Obituaries
Notice of passing VIRGINIA JONES
Virginia Jones, 53, of McNeil, died Sunday, April 30, 2017 in Stephens.
Funeral arrangements will be announced by Henderson Funeral Service of Magnolia.
LaRUE H. Phillips
LaRue Hines Phillips, 81, of Bryan, Texas, formerly of El Dorado, passed away Monday, May 1, 2017 in Bryan, Texas.
Services will be announced by Young’s Funeral Directors.
Reminder of services
CLINTON DILCE
Funeral for Clinton Dilce, 76, will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday at the Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Farmerville, Louisiana with the Rev. Tommy L. Carr officiating.
Interment will follow at the Zion Hill Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 2 until 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Farmerville.
MARTIN R. GIBBONS
Services for Martin R. Gibbons, 72, of El Dorado, will be held at 11 a.m. today in the chapel of Bailey Funeral Home, El Dorado, with the Rev. Bob Inmon officiating.
Interment will be in Arlington Cemetery in El Dorado, under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Life Touch Hospice in El Dorado.
DONNIE W. HICKS
Donnie W. Hicks, 61, of Lillie, Louisiana, passed away Sunday, April 30, 2017 at Reeve Memorial Medical Center in Bernice, Louisiana.
Visitation will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday May 4, at Perry’s Funeral Chapels with memorial service starting at 2 p.m.
Cremation services have been entrusted to Perry’s Funeral Chapels.
Obituaries JAMES T. FORD
The Rev. James Thomas “Jim” Ford, 97, of Norphlet, passed from this life into eternity Sunday,
April 30,
2017, at Timberlane Health and Rehab in El Dorado.
He was born Aug. 8, 1919, in Furlow Community, just outside Lonoke to John Newton Ford and Sarah Frances Shirley Ford.
He was a preacher in the United Methodist Church for 33 years, serving the Holly Springs UMC charge, Strong UMC charge, Taylor UMC charge, Norphlet UMC charge and the Camden Timothy UMC charge. After retirement, he and his wife, Lola, made their home in Norphlet where they were both members of the Norphlet UMC and he served as interim pastor to the Pleasant Grove UMC charge for a year. He served as a volunteer at South Arkansas Medical Center for 26 years. He served in the United States Army. He often said how thankful he was for his family and all the blessings the family has enjoyed.
Preceding him in death were his wife of 67 years, Lola Caldwell Ford; his parents; brothers, John Ford, Joe Ford and Bill Fulbright; and sisters, Elizabeth Kimzey, Ludie Baldwin, Louella Hortsman, and Katherine Thresher.
Survivors include his three daughters and sons-in-law, Karen and Ricky Evans of Calion, Linda and Cecil Polk of Norphlet and Diane and Denny Barrett of Searcy; six grandchildren, Schelley Covas (Jose’), Bud Evans (Terri), Brandon Polk (Kerri), all of Norphlet, Chris Polk (Melissa) of Wooster, Raegan Jordan (Brent) of San Antonio, Texas, Rane Barrett of Hensley; 12 great-grandchildren, Caylie Covas (fianc Nick Lambert), Evans Covas, Tripp Evans, Tucker Evans, Creighton Polk, Hayes Polk, Mathis Polk, J.T. Polk, Mitchell Polk, Ryan Polk, Barrett Jordan, and Ryleigh Jordan; brother, V.L. Ford of Jacksonville; several nieces and nephews; many friends and the loving staff at Timberlane Health and Rehab.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at Young’s.
Funeral will be at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2017, at Norphlet United Methodist Church with the Rev. Ron Newberry officiating. Burial will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
Memorials may be made to Norphlet United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 28, Norphlet, AR 71759; Arkansas Rice Depot, P.O. Box 34427, Little Rock, AR 72203-9991; or Life Touch Hospice, 2301 Champagnolle Road, El Dorado, AR 71730.
An online guest registry will be available at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.
ODELL HOOSIER
Odell Hoosier, 71, f El Dorado, died Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at Medical Center of South Arkansas.
H e was the son of
Joe and Nettie Mae Fikes Hoosier. He was a retired employee of High Capacity and a Baptist.
Survivors are his wife, Vera Moore Hoosier of El Dorado; two sons, Kevin Hoosier and Devin Hoosier of El Dorado; three sisters, Pattie Harris, Lois Dixon and Lillian Hoosier, all of Dayton, Ohio; and one grandchild.
Funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3, at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium with Bro.Floyd Davis officiating.
Burial will follow in Lott Burgy Cemetery under the direction of Andrews Funeral Home.
Public viewing will be from 1 until 5 p.m. today and from 8 until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home.
DIANE S. PIERONI
Diane Stahr Trinca Pieroni, 74, was born March 7, 1943, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Dr. Peter Joseph an d Jean Stahr Trinca and died on April 29, 2017.
She graduated from El Dorado High School and attended St. Mary of the Woods College in Terre Haute, Indiana, and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She was a court reporter in El Dorado for over 30 years.
Diane was appointed to the Arkansas Claims Commission in 1985 by then Governor Bill Clinton and reappointed by Gov. Jim Guy Tucker. She was the commission co-chair during her tenure, which lasted until 2000. She also served as president of the El Dorado Service League.
An avid reader, she loved to play games, especially bridge, and she was an ACBL Life Master. She also liked to travel, especially to Italy, where she fell in love with Florence. Diane, a life-long, passionate Democrat, often worked to support candidates in local and state elections. She had a keen sense of humor, a sharp mind, a fierce independence, a deep compassion for others, and an unwavering loyalty to her wide circle of friends and her family. These qualities helped her face challenges and adversity with uncomplaining courage.
Diane was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years, August Pieroni Jr.; by her parents; and by her younger brother, Joseph Mark Trinca.
She is survived by two children, Nicholas Scott Pieroni of El Dorado and Trinca Pieroni Amason of Junction City; her brother, Dr. Samuel A. Trinca, and his wife, Linda, of Monroe, Louisiana; her sisterin-law, Paula Trinca of Houston; two grandsons, Parker Amason and Scott Pieroni; a nephew; and many nieces.
She was cremated at her request.
A memorial service will take place at College Avenue Church of Christ at 11 a.m. today with Dan Williams and Kent Jobe officiating.
In lieu of flowers, Diane asked that memorials be made to College Avenue Church of Christ, 1817 N. College, El Dorado, SR 71730; to National Public Radio (NPR); or to the giver’s choice.
An online guest registry will be available at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.
ROBERT L. PRITCHARD JR.
Robert Lee Pritchard Jr., 86, of El Dorado, passed away April 28, 2017 at Life Touch Hospice in El Dorado.
He was born
Oct. 31,
1930 in Monti- cello, to the late Robert Lee Pritchard and Mary Marter Pritchard. He was a retired MSgt with the United States Air Force after serving more than 20 years.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Doris Funderburg; and four brothers, Dupree Pritchard, Herbert Pritchard, Harold Pritchard and Billy Pritchard.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy Pritchard of El Dorado; four daughters, Melody Pritchard (Debbie) of New Orleans, Tina Dixon of El Dorado, Robin Tolliver (Seth) of North Little Rock and Vickie Bice (Emmitt) of Springhill, Louisiana; grandchildren, Brian Bailey of Springhill, Devin Bailey of Odessa, Texas, Christina Dixon of Frisco, Texas, Casey Dixon of Magnolia, Abby Lofton of Thibodaux, Louisiana, Sela Wendell, Jude Pritchard-Rooney and Mahlet Wendell, all of New Orleans, Payton Tolliver and Presley Tolliver, both of North Little Rock; and five great-grandchildren.
A very special thank you to the staff at Life Touch Hospice and Dr. Matt Callaway, who provided care and support for over 20 years.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to Life Touch Hospice, 2301 Champagnolle Road, El Dorado, AR 71730. Arrangements
by StephensonDearman Funeral Home of Monticello. Online guestbook at www.stephensondearman.com.
RUBY G. WALKER
Ruby Glo Pratt Walker, of Nashville, Tennessee, formerly of El Dorado, died on Oct. 13, 2016.
Visitation will be the afternoon and evening on Thursday, May 4, in Little Rock, at the residence of her daughter, Pamela Walker, 2115 S. Broadway, Little Rock’s Quapaw Quarter, near the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion. Anyone who has anything made by Ruby Glo, please bring it, or wear it, if you can! Bring food instead of
flowers, and stay and tell stories!
A reception will be at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 5, at Young’s Funeral Directors, 508 Champagnolle Road, El Dorado, followed by a graveside inurnment at 2 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery with the Rev. Kent Kinard officiating.
(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).