Obituaries
Reminder of Services JEFFREY BURCHFIELD
C. Jeffrey Burchfield, 60, of El Dorado, died April 2, 2017.
A Rosary will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 20 at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church with a visitation to follow in the Parish Hall. A Requiem Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, April, 21, with committal to follow. Cremation services were entrusted to Young’s Funeral Directors.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Catholic Charities, USA, P. O. Box 17066, Baltimore, MD 21297-1066 or the charity of your choice.
MARGARET GRIFFITH
Margaret Griffith, 83, of El Dorado, passed on Monday, April 17, 2017 at the John R. Williamson Hospice House in El Dorado.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 21, at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church with Father Charles Chapman officiating. Interment will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 20 at Young’s Funeral Directors.
EDDIE C. WALTERS SR.
A memorial service for Eddie C. Walters Sr., 68, of Homer, Louisiana, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on April 23 at the Walters home at 775 Peterson Road Lot 67 in Homer.
Obituaries JAMES W. MATHENEY
James Waters Matheney, 90, of Austin, Texas, died peacefully at his home on Thursday, April 13, 2017 surrounded by his children.
He was born on Sept. 11, 1926 in El Dorado, to Harriett Waters and Matthew Pierce Matheney.
Jim grew up in El Dorado and graduated from El Dorado High School before going off to Hendrix College. He accepted an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy from 1945 to 1949 and then served in the Navy from 1949 to 1953 where, among other honors, he was the oldest man to complete the rigorous UDT training, a precursor to the Navy SEALS.
He moved home to El Dorado and met and fell in love with his wife of 51 years, Barbara Ann Barton. Jim also opened the El Dorado branch of Schneider Burnet and Hickman, a securities firm, and worked in the securities business until his death.
Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife Barbara; and a brother, Matthew Pierce Matheney Jr.
He is survived by two sons, James Waters Matheney Jr. and wife, Sandy, of Hot Springs, and Clark Barton Matheney of Austin, Texas; a daughter, Diana Balch of Caldwell, Texas; his brother’s wife, Betty Clippard Matheney and their children Susan, Matt and Kendall; brother-in-law, Thomas Perkins Barton and his wife, Anne Alcorn Barton. “Boompa” also leaves nine grandchildren: Monte, Richard, Leslie, Amanda, Dustin, Sarah, Thomas, James, and Mary Hollis; 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
Jim enjoyed a good meal, great conversation, dancing, hunting – especially ducks in Arkansas, golf and bridge. He didn’t enjoy riding as a passenger and insisted on driving, car or golf cart, until the end. He was a one of a kind and will be missed by all.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, at First Presbyterian Church of El Dorado. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to HOPE Landing, 214 Hope Landing, El Dorado, AR 71730.
Obituary and memorial guest book available online at www. wcfish.com . Arrangements are by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, in Austin.
HARVEY B. OWENS
Harvey Byron Owens, husband, dad, papaw, left this earth on Saturday April 15, 2017 after a brief illness.
Harvey was born Feb. 16, 1934 to Milton Taylor Owens and Lizzie Mae Powledge Owens and was raised in the Hopewell Community where he attended school there until old enough to attend Junction City. Ask him about higher learning he would tell you he was a proud graduate of TCU –unfortunately he meant “Three Creeks University.”
Harvey was one of seven children who have all gone on before him, Eric W. Owens, Fred M Owens, Winnie M. Marion, James A. Owens, John Lee Owens and Aubrey Owens.
Harvey enlisted in the Air Force in 1953, and while home on leave in 1955 and hanging out with his cousin, Olin Owens, at the El Dorado Dairy Queen, he met a beautiful young lady named Dorothy Ann Bond and from that night forward these two would be one. The two would exchange love letters while serving time overseas in Greenland and then stateside in California before being discharged in 1957, at which time he returned home to marry the woman of his dreams in 1958.
Harvey began his work career as a carpenter for his brother, James Owens. Then 11 months after marriage the couple would have their first child, Gregory Alan Owens in 1959. Harvey would continue working for James until 1960, when Lion Oil Refinery called and asked him to start work for them. That would be the start of almost 39 years of service at the refinery mostly spent as a boiler operator before retiring in 1999, but all the while he continued to do carpenter work around town. In 1962 the couple would complete their family with their second child, Jayme Ann Owens Pritchard.
Harvey was very active in Second Baptist Church where he served on different committees but really enjoyed spending time with the youth group at the CAB on Friday nights. Later they would move their church membership to their current church home at Gethsemane Missionary Baptist.
Harvey was an avid outdoors man whose life evolved around opening day of deer season. He was a charter member of the Hopewell Deer Club where he hunted up to this past season. About the only thing that would get him out of the woods during those days were if the Arkansas Razorbacks were playing on TV or he had tickets to go to the game. He was also a great gardener who loved to plant every spring. Everything from flowers to vegetables could be found growing around his house. He also enjoyed coaching baseball for several years at the Boys Club during the 1970’s.
Harvey leaves behind his wife of 58 years, Dorthy Ann Owens; son, Greg Owens; daughter Jayme Owens; four grandchildren, Brett Pritchard, Conner Pritchard, Jessica McCrary, and Addison Owens; a daughter-inlaw, Brenda Owens; and son-inlaw, Rick Pritchard.
His departure from this earth will be missed by many, family members, friends, ex co-workers, ladies who worked the convenience stores who would holler “Hey Papaw” when he came through the door and then proceed to give him free coffee refills. He is missed by those garden beds whose soil remains un-tilled and barren this spring waiting for his attention and the flower buckets that should be filled with spring bouquets sit empty and dry. He will be missed by the people he befriended at Walmart where he would sometimes sit for hours at the front visiting while his wife shopped. Yes, lots of people will miss Harvey Owens. However, there is one group that is currently rejoicing and celebrating his death, the deer population of the Hopewell Deer Club.
Services will be held at 2:30 p.m. today at Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church with Bro. Shawn Welchman and Bro. Paul Roberts officiating.
Burial at Hopewell Cemetery will be under the direction of Perry’s Funeral Chapels.
Online guest registry at www.perrysfuneralchapels.com.
(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 870862-6611).