Obituaries
Reminder of Services
ELLEN M. BELL Relatives and friends of the family of Ellen Manasco Samaha Bell are invited to attend the visitation from 9 a.m. until funeral mass time at 11 a.m. today at Holy Family Catholic Church, 155 Holy Family Lane, Luling, Louisiana. Interment will follow in St. Charles Cemetery, Luling, Louisiana.
CHARLES E. HAY Memorial services for Minister Charles Earl Hay, 70, of El Dorado, will be held at 5 p.m. today at St. James VOF Building with Supt. Herman Hays, officiating. Cremation services provided by Sims Mortuary. Sign guestbook online at www.simsmortuary.com.
BOB MADDOX Funeral services for Bob Maddox, 80, of El Dorado will be at 11 a.m. today at Douglas Chapel Baptist Church with the Rev. D. L. Hegler officiating. Interment in Rest Haven Cemetery under the direction of Sims Mortuary.
DOROTHY M. MODEST Services for Dorothy Mae Fields-Modest, 73, will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Woodlawn Baptist Church in Farmerville, Louisiana, with the Rev. Adrian Nelson officiating. Interment will follow at the Gumspring Cemetery in Farmerville. Visitation will be held from 2-5:30 p.m. today and family hour (wake) from 6-7 p.m. at the Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Farmerville. Services entrusted to Memorial Funeral Home in Farmerville.
ALICE J. TASH Services for Alice Jean Henry Tash of Hot Springs, formerly of El Dorado, will be at 11 a.m. today in Andrews Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Roy C. Aaron officiating. Burial will follow in New Home Cemetery in Lillie, Louisiana, under the direction of Andrews Funeral Home. All public viewing will be after the service.
MITTIE L. WRIGHT Mittie Lee Wright, 98, of El Dorado, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, at Timberlane Health and Rehab.
Services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Young’s Chapel with the Rev. Connor Garlington and the Rev. David Mitchell officiating. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. until service time. Burial will follow at Smackover Cemetery under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
Memorials may be made to Harmony Baptist Church, 4268 Junction City Hwy., El Dorado, AR 71730, Arkansas Baptist Children’s Home, 10 Remington Dr., Little Rock, AR 72204, or to the John R. Williamson Hospice House, 2301 Champagnolle Rd., El Dorado, AR 71730.
An online guest registry will be available at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.
Obituaries
OLA P. FOSTER Ola Pearl Foster, 90, of El Dorado passed on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017 at the Medical Center of South Arkansas. She was born on Dec. 21, 1926 in El Dorado, to Mattie Rogers Tatum and Arthur Tatum. She was a member of Zion Watch Missionary Baptist Church where she served on the Usher Board for over 60 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Eddie James Foster; her parents, two sisters, Ruth Pierce and Willie Esther Pierce; three brothers, Ollie B. Tatum, R.B. Tatum and Grady Tatum. She is survived by her son Charles Foster of El Dorado; daughter, Bobbie Moore of El Dorado; sister, Margaret Davis of Fresno, California.
Public Visitation Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. at Sims Mortuary. Funeral services Saturday, Sept.16, 2017 at 3 p.m. at Zion Watch Baptist Church. Interment Zion Watch Cemetery under the direction of Sims Mortuary. Sign the guestbook online at www.simsmortuary.com.
WILLIE MARTIN Willie Martin was born on Dec. 28, 1951 in McNeil, Arkansas. He became a member of Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church at an early age. He served with the United States Air Force from March 11, 1971 to March 16, 1976. He specialized in refrigeration and A&C; 15 years telephone technician; 10 years apartment maintenance & 25 years of carpentry. He was preceded in death by his mother, Lennie Pace and Father Wiler Martin; and his god-daughter Destiny “Dee-Dee” Davis. Willie leaves to cherish his memories wife Alice Martin, a special friend of 15 years Donna Janell Brown; two sisters, Doris Young and Willie Faye Dale of El Dorado and one brother Jimmie Faye Manning (Sophia) of Lancaster, Texas. He also leaves a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.
Public visitation will be Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 from 2-5 p.m. at Sims Mortuary. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017 at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in El Dorado with Pastor John Elliott, officiating. Interment will be in St. Matthew Cemetery in McNeil, Arkansas under the direction of Sims Mortuary. Sign guestbook online at www.simsmortuary.com.
JAMES G. SIMPSON James Grady Simpson was carried by angels to his Heavenly home on Sept. 13, 2017, around 4:30 a.m., shortly after reporting to work at J&K Trucking. James, age 73, was retired from the El Dorado Fire Department and was a retired Farrier. He was the president of the Strickland Hunting Club and an active member of Parkview Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Terrie Simpson; his two daughters, Renee Gardner (Randy) and Jamie Hanks (Brandon Johnson); grandchildren, April Hughes, Brandon Hughes, and Justin Dison (Tiffany Pennington); the mother of his children, Janet Womack; and their grandmother, Pauline Moore; siblings, Johnny Simpson (Evelyn), Kathryn Marie Pennington, and Mary Ellen Slater (Don); his aunt, Mae Parrot; a slew of cousins, nieces, and nephews; and his four legged companions, Jill (his mule), and Comet (his horse).
He is preceded by his parents, Bruce and Ethel Simpson; his second wife, Paula Simpson; an adopted son, David Simpson; and siblings, Martha Jane Malley, Georgia Cora Brown, Betty Joyce Smith, Barry Junior Simpson, Marilyn Ann Johnson, and Linda Morales.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, at Parkview Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be 3 p.m. Saturday at the church with the Rev. Ken Overton officiating. Burial will follow at Means Cemetery in Calhoun County under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
Serving as pallbearers will be Mike Strickland, P.O. Oliver, Coy Chandler, Blake Bryant, Larry Strickland and Tom Harrell. Honorary pallbearers will be cousins Bobby Oliver and Fizhugh Strickland.
An online guest registry will be available at www.youngsfunerahome.com.
SHERWOOD THURLKILL Sherwood Thurlkill, 78, of El Dorado went to be with his heavenly Father surrounded by friends and family on
Sept. 13, 2017.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter & Betha Thurlkill.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Frances Thurlkill; his sons, Kevin and Greg Thurlkill; his daughter, Shanna McLelland; two granddaughters, Cara and Haley, and many cherished friends and relatives.
He was a faithful member of Mt. Union Baptist Church where he taught Sunday school and drove the bus for the Golden Agers. He loved gardening, camping and fishing on Lake Chicot. He will always be remembered for being the best mechanic around.
Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017 at Mt. Union Baptist Church with Bro. John Aires officiating. Burial will follow at Smyrna Cemetery under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. until service time at the church.
A special thanks to Dr. Pipkin, Theresa McDonald, APRN and the ICU staff at MCSA.
An online guest registry will be available at www.youngsfuneral.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).