BENTONVILLE — Milda Jean Petway

was born Dec. 6, 1927, in Coal Hill, Ark. She was the oldest of five children born to William Clyde “Tom” Cline and Odus Marie Drew Cline and was truly a”coal miner’s daughter.” She passed from this earth Nov.29, 2020, just days short of her 93rd birthday. She died surrounded by her caregivers at Innisfree Nursing and Rehab with no family present due to covid restrictions.

She married Kenneth Petway also of Coal Hill on June 1, 1946, and they were blessed with 72 years together before his passing Feb. 2, 2019. Their early years were spent in San Diego, Calif., where Kenneth was stationed with the Navy, then Clarksville, Ark., where he attended pharmacy school and finally to Rogers, Ark., in 1949 which remained their home while operating the Corner Rexall Drug until retirement and through their remaining days.

They lived happily together devoted to their family with her running the ship and him never arguing with her. Her health forced her to move into the nursing home in 2012 with Kenneth living in their home and visiting her every day until he joined her in the nursing home after breaking his hip. They were members of the Downtown Church of Christ and then Southside Church of Christ.

Milda was a loving and devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a beautiful and generous woman known for her good cooking, her meticulous home, her amazing memory and took pride in her appearance and being well dressed.

She was outgoing and never met a stranger. If she met you, she would remember your name and your birthday if she knew that. If family and friends needed help with recalling any details, they would contact her.

In her younger years she was always busy and full of energy sometimes getting herself into predicaments, like falling down a hill at Lake Atalanta and dislocating her shoulder running after her grandson who she was afraid was going to fall in the lake, getting locked in a storage shed at her home for hours before her husband got home from work to hear her yelling for help, once crawling into her teenage grandson’s Jeep and getting zipped up and trapped inside, backing out of her driveway into a Schwan’s truck (which she didn’t tell us about for years) and a few fireworks mishaps.

Family that passed before her were her parents; husband Kenneth; brother Bill Cline; sisters Clara Wisdom and Sharon Ash; son Kenneth Stephen “Steve” Petway; daughter-in-law Diana Petway; and stillborn grandson Mack Benjamin Denny.

Those left to cherish her memory are daughter Linda (Earl) Denny; grandchildren Lance (Karon) Nicholas, Heath Nicholas (Russ Dietz), Jordan Denny (Caleb Payne), Drew (Jamie Lynn) Denny; great-grandchildren Denny Marie, Wyatt Michael and Harleigh Jane Payne and Mattox Row and Miles Pratt Denny; sister Rita (Jim) Vaughan of Springfield, Mo.; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.

According to her wishes there will be family service at Benton County Funeral Home, 306 N. 4th, Rogers, and interment in Benton County Memorial Park. Online condolences to www.bentoncountyfuneralhome.com.