Obituaries
DEATH NOTICE JAMES WILBUR UPSHAW
Mr. James Wilbur Upshaw, age 96 of Spearsville, LA passed away Friday, August 4, 2023 at his home near Spearsville.
Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at First Baptist Church of Spearsville. Interment will follow at Mt Union Cemetery, under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home of El Dorado
Please sign our online guestbook at www.baileyfuneralhome.net
OBITUARIES QUISTON RAE’SHAWN FAIRLEY
Quiston Rae’Shawn Fairley on Sunday, May 29th. 1984 to Doris Finley- Brice and Howard Fairley, Sr. On Monday, July 24, 2023, in His infinite wisdom and through His divine power, The Lord called Quiston I Home.
Quiston I attended Douglas
Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, where he received his Christian foundation. Later he fellowshipped with Divine Faith Fellowship Full
Gospel and Community C.O.G.I.C
.
Quiston l graduated from El
Dorado High School, Class of
2002, and played football. He recently worked for the City of El
Dorado.
Quiston I is predeceased by his maternal grandparents: Cubie Finley, Sr. and Agnes Pierce Finley; his paternal grandparents: Randolf and Mary Fairley; his parents. He is also predeceased by his caregiver, confidant, and favorite aunt: Mrs. Jeanette Finley Kilgore.
He is survived by his only child: Quiston Rae’Shawn Fairley II; his sister: Mariah Fairley-Flemons (Delvin Sr.); his brother: Dr. Anwar H. Fairley; his niece: Jeanasia Richmond, his stepfather: Mr. Elgin Brice; special friend: Deja Glover, along with a host of other relatives & close friends.
Public Visitation Friday, August 4, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at Sims Mortuary. Service Saturday, August 5, 2023, 2:30 p.m. at El Dorado Municipal Auditorium. Interment will be at Lott Burgy Cemetery under the direction of Sims Mortuary. Sign the guestbook at www.simsmortuary.com
GREGORY LYLE “GREG” HONEYCUTT
Gregory Lyle “Greg” Honeycutt age 54 of Parkers Chapel, passed away Monday, July 31, 2023 at his residence. Greg was born on September 14, 1968 in El Dorado to Jo C. Honeycutt and the late Lyle S. Honeycutt.
Greg attended Parkers Chapel schools and was the owner and operator of Greg’s Automotive
Glass. He was a true “Jack of All
Trades” and could build or fix anything. You could always know that whatever project he started would be done to perfection. He formerly enjoyed deer hunting, fishing and especially enjoyed taking trips with his son.
Greg was preceded in death by his grandparents; Bob and Blanche
Honeycutt, U.T. “Hook” Maness, and Mable Maness; his father, Lyle
Honeycutt, and by one brother,
Mark Honeycutt.
Survivors include; his son, Clayton Honeycutt of Parkers Chapel; his mother, Jo Honeycutt of Parkers Chapel; one brother, Tracy Honeycutt and wife Brenda of Lawson; one nephew, Austin Honeycutt and wife Linley; one niece, Kelsey Honeycutt; three great nieces, Kenlee Honeycutt, Madelyn Honeycutt and Stella Honeycutt, all of Parkers Chapel.
Visitation will be 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at Bailey Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, August 3, 2023 at Bailey Funeral Home Chapel, with Bro. Larry Hudson officiating. A private family interment will follow at Old Parkers Chapel Cemetery under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home of El Dorado, Arkansas
Please sign our online guestbook at www.baileyfuneralhome.net
ALVIN RAY BROMLEY
Alvin Ray Bromley, 95, of Russellville, died Monday, July 31, 2023. He was born September 12, 1927, to Alvin Terrell and Mollie Ann Wood Bromley.
He started work in 1954, for
Murphy Oil in El Dorado, in Data
Processing and was a lay Music and
Youth Director for Ebenezer Baptist
Church for 16 years in the 1960s.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Treat
Bromley; and two sisters, Elba McMahon and Elsie Lawson.
He is survived by his wife,
Dorothy; two daughters and sonsin-law, Debbie Beard (Travis) of
Russellville and Kerry Ward (John) of North Little Rock; a son, Terrell
Bromley (Chris) of Milwaukee, WI; his beloved grandchildren, Melanie
O’Patry (Bryan), Emily Durham
(Aaron), Andy Beard (Megan),
Blake Palmer, Mollie Palmer, and Nick Bromley; and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is at 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 7, at First Baptist Church in Russellville, with visitation following the service at the church. A private burial is in Rest Haven Memorial Park, under the direction of Shinn Funeral Service of Russellville.
Memorials: First Baptist Church Russellville Benevolence Fund or Gentiva Hospice of Arkansas.
Online guestbook and condolences available at www.shinnfuneral.com.
ALEXIS ALEXANDER
The community lost its heart Saturday. Alexis Alexander, 50, of El Dorado, Union County, Arkansas died unexpectedly Saturday, July 29, 2023.
Alexis Anne Alexander was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 22, 1973, and celebrated her 50th birthday at a Foo Fighters Concert.
Her sheer joy at being in Dave
Grohl’s presence was second only to last year’s luncheon with Dolly
Parton at the Arkansas Governor’s
Mansion.
She is survived by her father,
Lance Alexander (Glad), of Shreveport; mother, Ann Halford Graham, of Alexandria and fiancé James
Drummond (Alexis approved); and brother Ryan Alexander (Mary
Katherine) of Shreveport, a tribe of devoted friends and her special daughter Lily Langston. All will miss her beyond measure.
After graduating from
LSU-Shreveport, Alexis landed her first job at the El Dorado NewsTimes, then worked at SouthArk and the Chamber of Commerce before finding her calling as Executive Director of the United Way, where she celebrated her 16th year August 6.
A consensus observation that “Alexis was El Dorado’s biggest cheerleader,” is spot on. But she didn’t know what a sideline was – Alexis was IN the game. For the community, for a friend, for a stranger, for hard work, for pure fun, Alexis was just always, always there.
The community is heartbroken for the parents she adored and who cherished Alexis – along with the grand dogs – PJ, Damn Sam, Dixie, Emmy, and Sadie. Her mom and dad became social media stars because Alexis never failed to post a happy picture of her visits with each of them.
The community is heartbroken for the United Way. Alexis embodied the organization and its agencies, and if ever someone exemplified fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves – the least of these — it was Alexis. She, along with the other non-profit mafia queenpins, were warriors for the underserved.
The community is heartbroken for itself. No leave-taking has so deeply affected so many people nor elicited as many spontaneous and sincere social media expressions of love and tales of personal adventures as has Alexis’s.
She may have left her Louisiana home for Arkansas, but Alexis’s heart was forever with her LSU Tigers. Yet her unwavering enthusiasm for LSU failed to alienate Arkansans, and in fact endeared her to even diehard Hog fans.
Had Alexis lived to be 100, her tributes still would have read, “She left us all too soon.”
A service of celebration and joy will be led by Salvation Army Major David Robinson at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 2 at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, 100 W. 8th Street. Services will be live streamed from the Murphy Arts District’s Facebook page.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to UCAPS, P.O. Box 204, or United Way, 200 N. Jefferson, both in El Dorado, 71730, or on-line at ucapsshelter.org/donate or http://www.unitedwayunioncounty.com/donate.html
Condolences may be expressed at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.
CHARLES DOUGLAS SLAUGHTER
Charles Douglas Slaughter of El Dorado passed away July 28, 2023. Born January 8th, 1939 at Laran, LA of Creek and Choctaw lineage, his parents were Woodrow and Janet Harvey Slaughter.
He was class of 1957 EHS. A veteran of six years in the Navy, Doug served as a Watchmaker and Instrument man in submarine squadrons across the United States. While in SUBRON four, Key West, he was an extra in the movie Operation Petticoat starring Gary Grant and Tony Curtis. He was in Havana, Cuba on New Years Day 1959 helping to evacuate American civilians when Castro’s Army entered the city.
When SUBRON four moved to Charleston, S.C. in 1961, he was a reenactor in the Centennial recreation of the firing on Ft. Sumter. Later in 1962 he was back off the coast of Cuba with SUBRON 10, San Diego as a member of the task force that forced Russia to remove their missiles from the island.
Because of his Naval service he was afforded the chance to see the Cliff Divers at Acapulco, say a prayer at the grave of Osceola, the great Creek Seminole war Chief who fought the US Army to a standstill, walk through the Angkor Wat Temples of Cambodia, and attend the Seattle World’s Fair.
He retired from the United States Postal Service after thirty five years as an El Dorado letter carrier. He was a loving and generous son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather.
He loved his dogs and cats and fed birds, deer, and anything that he thought he could help. He could not ignore a hungry stray. He saved countless turtles from highways from California to the Florida Keys.
He was a member of Sons of Confederate Veterans, the American Legion, Arkansas Archeological Society, Union County Genealogical Society, and the VFW.
He was a member of Dumas Methodist Church. He supported UCAPS, and all animal protection organizations.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one grandson Zack Shaw.
He is survived by his loving devoted wife of 49 years, Carolyn “Pud” Slaughter; sisters Dolores Wilson of Ozark and Janice New of Pegram TN; daughters Debbie Jackson of El Dorado,Sheri Slaughter of Haynesville, Dusti Mackey of Dallas, Rhonda Seat of El Dorado; a son Stuart Stanley of Fort Payne AL; granddaughters Koren Perry (Brandon) and Landry Seat; grandsons Wesley Jackson, Steven Slaughter, Robert Shaw, and Logan Seat; two great-grandsons Dylan Perry and Jaxon Whitefield, and one great granddaughter Katelanne.
He raised nearly record sized bream in his little pond. He considered the lives of all Gods creatures sacrosanct, and for that reason he neither hunted nor fished, but he did let friends and family enjoy his pond.
He is also survived by his best friends Sadie, Charlie, Flo, Klo, and Jo. And was greeted at the rainbow bridge by his grand puppy Coney and his best friends Max, Buddy, and Moe.
Words can’t describe how much his impromptu singing and presence will be missed. We will be loving him and missing him until we see him again.
The family will receive friends Tuesday evening from 5 pm to 7 pm at Youngs Funeral Directors. A memorial services will be at 2 pm, Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at Dumas Methodist Church with Dr. David Bush and Rev. Pat Daugherty officiating.
The family would like to thank the staff of Arkansas Hospice for the loving care they provided Doug.
Instead of flowers please make a donation to UCAPS. Condolences may be shared at www.youngsfuneralhome.com for the Slaughter family.
SHAWNA MICHELLE SULLIVAN
Shawna Michelle Sullivan, 55, of El Dorado passed away Sunday, July 30, 2023 in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Born June 6, 1968 in El Dorado, she was the daughter of Stanley and Patsy Bridges Sullivan. Shawna was a member of Wyatt Baptist Church. Survivors include her parents, a brother Stan Sullivan (Kathy) all of El Dorado. Also surviving are nieces, Madison Sullivan, Kristen Latino (Osman), and Hannah Wood (Jacob McKinney) and a nephew, Jared Wood (McKenzie) along with several cousins. Visitation will be at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, August 3, 2023 until service time at 2:00 p.m. in Young’s Chapel with Rev. Donny Hymer and Rev. Adam Thomas officiating. Interment will follow in Rest Haven Memorial Gardens under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors. Online condolences may be expressed at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.
MELANEE RENEE WILSON
Melanee Renee Wilson was born August 1, 1982, in Monroe, La, to Johnny Ray Wilson and Shelia Diane Thompson Wilson-Gibson. She departed this life on July 27, 2023, at South Arkansas Regional Hospital.
Melanee’ accepted Christ at a young age and was baptized at Zion Hill M. B.C. She was preceded in death by her Maternal grandparents Curtis L. Underwood and Helen J. Thompson, Paternal grandparents Herman Wilson Sr. and Mary L.Wilson Melanee leaves to cherish her memories: Father Johnny Ray Wilson and wife Deborah of Camden, Arkansas. Her mother, Shelia Diane Gibson of El Dorado, Arkansas. Brother Christopher Thompson and wife Vassie of Magnolia, Arkansas. Brother Andre Andrews and wife Markisha of Chicago, Illinois. Her one and only son, Demarcus Wilson of El Dorado, Arkansas. A host of nieces and nephews, relatives and friends. Public Visitation Wednesday, August 2, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at Sims Mortuary. Service Thursday, August 3, 2023, 1:00 p.m. at Zion Hill Baptist Church Famerville, La. The interment will be at Zion Hill Church Cemetery under the direction of Sims Mortuary. Sign the guestbook at www.simsmortuary.com