MARLENE P. YANEY,

72, went to be with the Lord after a brief hospitalization on November 30, 2023. Marlene was born in Pine Bluff, Ark., on April 4, 1951, to Marland and Ellene Price. The family soon moved to Texas, where Marlene graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio. After returning to Pine Bluff, she began her professional career with jobs at Arkansas Power & Light and First South Savings & Loan. She wed James M. Yaney (Mike) in 1974, and together they began a new chapter in Arkadelphia, relocating there in 1980. Marlene was very active in the Methodist Church and worked as a substitute teacher for the Arkadelphia Public School District. She later took a position with Ouachita Baptist University to help create the Student Career Planning and Placement office.

In 1986, Mike and Marlene adopted their infant daughter, Jennifer. The family moved to Missouri in 1997, where Marlene worked at a prominent Springfield law firm. In 2000, the family moved to Searcy, Ark., and Marlene worked for years at Delta Dental before finally moving to Sherwood in 2004. After Delta Dental, Marlene worked at the Arkansas State Board of Barber Examiners before retiring.

Marlene was creative and found joy in painting, gardening, making ceramics, cross-stitch and embroidery, and other crafts. She loved crafting gifts for friends and family, and taking Jennifer to the ceramics studio in Arkadelphia. She welcomed her only grandchild, Emmelyn, in 2019, and spent her final years showering Emmelyn with affection.

Marlene is preceded in death by her parents, Marland and Ellene Price; her mother and father-in-law, Marie and Elbert Yaney; her dear aunt, Theresa Lowry; her uncle, William Lowry; her brother, Michael Price (Deborah); and brother-in-law, Jeb Mills.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Mike; her sisters, Cynthia Purnell (Jeff) and Tracee Mills; her daughter, Jennifer Fowler (Corey); her granddaughter, Emmelyn; brothers-in-law, David Yaney (Judy) and Kenny Yaney (Linda); and many nephews, cousins, great-nephews, and great-nieces.

Marlene’s final act of service was to offer her body for medical research. No funeral service is planned, though a memorial will be held in early 2024. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made in Marlene’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate).