ROGERS — Carl J. Earls

lived 93 years with almost all that in or close to Rogers, Ark. He was born December 21, 1929, in Peno, Okla., as the oldest surviving child of John Henry Earls and Lillie Mae Jones. He went to spend eternity with Willie on September 13, 2023.

He had six sisters and four brothers and is survived by sister – Vickie Diane Parra of Rowlett, Texas and brother Doyle Eugene “Gene” Earls of Arkoma, Okla. His sisters Pauline Earls, Opal Styles, Betty Sue Mantooth, Wanda Merrill, and Nadine Polk and brothers John Herman “Dee” Earls, Bobby Dee Earls and Jimmie Earls predeceased him. He also was predeceased by his stepmother Thelma Latimer Earls and stepsisters Betty Sue Queener and Mary Lou Dawes and is survived by stepbrother Joe Latimer of Conway, Ark., and stepsister Margie Warbourton of Oklahoma.

Carl’s formal education was limited to the fifth grade completing studies from Belle Grove Elementary School (Ft. Smith) in 1944. His formal education was limited by his early life in rural Cecil, Ark., the untimely death of his mother, and the Great Depression. He and his family traveled the southwest United States in a real-life Grapes of Wrath harvesting crops from Illinois to California. In 1947, his travels led him to Monte Ne, Ark. to work on his Uncle Carl Jones’ sharecropper farm. While there he met Willie Stanphill who lived with her family on the White River just outside of Monte Ne. After one final trip across the country working the harvests, Carl returned to Monte Ne. Carl and Willie were illegally married on December 18, 1948. Carl was too young (at 18) to marry in the State of Arkansas without his father’s permission. His uncle forged parental permission. During their 71-year marriage, Carl and Willie never lived more than 10 miles from where they met. Carl lived his final years adjacent to Horseshoe Bend on Beaver Lake - within sight of where he met Willie.

Three children survive Carl: Janice, Curtis, and Garry as well as two daughters-inlaw, Jill Webb Earls and Myra Lingle Earls who all live in Northwest Arkansas. Carl also has six grandchildren – Mike Earls (wife Rachel Avants) of Rogers, Ty Earls (wife Amy Coffey) of Kingsport, Tenn., and Jon Earls of St Louis, Mo., Scott Davenport and Ryan Davenport of Rogers, and Abby Davenport (husband Zach Falkenberry) from Fayetteville. Four great-grandchildren – Erin Earls, Lillian Chicco (husband Trevor Chicco), and Kyler Earls (husband Adrien Walker) who live in northeast Tennessee and Hallie Earls of Seattle, Wash., also survive him. Carl has one great-great grandchild, Emilia Rose Chicco of Kingsport, Tenn. Uncle Carl has numerous nieces and nephews spread across Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.

At age 18 Carl started his career working as a sharecropper growing chickens, tomatoes, and strawberries on Dempsey Henry’s farm on Frisco Hill outside of Monte Ne. He suffered a catastrophic loss during a period of low prices and moved into town to be first a delivery truck driver and later warehouse foreman for the J.O. Rand Grocery Company. After the advent of supermarkets in the 60s and the subsequent restructuring of neighborhood grocery stores, Carl spent a short time working for the Harris Baking Company. With the rapid growth in Northwest Arkansas in the 60’s Carl returned to work for Dempsey Henry and taught himself to operate heavy construction equipment. Some say he was the first backhoe operator in Benton County. He said that couldn’t be true, someone showed him the controls. It is certainly true that he was the most proficient backhoe operator, building many of the homes around Benton County that people live in today.

In retirement Carl spent his time visiting with family, fishing, watching Cardinal’s baseball, and observing national politics on CNN. He believed strongly in the life values of working hard, telling the truth, and loyalty. He lived those values to the end of his life. He taught his children these values and expected everyone to live them. Carl valued truth telling in everyone but most especially in politicians. He loved everyone — except liars and hypocrites.

Carl remained fiercely loyal to his family, friends, country, and the Cardinals. So loyal that he was willing to tell them when they made mistakes. This was especially true of the Cardinals.

Carl read every word of every obituary published in the newspaper and celebrated the lives of his friends preceding him on this page. He would have expected you to read this obituary all the way to the end and would be happy that you did.

Carl didn’t ask for special considerations and never accepted charity but if you want to donate to Circle of Life Hospice Home at Legacy Village in Bentonville his family would appreciate it. These folks looked after both Carl and Willie in their final hours and are a blessing.

Visitation Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Benton County Funeral Home, 306 N. 4th, Rogers, with Graveside service at 2 p.m. at Benton County Memorial Park, Rogers, Ark. Online condolences to www.bentoncountyfuneralhome.com.