Obituaries
Notice of Passing NAMEN THOMAS
Namen Thomas, 53, of El Dorado, passed away for May 4, 2017 at St. Vincent in Little Rock. Arrangements for funeral service will be announced by Sims Mortuary, Inc.
Reminder of Services
VIRGINIA JONES
The funeral for Virginia Jones of Waldo, will be held 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 6 at St. Matthew Baptist Church, Col 62 W, McNeil, AR with burial to follow in St. Matthew Cemetery under the direction of Henderson Funeral Service. Public viewing at the end of the service only. Online guestbook available at www.hendersonsmortuary.com.
RUBY G. WALKER
A reception for Ruby Glo Pratt Walker, of Nashville, Tennessee, formerly of El Dorado, will be at 1 p.m. today 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.
Obituaries NORMA J. JERRY
Norma Jean Jerry, 85, of El Dorado, passed away Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at the Medical Center of South Arkansas. She was born at home as so many were in that day. She grew up near Old Hillsboro area and after marriage continued her life there, raising three children and three of her grandchildren.
Many times Jean talked about the simpler way of life that she and her siblings enjoyed growing up. She would say “we had nothing, but no one else did either” and we were all happy and felt blessed.
Jean attended Pleasant Grove School thru the 8th grade and completed her education at El Dorado High School when consolidation of schools began. Immediately afterwards she met R.J. Jerry who stole her heart and became the love of her life, six months later on April 30, 1948, they married and enjoyed 69 years together. She enjoyed good times and endured sad times in her journey of life. Her children and grandchildren will always remember her devotion to family, her strength of character and her unconditional love for each of them. She was the rock of the family. Belief in her Lord and Savior will always be remembered by loved ones and her many friends.
Preceding her in death are her parents, George and Grace Murray Woods; husband, R.J. Jerry; children, Judith Annette Jerry, Joanna Jerry Bryan; grandson, J.P. Bryan; great granddaughter, Miranda Anne Jerry; sister, Edna Price; and brother, Malcolm Woods.
Survivors include her sons, Thomas Lynn Jerry (Vivian), Danny Ray Jerry (JoAnn), sister, Mary Waldo; grandchildren, Jan Loftin (Todd), Dawn Dickson (Matt Benjamin), Mark Jerry (Jennifer), Candace Hargis (Keith), Elizabeth Ramey (Chris), Casie Eads, great grandchildren, Scott Loftin (Allyson), Hunter Dickson, Ashlynn Dickson, Bradley Rockefeller, Jenna Rockefeller, Logan Patton, Jaxson Hargis, Nolan Hargis, Addison Dopson, Lee Ann Ramey, Katie Eads, Kyle Eads; and great, great granddaughter, Averi Belle Loftin.
Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, May 5, 2017, at Young’s.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 6, 2017, at Young’s Chapel with Rev. Robert Lee and Bro. Tommy Robertson officiating. Burial will follow at Liberty Cemetery under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
Memorials may be made to Liberty Cemetery, 2911 Lawson Rd., El Dorado, AR 71730 or Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 2175 Pleasant Grove Rd., El Dorado, AR 71730.
An online guest registry will be available at www. youngsfuneralhome.com.
LARUE H. PHILLIPS
LaRue Hines Phillips, 81, of Bryan, Texas, formerly of El Dorado, passed away Monday,
May 1,
2017.
She was born August
1, 1935 in El Dorado to L.
J. “Big Boy” Hines and Prettice Clay Hines.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Jack Hines of Houston, Texas.
She graduated from El Dorado High School in 1953 having served on the staff of the Hi-Gusher, the school newspaper. In 1956 she graduated from Warner Brown School of Nursing. This was the start of a nursing career that would span at least 40 years. She worked for a time in the office of Dr. Jacob Ellis later serving as his private duty nurse. She worked at Warner Brown Hospital until the new Union Memorial Hospital (now Medical Center of South Arkansas) was built. She first worked on the 2nd Floor of the new hospital but soon was put in charge of the Recovery Room where she spent the majority of her career.
She enjoyed the friendship and respect of many doctors and nurses throughout her career. An avid
Razorback fan, especially when her brother played, she delighted in a friendly rivalry with the equally avid Longhorn fan, Dr. J. C. Callaway, in the glory days of the Southwest Conference. Each year’s match-up between the two teams brought much anticipation about who could outdo whom with pranks using team memorabilia as props. She cherished the friendship of many fellow nurses during her career. She had an acute sense of attention to detail which served her well as she insisted on the best care possible for her patients and in helping train new nurses and doctors.
After moving to College Station, Texas in the late 1990’s to be near children and grandchildren she continued to make friends easily with new neighbors. She very much enjoyed the opportunity for a closer relationship with her aunt, Mary Hines Sicilio, and her husband Fred.
She loved tending to her plants and the “granddogs” she inherited. She will be greatly missed by her longtime neighbor, Diane Church.
After moving to Carriage Inn in Bryan in 2016 she continued making fast friends. Her spunk and sass will be missed by all the staff of Carriage Inn as well as her new friends and table partners, Ms. Pearl Britten and Ms. Annie Garrett.
She is survived by her brother, Glen Ray Hines, Sr., and wife Jody of Fayetteville; son Kevin Phillips and wife Kathleen of Bryan, Texas; daughter Deena Hardin and husband Scott of Magnolia; grandson Miller Hardin and wife Shae of Austin, Texas; granddaughter Afton Hardin of Grand Cane, La.; great granddaughter Lorelei HardinMartinez of Magnolia; and several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Elizabeth C. Berigan of Bryan, and her staff, for their wonderful care of and attention to LaRue throughout her time in the area. Thanks also go to John Googer, Maggie Alexander, and all the staff of Carriage Inn for making her transition there such a happy experience.
Special thanks also go to the doctors, nurses, and staff of B-wing in the Critical Care Unit of St. Joseph’s Regional Health Center, and Hospice Brazos Valley, for their care of her in her last days.
Graveside services will be Saturday, May 6, at 2:00 pm at Rest Haven Memorial Park in El Dorado, the Reverend David Prothro officiating under the direction of Young's Funeral Directors.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association or Hospice Brazos Valley of Bryan, Texas.
An online guest registry will be available at www. youngsfuneralhome.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 870-862-6611).