Obituaries

Pulaski County

JOHN WAYNE FIELDER, age 77, passed away August 3, 2017. He was born November 16, 1939 in Lonoke County Arkansas to the late John L. and Elsie (Archer) Fielder. He graduated from England High School. John is a retired United States Air Force Vietnam War veteran. He also retired from the Civil Service at Little Rock Air Force Base and enjoyed golf, fishing and hunting.

He was preceded in death by his son, Matthew J. Fielder. John is survived by his wife of 56 years, Gloria, a daughter; Cindy (Brian) Wallick of Little Rock, granddaughter; Alyssa Hammonds of Dallas, Texas, grandson; Chase (Kayla) Fielder of Beebe, great-granddaughters; Madelyn and Macy Fielder of Beebe, sister; Marsha (Lloyd) Risner of Lonoke, and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be Sunday, August 6, 2017 from 1–2 p.m. at Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. at Lonoke Cemetery pavilion, by Reverend Kevin Conger. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to Alzheimers Arkansas, 201 Markham Center Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72205. On line guestbook; moorescabotfuneralhome.com.

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EUGENE J. “GENE” GOSS, age 93, of Sherwood, Ark. went to his heavenly reward on July 30, 2017. He was born April 28, 1924 in Malvern, Arkansas to H.G. and Lela Goss. His parents, two brothers, James C. and Robert W., two sisters, Dorothy Deere and Melba Cook; his first wife, Loraine and daughter, Rebecca Goss predeceased him.

Gene served his country in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during World War II and attended Stanford University under the NROTC program. He joined the Arkansas National Guard after released and retired with 31 years of military service at the rank of Captain. He was a long time member of Park Hill Baptist Church and a member of the Hill, Herndon, Wallace and Ward Sunday School Class.

Gene is survived by his loving wife Alice; two daughters, Deborah Reger (Mark) of Charlotte, N.C. and Cynthia Gentry of Dallas; granddaughters, Jennifer Gentry and Stephanie Smith (Phil) of Dallas; grandson, Nicholas Reger of Charlotte, N.C.; great-grandchildren Lily Smith, Theodore Smith and Morgan Gentry; stepdaughter, Holly Speed (John) of Little Rock, stepson, Brent Cravens of Dallas and step-grandchildren, Ridge and Elise Speed of Little Rock.

Gene retired as manager of the Searcy office of the Social Security Administration in 1984. He was an active volunteer at the North Little Rock Social Security office for 25 years. Upon his retirement, he was not one to sit around and wither away and became an active volunteer in other areas. He volunteered for 22 years at Channel 7 at “Seven on Your Side”; he also volunteered many years with the Pulaski County Humane Society and the Baptist Health Wellness Center. He was an avid reader with an extensive library and read all books written by his favorite authors. As sports fan, Gene loved the Razorbacks in all sports, the Cardinals in baseball. Gene also enjoyed traveling and was especially proud that he had visited all 50 States and a number of foreign countries. He kept a map of those travels until it was so covered with map tape the trips overlapped. He collected maps and brochures from the places he visited. He is probably looking around the halls of heaven for souvenirs to show his friends when they get there. Gene was a gourmet cook with desserts being his specialty. His Pralines, Four-Layer-Delight, Peanut Butter Balls and Banana Pudding were enjoyed by family and friends.

Funeral service for Gene will be at 10 a.m., Monday, August 7 at Park Hill Baptist Church, 201 East C Ave., NLR with Dr. Ken Shaddox officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior. Burial with military honors will be at 1 pm at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, 1501 W. Maryland in Sherwood. Memorials in Gene’s honor may be made to Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes or The Gideons. An Online Register may be signed at www.griffinleggettresthills.com.

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BETTY L. HENSON, 75, of Mabelvale went to be with the Lord, Wednesday, August 2, 2017. She was born January 19, 1942, in Little Rock.

Preceded in death by her husband, Hubert Henson and one son, Bobby Henson. She is survived by one daughter, Rebecca Taylor of Mabelvale; three grandchildren, James and Robert Homan and Taylor Homan, other relatives and friends.

Memorial Service will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, August 5, 2017, at Trinity Baptist Church, 20707 Chicot Road, Mabelvale, Ark. 72103, with Pastor Jeremy Jones officiating. Family will receive friends after the service. Arrangements by Roller-Drummond Funeral Home, 10900 Interstate 30, Little Rock, Ark. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/drummond.

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TINA RENEE MOODY of North Little Rock Arkansas passed away August 2, 2017. She was born June 13, 1967. Tina is survived by her mother, Patsy Small of North Little Rock; daughters, Brittany Moody of Lonoke and Candice Moody of Walnut Ridge; sons, Bradley Moody and David Whitt both of Brownsville Texas; and grandchildren, Ryleigh, Jaydan and Hadley. A memorial service will be held 10 a.m., Sunday, August 6, 2017 at the Old Mill in North Little Rock for anyone who would like to join us in remembering the kind and loving woman she was. www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.

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CARL SPRINGER, 82, of Little Rock, went to be with the Lord on August 3, 2017. He was born November 8, 1934 to C. Cliff Springer, Sr. and Virginia Griffin Springer in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Carl was an Air Force Veteran. He worked as a general contractor and loved his job and employees. He always said, “We don’t build the outsides of buildings. We build the offices inside of buildings.” He enjoyed fishing, birds, and woodworking. He was a loving father and husband. Carl was also a member of Parkway Place Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Springer; son, Charles Clifton Springer of Little Rock, Arkansas; daughter, Ashley Springer of Los Angeles, California; brother, William H. Springer of Little Rock, Arkansas; and sister, Sue Miller of Easley, South Carolina.

Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Monday, August 7, 2017 at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, Chapel, 13801 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, Arkansas with Reverend Cliff Springer and Reverend Allan Greer officiating. Burial will follow at Pinecrest Cemetery. The family will receive friends 5-7 p.m., Sunday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Parkway Place Baptist Church, 300 Parkway Place, Little Rock, Arkansas 72211 or Hospice Home Care, 2200 South Bowman Road, Little Rock, Arkansas 72210. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.

Arkansas

AMAGON — Mr. Lloyd Wright, Sr., 78, of Amagon, died Thursday. Survivors: wife, Dora (White) Wright; sons, Rickey, Lloyd Wayne, Chuck, and Dalton Wright; daughter, Virginia Wright Jones; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Visitation: Saturday, 12:301:30 p.m. Graveside services: 2 p.m. Saturday, Memory Garden Cemetery. Arrangements: Jackson’s Newport Funeral Home. www.jacksonsfh.com.

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AUSTIN — Roger Lee Holland, 58, of Austin, Arkansas, passed away August 1, 2017. He was born August 12, 1958. He was a loving husband, father, papa, brother and friend to many. Roger was a hard worker and had a passion for music. He was known for making people happy and would do anything for anyone.

Roger is survived by wife Mary; daughters Shelly, Lisa, Monica; sons Timothy and Joseph; thirteen grandchildren; siblings James and Carmen; several nieces and nephews and many friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Belva and Russell, and his brother, Russell.

A celebration of Roger’s life will be 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Please call 501-286-7392 for more information. Cremation arrangements by Smith - Westbrook Funeral Home. www.SmithFamilyCares.com.

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BENTON — Dr. Lewis Wade Partridge, age 76, of Benton, Arkansas passed away on August 2, 2017. He was born on February 6, 1941, not far from Dardanelle in Yell County, Arkansas. His parents are the late Norma Lee Fletcher Partridge, and

Coy Ally Partridge.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two daughters, Jodie and Joy; one grandson, Keagan Schweikle. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sandra Tucker Partridge; son, Wade Partridge, and wife, Julie; daughter, Piper Partridge, all of Benton; four grandsons, Tucker Partridge and Fletcher Partridge, of Benton; Nicholas Schweikle and Jack Schweikle, of Naples, Florida; and sonin-law, Dominic Schweikle, of Naples, Florida; two brothers, Gerald Partridge and wife, Linda, of Grandview, Missouri, and Cody Partridge and wife, Trish, of North Little Rock, Arkansas. He is also survived by a large extended family of beloved uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Lewis spent his youth on a family farm, and believed that John Grisham’s novel, “A Painted House”, could just as easily have been written about his family’s life in Lincoln County, Arkansas. He graduated from Gould High School, attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello, the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and Oklahoma State University, where he graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

He practiced veterinary medicine for 50 years, with 40 of those in Benton, Arkansas, and was fond of joking that, “Veterinarians must be smarter than M.D.s, because our patients can’t tell us where it hurts.” Known affectionately as “Doc” by many of his clients, his personality and passion made him a beloved member of the Saline County community for decades.

He was one of the founders of The Jodie Partridge Center in Dumas, Arkansas, served as a Board Member for the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association, and numerous committees and boards in his Church and community.

Lewis rarely met a stranger, and deeply loved his family, friends, Church, the Roundtable Sunday School class; and perhaps rivaling the others, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Arkansas Razorbacks. In most cases, his love would manifest itself through acts of service. He was quick to volunteer for a building project, deliver a smoked ham to grieving families, provide Esau’s Corn to new members of his Church, or bring a plate of his famous fudge to a tailgate party. He was an avid storyteller, rarely allowing the facts to interfere with a good story; and felt that a good story should be retold at least annually and on special occasions.

Prior to his recent illnesses, Lewis had an amazing energy and zest for life, usually entering the room loudly and laughingly. His passion for people and his genuine desire to serve will be greatly missed. In short, his was a life well-lived and a profound legacy for those who loved him.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, August 6th from 3-5 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Benton, Arkansas in the Christian Life Center. A Celebration of Life and Faith will be held on Monday, August 7th at 10 a.m. in the First United Methodist Church Sanctuary with Rev. Ben Crismon and Rev. Zeke Allen officiating. A graveside ceremony will follow on Monday at 3 p.m. at Walnut Lake Cemetery in Dumas, Arkansas.

Memorials may be made to The Jodie Partridge Center in Dumas, Arkansas or the First United Methodist Church Legacy Fund in Benton, Arkansas. The family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at Saline Memorial Hospital and St. Vincent Infirmary for their exceptional care and service. On line guestbook at www. ashbyfuneralhome.com.

–––––❖––––– CAMDEN — Eddie Erwin, 74, of Camden, Ark., died Thursday, August 3, 2017 in Camden, Ark. Graveside service will be held 2 p.m. Sunday, August 6, 2017 at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Camden, Ark. Bro. Danny Crowder will officiate. Proctor Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. To sign the online guest register visit www.proctorfuneralhome.com.

–––––❖––––– DERMOTT — Cloyce Ann Fulford, 72, of Dermott, died July 31, 2017, in Little Rock. She leaves to cherish her memory her husband, Robert Fulford of Dermott; one daughter, Jacqueline Hildreth of Jacksonville; one son, Anthony Owens of Chesapeake, Virginia; and her mother, Asilee Owens of Dermott; seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren. Family hour will be from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 1109 North School Street, Dermott. The Funeral Service will begin at 2:30 p.m.; Rev. Ricky Lattimore, Pastor and officiating minister. Burial will be in Mt. Ollie Hurds Cemetery, Hurds, Ark. Services entrusted to Dillard Funeral Home, 210 North Trotter St., Dermott, 870-538-5505. See obits at DillardFuneralHome.biz.

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HOT SPRINGS — Benjamin Douglas Riley, 40, of Hot Springs, passed away on July 30, 2017. The visitation will be held Saturday from 5-7 p.m. and the funeral services will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Caruth Hale Funeral Home, in Hot Springs, with Pastor Ronnie Vanderslice officiating. Full obituary at www. caruth-hale.com.

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MAYFLOWER — Sandra “Sandy” Kaye Hamblen, 66, of Mayflower, went to be with the Lord August 3, 2017. She was born October 27, 1950, in Conway to the Late Ronald Kenneth and Ramona Faye Harrell. Sandy worked at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock where she retired. She was a lifelong member of Mayflower 1st Baptist Church and loved teaching Sunday school. Sandy was a member of TOPS, she enjoyed traveling, cooking, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Sandy is survived by her loving husband of 44 years, Ray Hamblen, sons, Brant (Tiffany) Hamblen of Huntsville, Alabama, and Kevin Clark of Maripoca, California, daughter-in-law, Jennifer Hamblen of Mayflower, five grandchildren, sisters, Debbie (Bobby) Woodward of Mayflower and Rhonda (Ronnie) Rolett of Mayflower, and a host of family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and son, Stewart Hamblen.

Visitation will be 1 p.m. Monday, August 7, 2017, at First Baptist Church of Mayflower. Funeral service will begin at 2 p.m. at the church with burial following at Mayflower Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the building fund at First Baptist Church in Mayflower. Online guestbook available at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/conway.

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MONTICELLO — Charles Fred Dearman, Sr., affectionately known as “Charlie Fred,” passed away on Sunday, July 30, 2017, at Hospice Home Care in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 81. Charlie was born in Warren, Arkansas, on April 2, 1936, to the late Fred Thomas Dearman and Edna Hunter Dearman. Charlie has been a predominant leader in business, civic, philanthropic and political causes in Monticello and Drew County for the better part of sixty years, and his devotion and love for his community will be missed by all that knew him.

Charlie’s colorful life began on a dairy farm in Warren with his parents and three sisters. In addition to school, his daily life consisted of working on the farm in the mornings and evenings and practicing football in between. His work ethic, even at a young age, would prove to be the cornerstone of his success throughout his life. Although a multi-talented athlete, Charlie’s athleticism was most illuminated on the football field. He played offensive guard, fullback and defensive nose guard in high school, being a two-time All-District and All-State selection.

Charlie graduated from Warren High School in 1954 and accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Arkansas at Monticello (formerly Arkansas A&M). Although Charlie received scholarship offers from Arkansas, LSU and Texas A&M, he chose to remain close to home. As a four-year starter, Charlie was the linchpin of Coach Convoy Leslie’s football dynasty in the 1950s, playing both offensive guard and defensive nose guard. During his tenure playing for UAM, the Boll Weevils won three straight AIC championships, which earned Charlie a two-time All-AIC selection. Following his senior year, Charlie was named to both the NAIA and AP All-America teams, being the first player in any sport in UAM history to be selected to an All-American team. Although Charlie was drafted by the Chicago Bears, he instead chose a life of service to his community.

Charlie was inducted into the UAM Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, the Warren Lumberjacks Sports Hall in 2008 and, as a highlight of his life, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Although impressive, his athletic accomplishments would pale in comparison to the impact he had on the people in his community.

Following graduation, he married Laura Lee Stephenson, and they had two sons, Charles Fred Dearman, Jr. (“Chuck”) and David Earl Dearman. Charlie attended the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, where he graduated in 1959. Upon graduation, he and Laura Lee moved to Monticello where Charlie worked for Stephenson Funeral Home, which was then owned by the Stephenson family. Charlie eventually had the opportunity to purchase the funeral home and later renamed it Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home.

In addition to being a licensed embalmer and funeral director, Charlie was elected as the Drew County Sheriff for two terms and served as the Drew County Coroner for over 50 years, which is the longest tenure to-date of any Coroner in the State of Arkansas. Charlie was very involved in the funeral home industry both on a state and national level, serving as the former President of both the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association and the Southeast Arkansas Funeral Directors Association, the former Chairman of the Arkansas State Burial Board and the Arkansas State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, and was the 1993 recipient of the Arkansas Funeral Director of the Year award. He served as the Arkansas Representative on the Policy Board of the National Funeral Directors Association and was the first Arkansas funeral director to serve in that role. He was also a longtime board member of Selected Funeral & Life Insurance Company, an Arkansas funeral insurance company that he was very dedicated to.

Equally to serving his industry, Charlie believed in serving his community. He was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Monticello having joined the church in 1958. He also was very active in the youth programs having coached Pee Wee football and Little League baseball for many years making lasting impacts on hundreds of kids. He is a former member of the Monticello School Board, the Monticello City Council and the Monticello Parks Commission. He also served as President of the Monticello/Drew County Chamber of Commerce and the Monticello Jaycees, having been selected by the Jaycees as one of Arkansas’ Ten Outstanding Young Men.

Although Charlie had extraordinary success on the field and a commitment to his community that is unparalleled, most would say that his greatest accomplishment was his devotion to the families that walked through the doors of his funeral home. Charlie’s ability to comfort grieving families on a daily basis is a unique gift possessed by very few; a quality that cannot be learned in a classroom. His compassion and genuine kindness were infinite, and his legacy will live on in his own family and in those families he faithfully served. Because of his life-long commitment to Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home, Charlie took tremendous pride in watching his eldest son, Chuck assume the helm of the funeral home once Charlie’s health declined. Chuck held it an honor and blessing to learn the industry from one of the best and work alongside his dad for over 30 years.

Finally, apart from the funeral home and his life of service, Charlie’s greatest passions were hunting, fishing, watching his beloved football teams and spending time with his grandkids. As they were growing up, Charlie spent hours taking them hunting and telling them stories as they sat on his lap. Those of us that knew him knows that he was quite the animated story teller. An avid outdoorsman, he loved to hunt and fish but his greatest outdoor pleasure was listening to his coon dogs run. His heart was bigger than the combined length of all football fields on which he ever played, and his smile will forever be contagious. To know Charlie was to love him as he immediately captured your heart. As has often been said, all legends will die, but their spirit will live on in the hearts they touched.

After a lifetime of assisting thousands of families lay their loved ones to rest, Charles Fred Dearman will now be laid peacefully to rest. In addition to his parents, Charlie was also preceded in death by his granddaughter, Savannah Ashley Dearman and two sisters, Jonnie Elle Dearman Cooper and Pearl Dearman McKenzie; and a niece, Beth Stephenson.

Charlie’s family is forever grateful to God for the bonus years they had with him, and his heart will live in them forever. Charlie is survived by his wife, Laura Lee Stephenson Dearman of Monticello; two sons, Charles Fred “Chuck” Dearman, Jr. and wife Cindy Eubanks Dearman of Monticello and David Earl Dearman of Little Rock; his grandchildren, Charles Fred “Chad” Dearman, III of Little Rock, Haley Diane Dearman of New Orleans and Alexandra Nicole Dearman of Nashville, Tenn.; his sister, Mary Dearman Heffner and husband Tom of Cabot; a brothers-in-law, Gary Cooper of Warren, Ray Stephenson and wife Pam of Monticello and Raoul Stephenson and wife Martha; sister-in-law, Susan Stephenson Smith of Little Rock; nephews, Tommy Heffner, Jim Cooper, Brian Smith and Bobby Stephenson; nieces, Cindy Cooper, Chris Reighard and Ashley Vestal; and the Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home Family.

The family would like to issue a special “thank you” to the owners and wonderful staff at Monticello Grand Manor Assisted Living, who filled the last years of Charlie’s life with joy, laughter and wonderful care. The family would also like to extend their appreciation to the staff at Bowman Road Hospice Home Care for the care and kindness they provided Charlie in his final days.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday evening, August 5, 2017, at Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Sunday, August 6, 2017, also at Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home Chapel with interment immediately following at Oakland Cemetery in Monticello. Memorials in Charlie’s honor may be made to the Charles F. Dearman Scholarship Fund at UAM, P.O. Box 3520 Monticello, Ark. 71656 or the First United Methodist Church, 317 S. Main Monticello, Ark. 71655. Arrangements provided by Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home. Guestbook and online condolences may be left at www.stephensondearman.com.

–––––❖––––– UMPIRE — Joye Fern Manasco, 79, of Umpire, died Friday, August 4, 2017. Funeral Services 2 p.m. Monday, August 7, at Seventh Day Adventist Church in Umpire, burial at Bethel Cemetery, Wilkerson Funeral Home, Dierks. Family visitation 5-7 p.m., Sunday, August 6th, at the funeral home in Dierks. Register on-line www.wilkersonfuneralhomes.com.

–––––❖––––– WILMAR — Van Austin Brown, age 76, of Wilmar, Ark. died Thursday, August 3rd at the Bradley County Medical Center. He was born May 18th, 1941 in Warren, Ark., a son of the late Ollie Brown and Lura White Brown. He was a retired roofing contractor for many years starting Browns Roofing, he served his country in the United States Navy and was a Missionary Baptist.

He was also preceded in death by brothers, James Ollie Brown, Ricky Don Brown, Roy Dwayne Brown and a sister, Mammie Ilene Brown Harton. He is survived by a son, Bob Brown, Hermitage, Ark.; three daughters, Becky Hildebrand, Flora, Ill., Tonya Loveless, and Katy Fortenberry both from the Valley; 10 grandchildren, Jim Austin Brown, April Nicole Everheart, Dustin McKinzie Brown, Justin Kyle Hildebrand, Jarrad Lee Hildebrand, Branden Lee Jones, David Ashton Jones, Benjamin Dwight Loveless, John Austin Cruce and Jaci Analeigh Fortenberry; 14 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services 4 p.m. Monday, August 7th at Frazer’s Chapel. Burial in 16th Section cemetery by Frazer’s Funeral Home. Visitation 6 p.m. till 8 p.m. Sunday, August 6th at Frazer’s Funeral Home. Online guestbook www.frazerfuneralhome.com.