Area Deaths
Notice of Passing
HENRY L. DAVIS
Henry L. Davis, 73, of El Dorado, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016.
A memorial service is planned for a later date.
Reminder of Services
GEORGE ANDREWS
Funeral for George Andrews, 88, of Bernice, La. will be held at 2:30 p.m. today at the New Hopewell Baptist Church in Bernice with the Rev. Greg Williams, pastor, and the Rev. Brandon Andrews officiating. Interment will immediately follow at the New Land Cemetery in Bernice, under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home of Farmerville, La.
DOROTHY N. ATKINSON
Memorial service for Dorothy Nelson Travis Atkinson will be held at 11 a.m. today in Junction City, La., at First Baptist Church. Dorothy died on Aug. 31, 2015, on her 90th birthday.
EARLENE BARGE
A public viewing for Earlene Barge, 73, previously of Magnolia, will be held from 1 p.m. until time of service at the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 10 Columbia 204, Magnolia, today. The funeral will begin at 2 p.m. and there will be no further viewing. Burial will follow in Antioch Cemetery under the direction of Henderson Funeral Service.
MARILYN I. GARETT
Graveside service for Marilyn Iva Garett, 69, of Jacksonville, Fla., will be at 11 a.m. today at Arlington Memorial Park in El Dorado. Burial will follow under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home.
RASH JERRY JR.
Funeral for Rash “R.J.” Jerry Jr., 89, of El Dorado, will be at 10 a.m. today in Young’s Chapel with the Rev. Tommy Roberson and the Rev. Ronnie Robins officiating. Burial will follow at Liberty Cemetery, c/o Gary Hill, 2911 Lawson Road, El Dorado, AR 71730, under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
Memorials may be made to Life Touch Hospice, 2301 Champagnolle Road, El Dorado, AR 71730 or to the Liberty Cemetery Fund.
LINNIE G. NEWTON
Funeral for Linnie G. Newton will be at 1 p.m. today at Springhill Baptist Church, 408 Springhill Church Road in Marion, La. (Oakland, La.). Interment will follow in the Springhill Cemetery under the direction of the Sims Mortuary staff.
No visitation will be held at the funeral home. Repast will be at the church, Springhill Baptist Church, immediately following the interment.
LONNIE T. PHILLIPS
Funeral for Lonnie T. Phillips, 73, of El Dorado, will be at 1 p.m. today at Saint James Baptist Church with Dr. George Calloway Jr. officiating.
Burial will follow in Shady Grove Cemetery on Southfield Road under the direction of Andrews Funeral Home. There will be no public viewing at the funeral home.
KATRINA THOMPSON
Memorial service for Katrina Thompson will be held at 11 a.m. today at New Olive Branch Baptist Church with the Rev. Eugene Farley officiating. Cremation arrangements were by Andrews Funeral Home.
TODD A. WILLCOX
Memorial services for Todd Alan Willcox, 42, will be held at 2 p.m. today at Gethsemane Baptist Church, 2600 Parnell Road, El Dorado. Obituaries
ROBERT L. DEPPER JR.
Robert “Bob” L. Depper Jr., 63, of El Dorado, was received into heaven on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016, following a sudden illness. He was born in Wood River, Ill. on Sept. 8, 1952, to Robert L. Depper Sr. and Nelda JoAnn Hooper Depper. Bob attended high school in Wood River, graduating in 1970. He subsequently attended Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., on an R.O.T.C scholarship. While at Westminster, he met his wife of over 40 years, Mary Spencer Depper. They were married in 1975.
Following college he served four years in the United States Army at Fort Knox, Ky. He began his career in law in 1978, attending the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville. Following graduation in 1981, he joined the law firm of his late father-in-law, James V. Spencer Jr. in El Dorado.
Faith and family were the foundation of Bob’s life. He watched his wife, children and grandchildren grow in their personal lives and careers with such pride and excitement. He could be counted on for wisdom, courage and kindness in any situation. His family was not limited by blood. He welcomed friends with open arms to Depper family Christmases, Thanksgivings and beach vacations. He was known lovingly by those who knew him as Bobby D.
Bob’s passion was the law. Above everything else, he sought justice for his clients. There was never a fight too difficult or legal issue too complicated. If someone was in need, Bob was more than willing to take on their case. He advocated for them zealously, while always maintaining his integrity as an officer of the court.
Even while focusing on his clients, Bob took time to work in his community. He coached many high school mock trial teams, taking joy in seeing young people learn and practice the law. He took on many cases pro bono and was active with the Arkansas Volunteer Lawyers for the Elderly. As a member of First United Methodist Church, he worked with the youth. They referred to him as B-O-B. He was on several committees, and enjoyed reprising his role as “Andrew” in the yearly Easter play.
Bob was preceded in death by his father, Robert L. Depper Sr.
He is survived by his wife, Mary; their children, Robert L. Depper III (Aimée Papazian), Annie Depper, Mary Candace Depper, and James Spencer Depper (Grace); their grandchildren, Lucy and Bodhin; his brother, Paul (Marsha) Depper; his sisters, Deborah (Glenn) Cooper, Penny (Matt) Raymond, and Trisha Depper; his mother, Nelda JoAnn Hooper Depper; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral will be held at 2 p.m. today at the First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Keith Dodson and the Rev. Jim Polk officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at Arlington Memorial Park under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Arkansas Legal Aid, First United Methodist Church of Junction City, AR or Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI) to aid cancer patients.
An online guest registry is available at www.youngsfuneralhome.com
HAROLD C. McSWAIN
Harold Clifford McSwain of Grapevine, Texas, passed away Aug. 21, 2016.
He was born on July 31, 1925, in Fort Myers, Fla. to Clifford and Olgie Lee (Godwin) McSwain. He grew up in Bonita Springs, Fla.
Harold served his country in the U.S. Navy on the submarine USS Medregal (SS-480) during WWII. After his military service, he studied at Tampa Horological School to become a watchmaker and repairman.
He was ordained in 1946 and served in the ministry until 2015, when his health started failing. His early years of ministry were spent in Florida where he helped start several churches in Tampa, West Palm Beach and Naples Park. Harold, his father and other family members helped build Naples Park Baptist Church which is still active today.
In 1960 he went to Trujillo, Peru as a missionary where he helped start churches in several cities including Cascas, Peru which is still active today. He ended his ministry at Naborton Baptist Church in Naborton, La. after 25 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, Dub McSwain.
Harold is survived by wife, Ann McSwain of Grapevine; daughter, Sophia Olgie Poe of Alabama; sons, Jonathan McSwain of El Dorado; David McSwain and his wife, Judy, of El Dorado; Steve McSwain and his wife, LaCora, of Lewisville, Texas; Paul McSwain and his wife, Ann, of Grapevine; sister, Judy Pierce and her husband, Ed, of Bradenton, Fla.; granddaughters, Laura Weaver and Michelle Babus; grandson, Richard Shropshire; granddaughter, MaKayla Williams; great-grandchildren, Taylor and Jaden Shropshire, Brian, TJ, JD, Toni, LeeAnn Weaver, and April Babus.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral at Fundamental Baptist Church in Irving, Texas. Funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29, at the church with Pastor Kelley Hinson officiating.
Interment with military honors will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery in Dallas.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be sent to Fundamental Baptist Church, 1119 W. Shady Grove, Irving, TX 75060 and notate that it is for the McSwain Memorial. The money will be sent to the mission in Cascas, Peru in memory of Harold McSwain.
(The deadline for full obituaries for the next day’s newspaper is 4 p.m. The deadline for death notices is 5 p.m. the day prior to publication. Obituaries submitted after these deadlines will not be published the next day, but will run in the following day’s newspaper. For more information about costs of obituaries and photos, call 870-862-6611).