DEATHS
MARY WATSON
NAPLES, Texas—Mary Vauncille Watson, 88, of Naples died Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017, in Naples.
Mrs. Watson was born March 21, 1928, in New Boston, Texas. She was a retired nurse and a member of First Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, William “Bill” Watson.
Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Dee and Don Hollister of Greenville, Texas, and Alicia and Randy Teal of Naples; one stepdaughter and stepson-in-law, Lynda and Gary Sims of Bryans Mill, Texas; one sister and brotherin-law, Maxine and Buddy Bobo of Texarkana; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a number of other relatives.
Services will be 2 p.m. today at Harrison Funeral Home Chapel with Tim Anderson officiating. Burial will be in Springhill Cemetery.
ROBERT PURTLE
Robert H. Purtle, 92, of Texarkana, Texas, died Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, in Carrollton, Texas.
Mr. Purtle was born July 10, 1924, in New Boston, Texas. He was retired from Red River Army Depot, a Baptist deacon and Sunday school teacher, church bus driver, founding member of Wake Village Masonic Lodge, World War II Army veteran and past member of the Texas National Guard. He was preceded in death by his wife, Roberta Purtle.
Survivors include two daughters, Karen Bennett of Carrollton and Sandy Luker of Eden Prairie, Minn.; one brother, Samuel Purtle of McKinney, Texas; five grandchildren, Mike Luker, Jeff Luker, Jeni Luker, Kyle Bennett and Ashley Bennett; and two great-granddaughters, Penny Luker and Olivia Luker.
Services will be 11 a.m. today at Texarkana Funeral Home, Texas, with the Rev. David Martin officiating. Burial with Masonic rites will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Visitation will be 10 to 11 a.m. today at the funeral home.
LOIS BYARS
LIBERTY, Texas—Lois Mae Byars, 54, of Texarkana, Texas, died Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
Mrs. Byars was born Dec. 5, 1962, in Germany. She was owner of PLC Construction and a member of Family Word Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clifford Taft.
Survivors include three sons and two daughters-in-law, Rocky Byars, Eddie and Gabrielle Presnull and Dustin and Emily Taft; two daughters and one son-in-law, Candice Presnull and Bridgette and Justin Kelley; her mother, Dorothy Presnull; one brother, Eddie Presnull; two sisters, Patricia Edwards and Debbie Ables; and five grandchildren.
Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cornerstone Church. Burial will be in Fairlawn Cemetery under direction of Allison Funeral Service.
Visitation will be noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the church.
Online registration is at allisonfuneralservice.com.
EDWARD MEIER
HUGHES SPRINGS, Texas— Edward “John” Meier Jr., 82, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, died Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, in Mount Pleasant.
Mr. Meier was born Oct. 29, 1934, in Utopia, Kan. He was preceded in death by a grandson, Dusty Meier.
Survivors include his wife, Constance Meier; two sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Lynn Meier and Jim and Brenda Meier; four daughters and two sons-in-law, Christine and Jack Davidson, Gale and Ron Johnson, Janey Meier and Cindy Jessee; 14 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be 2 p.m. today in Dennis Cemetery. Burial will be under direction of Reeder-Davis Funeral Home.
Online registration is at reeder-davis.com.
NORMA HARWELL
Norma Gay Harwell, 80, of Texarkana, Ark., died Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, at her home.
Mrs. Harwell was born Nov. 10, 1936, in Malvern, Ark. She was a retired Department of Corrections accounting tech and a member of Church of Love. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Harwell, and one son, Reuben Harwell.
Survivors include one daughter, Anita Harwell of Texarkana, Ark.; one sister, Charlotte Hilland of Texarkana, Texas; one grandson and granddaughter-in-law, Brandon and Sarah Harwell of Queen City, Texas; one granddaughter, Lori Brown of Hooks, Texas; four great-grandchildren, Dylan Brown, J.D. Obenoskey, Brandon Harwell Jr. and Cameron Harwell; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be 2 p.m Thursday at Church of Love with Mark Sullivan officiating. Arrangements are under direction of Texarkana Funeral Home, Texas.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Sterling Crest.
Memorials may be made to Church of Love, 2508 Rose St., Texarkana, AR 71854.
ERNESTINE HAWKINS-JETTON
Ernestine Hawkins-Jetton, 77, of Ashdown, Ark., died Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in a Texarkana hospital.
Mrs. HawkinsJetton was born Aug. 12, 1939, in Ashdown. She was a homemaker and a member of Community Freewill Baptist Church, Ashdown. Survivors include her husband, Lee Jetton of Ashdown; three sons, Ray Jetton of Texarkana, Texas, Sylvester Ricks of Vicksburg, Miss., and Ronnie Hartfield Jr. of Ashdown; three daughters, Deloris Hawkins, Tracy Hawkins, and Colisa Jetton of Ashdown; two brothers, Harry Hooks Jr. of Los Angeles and Lee Hawkins of Texarkana; two sisters, Christine Williams of Los Angeles and Laura Mae Burris of Texarkana; 18 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be 11 a.m. today at Community Free Will Ministries, Ashdown, with Anthony Nelson Sr. officiating. Burial will be in Rhodes Cemetery under direction of Lyles Funeral Home.
Online registration is at lylesfuneralhome.com.
JAMES DOWNS
LINDEN, Texas—James Thomas Downs, 67, of Lanier, Texas, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017.
Mr. Downs was born Sept. 25, 1949.
Survivors include his wife, Kitty Rose Downs; two sons, Woody Belcher and Clint Belcher; two daughters, Holly Lynn and Tanna Syzdek; 13 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Private services will be held at a later date.
Online registration is at reeder-davis.com.
PEGGY CLIFT
Peggy Sue Clift, 75, of Texarkana, Ark., died Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, at a local hospital.
Mrs. Clift was born March 27, 1941, in Texarkana, Ark.
Survivors include her husband, Derrill Clift of Texarkana; four sons, Ricky Clift, Jock Clift and Derrill Clift of Texarkana and Jason Clift of New Boston, Texas; two daughters, Tina Taylor of Fouke, Ark., and Dawn Wang of Marietta, Ga.; three sisters, Mary Wheeler of Texarkana, Texas, Patricia Hinds of Texarkana, Ark., and Janice Waggoner of Genoa, Ark.; and three brothers, Butch Cates of Texarkana, Ark., Buddy Cates of New Boston and Ray Cates of Genoa.
Memorial services will be 4 p.m. today at Clear Lake Baptist Church, Wake Village, Texas. Arrangements are under direction of Haynes Mortuary.
Online registration is at haynesmortuary.com.
DERRICK JOHNSON
Derrick Johnson, 40, of Texarkana, Ark., died Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, at a Little Rock, Ark., hospital.
Arrangements are pending with Richardson Hill Funeral Home.
NICKY BROWN
Nicky Alan Brown Sr., 63, of Wake Village, Texas, died Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, at a local hospice.
Mr. Brown was born Nov. 13, 1953, in Texarkana, Ark. He was a former employee of Crow Burlingame and a member of Chapelwood United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Lakin Brown.
Survivors include three sons, Nicky Brown Jr. of Dallas, Shane Brown of Texarkana, Ark., and Jason Brown of Ashdown, Ark.; his mother, Margaret Brown of Nash, Texas; his twin sister, Nancy Luman of Texarkana, Texas; two brothers, Kenny Brown of Texarkana, Texas, and Gary Brown of Nash; four grandchildren; the mother of his children, Connie Pritchett-Brown of Texarkana, Ark., and a number of other relatives.
Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Chapelwood Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Scott Neathery officiating. Burial will be in Chapelwood Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Online registration is at chapelwoodfuneralhome.com.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Texarkana, 2407 Galleria Oaks Drive, Texarkana, TX 75503.
FLOYDIA FULKS
HOPE, Ark. — Floydia Fulks, 71, of Prescott, Ark., died Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, at a Prescott nursing home.
Arrangements are pending with Hicks Funeral Home.
MARY HARRISON
HOPE, Ark.—Mary L. Harrison of Prescott, Ark., died Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, in Joshua, Texas.
Arrangements are pending with Herndon-Pharr Funeral Home.
Online registration is at pharrfuneralhomes.com.
OLLIE MACK
MAGNOLIA, Ark.—Ollie Mack, 83, of Stamps, Ark., died Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017, at a Stamps nursing home.
Arrangements are pending with R.L. Reed Funeral Home.
TOMMIE BYRD
HOPE, Ark.—Tommie Byrd, 100, of Spring Hill, Ark., died Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, at a local hospital.
Arrangements are pending with Brazzel/Oakcrest Funeral Home.
Online registration is at brazzelfuneralhomes.com.
SANDRA COPELAND
Sandra Copleland, 56, of Texarkana, Ark., died Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, at a local hospital.
Arrangements are pending with Texarkana Funeral Home, Texas.
ERNEST ROBERSON
ATLANTA, Texas—Ernest Roberson Sr., 69, of Bloomburg, Texas, died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, at his home.
Arrangements are pending with Coleman-Atlanta Funeral Home.