three brothers, Wayne Brown, David Brown and wife, Robin, and Marvin Brown and wife, Julie; three sisters, Esther Golia, Noami Amador and husband, Henry, and Martha Garner and husband, Richard.
The body was cremated.
A memorial service was held in Idaho.
Myrna P. Fitzgerald, 57, of Clarksville died Thursday, March 27, 2008, at Johnson Regional Medical Center.
She was a native of Eugene, Ore., daughter of the late William K. and Gladys Sanders Combs, graduate of Westark Community College at Fort Smith, member of Trinity Pentecostal Church, and was preceded in death by one brother, James Combs; and one sister, Delores Brock.
Survivors include her husband, David Fitzgerald; three daughters, Lisa Suzanne Killborne of Fort Smith, Erica Fitzgerald of Dover, and Katherine Fitzgerald of Clarksville; one son, Robert Allen Wood of Delaware; one sister, Carolyn Jones of Russellville; two brothers, Henry A. Combs of Jasper and Timothy Buffington of Pine Bluff; and one grandchild, Douglas Killborne.
Funeral was at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at Hardwicke Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. David Zeiler officiating. The body was cremated.
Thomas Ray (Buddy) Pledger, 49, of Altus, stepfather of James Linton of Coal Hill, died Monday, March 24, 2008, in Fort Smith.
A native of Clarksville, he was a roofer, and was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Ray Pledger Sr. and Wanda Bell Steel Pledger Kramer.
Survivors include one stepdaughter, Christa Maestas of Altus; one other stepson, Jeremy Lowe of Ozark; one brother, Wayne Pledger of Altus; seven sisters, Norma Riley of Russellville, Janetta Gipson and Cindy Stoneking, both of Ozark, Diane Main of Abilene, Kan., Teresa Hinten of Stotts City, Mo., Margaret Milam of Cecil and Pam Holder of Altus; eight stepgrandchildren; and seven step great-grandchildren.
Funeral was at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 27, at Shaffer Funeral Home Chapel in Ozark with Rev. Mike Pennington officiating. Burial was in Liberty Hill Cemetery at Altus.
