Obituaries
Notice of Passing
CELESTINE CLEMONS Celestine Clemons, 63, of El Dorado, died Saturday, August 26, 2017, at St. Vincent's Infirmary in Little Rock.
Arrangements will be announced by Andrews Funeral Home.
MARION E. RAINWATER Marion Elizabeth Evans Rainwater, 84, of El Dorado, passed away Saturday, August 26, 2017, at John R. Williamson Hospice House.
Services will be announced by Young's Funeral Directors.
Obituaries
ZEBBIE CHANEY Zebbie (Zeb) Dunbar Chaney, 102, passed away on August 23, 2017, in El Dorado. Known a s
Zeb to friends and Dunbar to family, he was born July 15, 1915, in Zachary, Louisiana, to Zebulon C. Chaney and Mary Lula Whitehead Chaney.
During high school he played American Legion baseball as a pitcher and held the strike out record for thirty five years. After graduating from Zachary High School in 1933, he entered Southeastern University in Hammond, Louisiana on an athletic scholarship where he played and lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. Upon graduating from college, he joined the Navy as a Chief Specialist. Toward the end of WWII, he was sent to the University of California at Berkley as a physical training instructor. After Navy, he was asked to remain at UC Berkeley as an assistant football and basketball coach. During his career as assistant coach, the California Bears made three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances in 1949, 1950, and 1951. In basketball, the Bears were in the NCAA 1946 Final Four. He also scouted for UC and for the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers during that time. Upon leaving coaching, he went to work for Prescolite Mfg. Co. of San Leandro, California, and moved to El Dorado in 1958 to establish the new plant in the southern United States. He retired from Prescolite in 1980. After retirement, he spent many years fishing at his camp on Lake D’Arbonne and could often be seen working in his yard. Zeb lived a full life with many experiences across many decades of historical significance.
Preceding him in death were his parents, his wife, Ann Easley Chaney, and siblings, Doris Chaney Colomb, Walker Chaney, Marjorie Chaney and John Chaney. He is survived by his son, Bill Chaney (June) of Zachary, Louisiana; daughter, Patricia Yarbrough (Ron) of El Dorado; grandchildren, Eric Bearden of Salzburg, Austria; Laura Yarbrough of Shanghai, China; Jennifer Yarbrough of Phoenix, Arizona; Lance Siebert (Bridgette) and Ramona Jacobs (Robby) of Zachary, Louisiana, five great grandchildren along with nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held Monday, August 28, 2017, from 5 to 7 pm at Young’s Funeral Home in El Dorado, and at Charlet Funeral Home in Zachary, Louisiana, on August 30. Funeral services will be on Thursday, August 31 at Charlet Funeral Home with burial to follow at Redwood Cemetery in Slaughter, Louisiana.
The family wishes to thank Zeb's caregivers Donna Bishop, Alicia Nelson and Sandra Chambers for their loving care of Zeb.
Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church El Dorado, Arkansas, or Zachary United Methodist Zachary, Louisiana.
An online guest registry will be available at www. youngsfuneralhome.com.
JAMES JORDAN James A. Jordan, 84, of El Dorado, passed away Friday, August 25, 2017, at Hudson Memorial Nursing Home. He was born January, 18, 1933, to Glen C. and Agnes Ross Jordan in Tulip, AR.
He was retired from Safeway, where he worked as the produce manager, and was a member of Marrable Hill Chapel. He was former state Vice President for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. He enjoyed cooking and baking for the ladies of the church.
Preceding him in death are his parents; two brothers, Edward Jordan, Joe Jordan; and sister, Cora Smith.
Survivors include his wife Mary Nell Rogers Jordan of El Dorado; three sons, James A. Jordan (Peggy), Jr. of Little Rock, Dennis Jordan (Lisa) of Mount Holly, AR, Chris Jordan (Margarita) of Houston, TX; three grandchildren, Tyler Jordan, Chris Jordan, Jr., Carrie Renea Jordan; and sister, Sue Cross of Camden.
Visitation will be held from 9:00-10:30 a.m., Monday, August 28, 2017 at Young’s
Graveside services will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, August 28, 2017 at Arlington Memorial Park Mausoleum with Rev. Bob Inmon officiating under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
Memorials may be made to Life Touch Hospice, 2301 Champagnolle Rd., El Dorado, AR 71730.
An online guest registry will be available at www. youngsfuneralhome.com.
EVON PREWETT Evon Slaton Prewett, 90, of El Dorado, passed away, Friday, August 25, 2017, at her residence.
She was born October 28,
1926, to Arthur Verpo and Velma
Mae Housel Slaton in Leighton, AL.
She was a member of First Baptist Church in El Dorado and was a homemaker.
On the rich farmland of northwest Alabama, Evon was born and on the rich delta earth of northeast Arkansas she was raised. In Kaiser, Arkansas, she lived with her parents while enjoying the benefits of being the youngest child with an older sister and two protective older brothers. In 1944, she graduated from her small high school in the country, first in a senior class that totaled nine students.
Exhibiting her lifelong love of adventure and travel, Evon went on road trips after high school to Chicago, Memphis and Miami. She drove and danced and saw the nation, then became engaged as a telephone operator in Memphis where eventually she met her husband, bill Prewett, to whom she was happily married for over 50 years.
After her marriage, she ceased working, staying home to raise her two sons, Philip and Tab. She built a home, entered enthusiastically into the social life of El Dorado, Arkansas and became an active participant in several civic organizations and a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church. When her children went off to college, she found entirely new outlets for her energy; and in the 1970’s, she took up tennis as a complete novice, but was so talented and dedicated to playing the game, she consistently won tournaments as a doubles player for the next 30 years, happily vanquishing teenagers whose youthful power she parried with an amazing consistency and stamina.
In addition to tennis, Evon enjoyed decorating her home and hosting family reunions; events consisting of rented ponies, entire smoked pigs, and dozens of family members from all over the nation. For each event she added new pieces of furniture and new landscape features to her yard, always making life better for her and her family.
When not entertaining or gardening or cooking or playing tennis, Evon traveled the world. Continuing her zest for life she had shown as a teenage girl, she and Bill visited places as diverse as Bali, London, Scotland, Hilton Head, Alaska, Maine, and too many cities to mention. From climbing Mauna Loa in Hawaii to dining at Tours d’ Argent in Paris, Evon saw much of the
world and cherished every moment as “the best place” she had ever been.
In 2003, Bill grew ill and for the next four years all of her time and energy was devoted to caring for her husband. Until his passing on January 2, 2007, Evon spent all her days with him. Upon his death, Mrs. Prewett lived alone, fiercely independent, still devoting her time to hours of gardening, visiting relatives, and cooking meals for friends. Although she
did abandon tennis, she embraced walking, and exercise she maintained until she was 88 years old, still covering two miles a day. She would say sometimes she glided, and sometimes she toiled, but she always felt better after her walk.
The world has lost a wonderful, special woman whose smile enriched everyone she knew.
Preceding her in death are her parents; husband , William Prewett;and brother, Samuel Ray Slaton; and sister Faye Crosswhite.
Survivors include her two sons, William " Tab" Prewett, Jr. of Little Silver , NJ, Philip Prewett ( Misti) of Ft. Worth Texas; two grandsons, William Brandon Prewett of Magnolia ,Arkansas; William Blake Prewett of Little Silver, NJ; Granddaughter, Kelli Ann Harrison of El Dorado AR;and brother, Art Slaton of Manila, AR.
Visitation will be held from 2:00 – 3:00 P.M., Tuesday, August 29, 2017 at Young’s Funeral Directors in El Dorado, AR one hour prior to the funeral service beginning at 3:00 P.M. in Young’s chapel.
An online registry is available at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.
(The deadline for full obituaries for the next day’s newspaper is 4 p.m. The deadline for death notices is 5 p.m. the day prior to publication. Obituaries submitted after these deadlines will not be published the next day, but will run in the following day’s newspaper. For more information about costs of obituaries and photos, call 870-862-6611).