Obituaries

OBITUARIES Information for the obituaries and funeral notices below was supplied to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Advertising Department by funeral homes. For more information including cost and deadlines contact the advertising department at (501) 378-3889.

BELLA VISTA — Lela F. Sandfort, age 105, a resident of Concordia Retirement Center in Bella Vista, passed away on Sept. 20.

Lela and her husband John moved to Bella Vista in 1979 after John’s retirement as head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at South Dakota State University. The couple helped to found the Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista and during her many years of church membership Lela served as a deacon and church elder and was a member of the chime and chancel choirs.

Lela belonged to the Bella Vista chapter of the P.E.O Sisterhood and was a member of Sigma Kappa sorority and a former member of the VFW Auxiliary. She was instrumental in organizing the local Dakota Club and for many years attended meetings of the Bella Vista chapter of the Military Officers Association of America with her husband John.

Lela formerly served on the board of directors of the Bella Vista Bluebird Society where she helped maintain the club’s bluebird nesting boxes and gave public information talks. She enjoyed community service and often worked as a volunteer at the Helping Hands thrift store in Bentonville. Her many friends will remember Lela as a caring, outgoing person who enjoyed helping others.

Lela grew up in Covington, Ohio, the daughter of Roy and Florence Shellabarger. She was grateful to have been raised by loving parents in a small town with a close-knit community. Lela played saxophone in high school and was a member of the Musical Maids, a dance band that played at venues in western Ohio. After graduation from high school, she attended business school and took a job in Dayton where she met her future husband, John.

Lela and John were married on Nov. 12, 1938, and lived in Columbus, Ohio, where John worked at Ohio State University. Soon afterwards, they moved to Ames, Iowa, when John took a position as an engineering professor at Iowa State University. John was called to active duty in WWII and Lela lived at a number of duty stations before John was deployed overseas. Following the war, Lela and John resumed their life in Ames. Lela was a member of

the Faculty Women’s Club at Iowa State and held a number of offices in that organization.

She and John were fond of big band music and were members of the Ames Red Friars Dance Club, a group that featured ballroom dancing. Lela’s greatest joy was being a loving mother and devoted wife. She was a Cub Scout den leader and gave her time freely to the raising of her two sons, John and David. Lela and her family moved to Brookings, S.D., in 1958 when her husband joined the teaching staff at South Dakota State University. She served as president of the Faculty Women’s Club at SDSU until her husband’s retirement.

Lela is survived by a son, David and his wife Anne, her grandson, Stephen and his wife Jennifer, and a great-grandson, Brandon.

A memorial service will be held at the Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista on Friday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Presbyterian Church of Bella Vista.

Arrangements are provided by Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory. Online condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.

MULBERRY — Henry Allen Drain, 63, of Mulberry, Ark., born Sept.11, 1955, to James and Sarah (Caudle) Drain, passed away Sept. 20, 2018.

He was a carpenter.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, John Anthony Drain. He is survived by his wife of 39 1/2 years, Halsayne Drain of the home; three sons Michael and wife Donna Drain of Mulberry, Ark., Craig and wife Heather of Alma, Ark., and Jonathon Drain of Fayetteville, Ark.; a daughter, Krista and Raymond Fenstermacher of North Carolina; a brother, James David Drain; and 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Graveside service will be

at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018, at Woolsey Cemetery in Westfork and viewing will be from 12:15-1 p.m. at the cemetery. For online tribute go to Lewisfuneralchapel.net.

PARIS — Lola Bench, 88, of Paris passed away Sunday. Visitation: 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, at Roller Funeral Home in Paris. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m., Thursday at the Church of Christ in Paris under the direction of Roller Funeral Home in Paris. Complete obituary at www.roller funeralhomes.com/paris.

PARIS — Reba Mae Curtis, 62, of Paris passed away Sunday. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018, at First Assembly of God in Paris. Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Wednesday at First Assembly of God under the direction of Roller Funeral Home in Paris. Complete obituary at www.rollerfuneral homes.com/paris.

ROGERS — Marilyn Pennington died Sept 20, 2018, peacefully in her own home in Rogers, Ark. She was born Nov. 8, 1934, in Springer, N.M.

She is survived by her son Randy L. Pennington and his wife Susan Pennington and daughter Danyel; one grandchild, Nathan T. Pennington and his wife Kristin Pennington and their son Case. Cremation arrangements are with Benton County Memorial Park Funeral Home of Rogers, Ark.

A family gathering may be held at a later date to honor her and her late husband Howard Babe Pennington. In Marilyn’s honor donations can be made to the Arkansas Hospice Foundation, 14 Parkstone Circle, North Little Rock, Ark., 72116, attention donations. Arrangements by Benton County Memorial Park Funeral Home, Rogers, Ark. Online guestbook: www. bentoncountymemorialpark. com.

ROGERS — D. Duane Schroeder, 84, of Rogers died Sept. 21, 2018, at Circle of Life Hospice in Bentonville. He was born May 20, 1934, in Sioux City, Iowa, to Lowell and Mary Dawson Schroeder.

He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1956. After serving in the Army he was employed by Payless Cashway Lumber for 25 years. He and his wife Marilyn moved to Rogers in 1983. He enjoyed gardening, cooking and was a volunteer at St. Mary’s Hospital for 16 years. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Rogers.

He was preceded in death by one sister, Lenore Doyle of Seattle, Wash. Survivors include his wife Marilyn, of the home; one daughter, Diana Tilley of Silverthorne, Colo.; two sons, Greg Schroeder of Rogers, Ark., and Dave Schroeder of Colorado Springs, Colo., and five grandchildren.

An outdoor celebration of D. Duane Schroeder’s life will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, at First United Methodist Church, Rogers. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Children’s Advocacy Center Benton County or the Mother’s Day Out at First United Methodist Church in Rogers. Private interment will be in the Rogers Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Benton County Funeral Home, 306 N. 4th Street, Rogers. Online condolences to www.bentoncountyfuneral home.com.

SPRINGDALE — Betty Dora Gabbard, age 89, passed away on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. She was born on June 11, 1929, in Fayetteville, Ark., to Boyd Ernest and Esther (Osborn) Wilson.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Floyd Eugene Gabbard; and her five brothers.

Betty was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. When she was five years old, she said that she was going to marry Floyd Gabbard and when the time was right, they married and lived happily for 62 years together.

She is survived by her three daughters, Connie Riner, Cathy Mayfield, and Vickie Parker, all of Fayetteville; one sister, Lila Mae Wilhite of Westville, Okla.; seven grandchildren, Lara Zardin and husband Keith, Lisa Stewart and husband Lenny, Matthew Mayfield, Bryan Gabbard and wife Shelley, Nicole Delaney and husband Jesse, Jesse Parker and wife Kimber, and Amy Tackett and husband Cal; seven

great-grandchildren, Fiona and Duncan Stewart, Devon Gabbard, Parker and Savannah Tackett, Abram and Henry Delaney; numerous nieces and nephews; and her nurses and caregivers at Providence Assisted Living.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org, or Willard Walker Hospice Home, www. wregional.com/hospice/ willard-walker-hospicehome. To place an online tribute, visit www.nelsonberna. com.

SPRINGDALE — Carol Jean Lanier, 62 of Springdale went to be with her Lord, Sept. 15, 2018, in Springdale. She was born July 26, 1956, the daughter of Elvis Ellis and Rose Thoma in Newport, Ark. Memorial Funeral Home of Springdale handled the cremation arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.memorialfhspringdale. com.

PINEVILLE, Mo. — Gerald Smith, 94, of Pineville, Mo., died Sept. 22, 2018, in Carthage. Gerald was a World War II veteran who served in the Army Services Forces from 1942 to 1946 under a special Engineer Detachment TEC 3. He worked on the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, N.M. Gerald is survived by his wife, Peggy Smith, children, grandchildren and great-granddaughter. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements are provided by Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory. Online condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.