Obituaries
Dean M. Bauer
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — The Rev. Dean M. Bauer, 64, of Hot Springs Village, died Monday, March 27, 2017.
Arrangements will be announced by Gross Funeral Home.
Donna L. Burden
Donna Lynn Burden, 63, of Hot Springs, died March 28, 2017.
Arrangements are by Caruth Hale Funeral Home.
Nina L.L. Crouse
Nina Louise Lee Crouse, age 86, of Hot Springs, died Sunday evening, March 26, 2017, at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs. She was born in Malvern on May 29, 1930, to the late Roy Lee and Marcella Williams Lee. Reared and educated here, she was a 1947 graduate of Malvern High School. After rearing her family, she worked nearly 20 years as secretary for the Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI). She was a member of First Baptist Church in Hot Springs. An avid reader, she particularly enjoyed mysteries and Christian books. She was the widow of the late Norman Crouse, to whom she was married on April 20, 1950, in Malvern. He preceded her in death on June 23, 2009.
Her survivors include three sons, Reggie Crouse and his wife, Elaine, of Little Rock, Mike Crouse and his wife, Ann, of Livingston, Texas, and Kevin Crouse and his wife, Mary, of Alexandria, Va.; two grandchildren, Sara Ramos and Jeremy Crouse; and three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Jo Gibbs, of Malvern, and Carolyn Jones, of Houston, Texas.
Mrs. Crouse was also preceded in death by a sister, Theresa Bailey.
Funeral services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, March 30, 2017, in the chapel of J.A. Funk Funeral Home with the Rev. Wallace Yamauchi officiating.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Hot Springs.
Online condolences may be sent via http://jafunkfuneralhome.com.
Winifred Egleston
MOUNT IDA — Winifred Egleston, age 87, of Mount Ida, passed away March 28, 2017.
She was born Aug. 16, 1929, to James and Renna Wright. Winifred is preceded in death by her father, James Edmund Wright, and mother, Renna Cleola Newcomb. Two brothers: Coy Wright, of Amity, and Andrew Wright, of Oklahoma. Four sisters: Estelle Dillard, of Oklahoma, Arlene Todd Nunes, of California, Evanelle Story, of Oregon, Ruth Stanley, of Oregon.
Survivors include: husband for 69 years, John Horace Egleston, of Mount Ida, Ark.; daughter: Johnette (Doyle) Rowland, Sims, Ark.; sons: Randy (Jay) Egleston, Mount Ida, Ark., and Gary (Gina) Egleston, Jessieville, Ark. Sister: Brooks Carpenter (Ray), North Ridgeville, Ohio. Grandchildren: Shane Stovall, Stacy Landers, Chase Egleston, Shannon Rowland, Jennifer Walden, Jessica Barton and Courtney Weiler. Great-grandchildren: Shawna Stovall, Drake Stovall, Bailee Landers, Molly Rackley, Kara Rowland, Whitley Egleston, Lauren Rowland, Axton Egleston, T.J. Walden, Ty Walden and Mattie Walden, Heather Barton, Leah Barton and Tomi Barnett. Great-great-grandchild: Cloe White.
Winifred loved to crochet. She was one of the first successful business women in this area. Winifred started her floral business, Mount Ida Floral, on July 17, 1963, and retired in 1994. After 54 years, Mount Ida Floral is still family owned and family operated.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at the Thornton Funeral Home Chapel, Mount Ida.
Service will be held 2 p.m. Friday March 31, 2017, at First Baptist Church, Mount Ida, Gary Egleston and Mike Adams will be officiating. Final resting place will be at the Owley Cemetery.
Pallbearers are: Chase Egleston, Shane Stovall, Shannon Rowland, Ty Walden, T.J. Walden, Jason Walden and Lonnie Landers. Honorary pallbearers are the staff of the Montgomery County Nursing Home.
Arrangements were made under the direction of Thornton Funeral Home of Mount Ida, Ark. Guest register at http:// www.thorntonfh.com.
Martha A. Garrison
ALPINE — Martha Ann Garrison, age 69, of Alpine, passed away Sunday, March 26, 2017.
She was born Dec. 20, 1947, in Willow, Ark., the daughter of Andy B. Westfall and Martha Mae Gilbert Westfall. On Nov. 8, 2000, she was married to Marvin E. Garrison, who preceded her in death on Nov. 7, 2016. She was also preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Andy Westfall Jr.; and her sister, Shirley Ennis.
She enjoyed attending the Glenwood Senior Citizens Center.
She is survived by three daughters, Paulette Sanchez, of Hot Springs, Suzette Brown, of Malvern, and Bobbie Jo Bates, of Alpine; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one brother, Larry Westfall, of Willow; and two sisters, Rita Kimes, of North Little Rock, and Debra Jane Borjas, of Glenwood.
Services will be at 3 p.m. today in the Davis-Smith Funeral Home chapel, Glenwood, with Brother Bob Huggins officiating.
Visitation will be held 2 p.m. today until service time, at the funeral home.
Interment will be in the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at noon Thursday.
Guest registry is at http:// www.davis-smith.com.
Sarah J. Hart
Our precious Sarah J. “GiGi” Hart went home to be with the Lord March 27, 2017.
She was born July 22, 1961, in Searcy, Ark., to John Robert and Nancy Ann (Nearing) Gregory. Sarah was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, who will be so dearly missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to have known her.
Sarah started working in finance and banking with Stephens Brothers before settling on the postal service for 15 years. She was very active and held different positions in the rural route union and was active in her knowledge and support for rural carriers.
Sarah’s favorite passion was loving and shopping for her children and grandchildren, as well as all her family.
She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Catherine and Guy Nearing; and paternal grandparents; Edna and Charles Gregory.
Sarah is survived by parents, John and Nancy Gregory, of Carlisle, Ark.; husband of 35 years, Doug Hart, of Hot Springs; son, Scott Hart (Chasity), of Highland, Ark.; daughter, Molly Broyles (Chase), of Hot Springs; sisters, Sally Gregory, of Joplin, Mo., Susan Powers (Jed), of Sarasota, Fla.; grandchildren, Vanessa Hawley, Caleb Farrar, Caleigh Farrar, Cason Farrar; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Sarah’s life will be 2 p.m. Friday at Caruth Hale Funeral Home chapel with Brother William Flynn officiating.
Guests may register at http:// www.caruth-hale.com.
Gary Jones
Dr. Gary Jones, 91, of Hot Springs, died March 27, 2017.
A celebration of life will be 2 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Lacy Sellars officiating.
Arrangements are by Caruth Hale Funeral Home.
W. Richard Loyd Jr.
William Richard Loyd Jr., age 77, peacefully went to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday, March 24, 2017.
Richard, the oldest of five, was born a new year’s baby at Highland hospital in Shreveport, La., on Jan. 1, 1940, to the late William Richard Loyd Sr. (Bill) and Audria Inez (Allen) Loyd. He lived his life for the Lord and was a member of Hot Springs Baptist Church. He loved socializing with his church family.
Richard is predeceased by his loving wife, Lois J. Loyd; parents, Bill and Inez Loyd; brother, Dewey Loyd; brothers-in-law, Carrol Guillory, Sonny Ingram; mother-in-law, Eva Ingram; sister-in-law, Faye Ponte; son-inlaw, Willis Teagarden; nephews, Jimmy Banks and Jerry Schultz; and great-niece, Crystal Baker.
He graduated from Fairpark High School in Shreveport, La., and attended Ouachita Baptist University where he met his beautiful bride of 55 years, Lois Jean Loyd. He was known for his beautiful blue eyes and looked like a “young Elvis.” They both graduated from OBU as music majors and married in 1960. They spent their honeymoon at Humphries Dairy, where they lived in an upstairs apartment and Richard worked as a milkman while Lois did her practice teaching in Hot Springs.
They both devoted their lives to their various churches as ministers of music and made many lifelong cherished friends. In addition to his church music ministry, Richard was also a band director. He taught and mentored many students over the years, becoming a father figure to some, many with whom he stayed in contact with his whole life. He thought of them all as his children. There were countless band trips, parades, majorettes, drum majors, football halftime shows, marching competitions and concerts. At the same time, his wife Lois, was the music teacher in the same schools. Together they kept busy planning choir performances, going to competitions, and always had a Spring and Christmas production to put together every year. They did all of this while also being choir director and piano player at their churches, putting together choir performances for children, youth and adult choirs, also traveled and did the music for revivals. Their life and home were always filled with music and students from Arkadelphia, McCrory, Corning and Mufreesboro, Ark. Richard also would serve as a park ranger every summer during school break at Lake Greeson in Murfreesboro and was a Boy Scout leader while in Corning.
Richard decided to pursue a second career of becoming an Arkansas State Trooper at age
33 in 1972, moving the family to Hot Springs. He was ASP Cpl. W. Richard Loyd and assigned with Highway Patrol Troop K, Garland County, badge N0.
54 then later K-9. Richard was also a member of the Troop K SWAT team and in charge of public relations, where he did drug workshops for young people at school, churches and college to educate them about the dangers of drugs. He also was in charge of attending and cataloging every fatality in Garland County. He was the kind of policeman that would invite people he stopped to church, pick up a hitchhiker and take him to church with us, and was still the music director, even if he was on duty in full uniform. He used to joke with the congregation, “Alright folks, you know what I’ve got here (grabbing his holster at his side even though he, of course, locked his firearm in his patrol car), now I better see everyone in here singing!” He was known as the singing Trooper. Richard was a member of a gospel singing group called The Indian River Boys, which he enjoyed immensely. He even got to be on one of their albums.
Richard retired from Arkansas State Police in 1988 for health issues. He and his wife began to travel more and went on many adventures. They especially loved the fall season in the Ozarks. Going “leaf-looking” was a must! Traveling country roads, going to Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison, Ark., or over Mount Judea near Jasper, Ark., visiting Big Cedar Lodge, camping in their Scamp, traveling to Mountain View, Ark., for bluegrass music and antiquing with Gale. As well as Smoky Mountains, Niagara Falls, several National Parks, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Denali, Highway 1 on West Coast of California, Canada, Hawaii with Gale and Wanda … Oh, how they loved these trips.
Richard had a rich Louisiana heritage and loved gumbo, shrimp or oyster “po boys” and crawfish. Also he loved popcorn, ice cream and bread pudding. He had a love of working on cars that he learned from working alongside his father who was a master mechanic. He loved Louis L’Amour books, old westerns, old movies, “The Voice,” “American Idol” and “American Pickers.” He was an avid reader and student of the Bible, loved crossword puzzles, vocabulary, Scrabble and chess. He was an excellent marksman and loved going to the shooting range and collecting guns. He enjoyed big band music, attending the OBU Christmas program every year without fail and Monday night band performances in Whittington Park with friends Bob and Betty Myrick. He loved the family dogs, especially Cliff (and secretly momma’s cats.)
He and his wife devoted many tireless hours of visiting the sick. They directed a group at Hot Springs Baptist called The Singing Seniors, who volunteer to sing at various nursing facilities around town. These people and places were very near and dear to their hearts. Richard’s Sunday school class was something he cherished beyond words. This time to him meant everything and he went to great pains to be sure to attend, until his legs would not possibly take him any further. Richard even directed music from his wheelchair at a church service at The Atrium, that was a special day for him.
No one loved deeper or worried more about his family and friends than Richard. He was the strongest fighter and the biggest teddy bear at heart. He suffered through many health issues and defied death many times over. He was truly a “Miracle Man.” He loved his family and friends, and raised his grandchildren as if they were his own. He taught us all, so much, in so many ways and will be greatly missed.
Richard is survived by his children, Lori Eliason and husband Geoff, Ginger Teegarden, Buddy (William Richard Loyd III), grandsons, Nicholas Loyd and Jagur Eliason, all of Hot Springs; sister-in-law, Donna Loyd and family; sister, Diane Guillory and family; brother, Stan Loyd and wife Nelda and family; sister, Paula Navin and husband John and family; aunt, Jane Wactor and husband H.B.; sister-in-law, Pat Ingram; nieces, Gale Banks and Lyn Bloor and husband Randy; great-niece, Joy Bailey and husband David and family; great-nephews, Jason Banks and family and Sean Goodin; several dear cousins, many other beloved and precious nieces and nephews and great-nieces and -nephews.
There are so many people to thank. Without their selfless support and love, we could not have made it through the end of his life’s journey. Retired ASP Trooper Duvall Moore, his true friend, loyal as a brother visited him without fail several times a week. Our family will always be grateful for how much love he had for his friend. Dwight Cox for faithful visits and words of comfort. Keith Nichols, a longtime friend who loved Richard like a father and is one of the few people with a talent of handwriting letters that Richard so loved to receive.
Our family can’t even begin to express how much we respect and love his caregivers, who are such special people, absolute Angels on Earth. Gina Filipek, Mona Lisa Wright, Latraice McGraw, Kamario McAdoo, Cristianna McKinney, Ms. Gloria Wilson, Kathy Walston and Seth Atchley, who was like a son to him. Each of these people went above and beyond to make sure he was treated with respect and dignity and spoiled him like a king. He had many others that played a huge part in his care, the nurses, especially Trish and Patty, techs and staff of The Atrium at Serenity Pointe. Kathy Walston and Seth Atchley followed him to continue his care, when Richard moved to a private care home. Loving him through every second until the end. We thank Next To Home Care owner Regina Wimberly, who fought tirelessly, to give him the very best care possible and her staff, Alyssa Caldwell (and her daughter Jessie who became a special sparkle, in Richard’s days with them), Amy Couch, who would watch “The Voice” with him, and special angel Rose Beard, who preciously would hold his hand, which he loved, gave Richard such comfort and reassurance and was a true blessing to our family and especially to daddy.
Thank you to ICU nurse Kathy Schrader, who had been there from the very beginning helping restore him to the man he was for so long. We thank Hospice Home Care and their team, Dr. Bordelon and Nurse Jonna Humphries. Dr. Gardner and his nurse, Marie, were Richard’s longtime support and friends. His many other doctors that were instrumental in his care, Budget Pharmacy and employees, his Physical Therapists Brent and Dewey, his massage therapists Brian Sligh and Pam Wilson, and a “special” thank you to Mark, the barber from Sportsman Barber Shop for trimming Richard when he could not travel. It meant the world to him. The doctors and nurses at CHI St. Vincent through his many stays in the hospital. It truly takes a village, and we are humbled and grateful for all who were involved.
Pallbearers will be Duvall Moore, Dwight Cox, Steve Jackson, Chuck Atkinson, Royce Talent, Keith Nichols and Seth Atchley. Honorary pallbearers, Jerry Chancellor and Ron Welch and Richard’s Sunday school class from Hot Springs Baptist Church.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. today, March 29, at Caruth Hale Funeral Home.
Services are at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at Caruth-Hale chapel officiated by Brother Horace Gray, Brother Bob Myrick and Brother Mike Smith. Burial following service at Crestview Memorial Cemetery in Hot Springs, Ark., with full Arkansas State Police Honor Guard Services.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Ouachita Baptist University Friends of Fine Arts Scholarship Fund No. 286-8321, send to development office “in memory of William Richard Loyd,” OBU Box 3754, Arkadelphia, AR 71998.
Guests may register at http:// www.caruth-hale.com.
Sherri K.W. Thornton
Sherri Kay Witherspoon Thornton, age 70, of Hot Springs, lost her battle with Alzheimer’s Monday, March 27, 2017.
She was born on June 15,
1946, in Hot Springs, the daughter of Clayton Witherspoon and Ina McCauley Witherspoon. On July 22, 1988, she married J. Marlton “Mart” Thornton. She was preceded in death by her parents; and her stepfather, Roy Richardson.
Sherri was a member of Lakeshore Heights Baptist Church.
She is survived by her husband of 28 years, J. Marlton “Mart” Thornton; one daughter, Mary Beth Wallace (John); one son, Jerry Meredith; one stepdaughter, Kelly Beckwith (Gary); one stepson, Kevin Thornton (Cheryl); two grandsons; one granddaughter; three stepgrandsons; four stepgranddaughters; and one brother, Charles Witherspoon (Doris).
Services will be held at
10 a.m. Thursday in the Davis-Smith Funeral Home chapel, Hot Springs, with Brother Jim Freeman officiating.
Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from
6-8 p.m. today. Pallbearers will be Kevin Thornton, Gary Beckwith, Larry Bailey, Dewitt Porter, Rogie Huchingson and Lonnie Harris.
Honorary pallbearers will be Hella McLeod and Bonnie Henry.
The family would like to thank the staff of Lakewood Healthcare and Arkansas Hospice who cared for Sherri.
Guest registry is at http:// www.davis-smith.com.
Mae Troillet
CONWAY — Mae “Laverne” Troillet, 86, of Conway, passed Sunday, March 26, 2017.
Laverne was born May 20, 1929, in Mount Vernon, to the late Joe E. and Flossie Jane (Ferguson) Davidson. She is preceded in death by her husband E.J. “Buck” Troillet; brothers, Floyd Davidson and Rayford Davidson; and grandson, Jesse Taylor.
Visitation is from 6-8 p.m. today, March 29, 2017, with rosary at 7 p.m. in the Griffin Leggett Conway chapel.
Service is 2 p.m. Thursday, March 30, 2017, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Burial is at Crestlawn.
Online guest book is available at http://www.griffinleggettconway.