Obituaries

Richard Lee ‘Rich’ Rodgers

LINCOLN — Richard Lee “Rich” Rodgers, 60, of Lincoln, died Jan. 8, 2012 at Combs. He was born Jan. 12, 1951 at Elgin Air Force Base, Fla., the son of Ltc. William Asklow and Edna Frances Bean Rodgers.

He was a 1985 graduate of Louisiana Tech University and had retired as a Master Sergeant from the United States Air Force. He was a Vietnam-era veteran and a life member of the American Legion, Post #171 at Lincoln.

Survivors include his wife, Toni Hungate Rodgers of the home; two sons and one daughter-inlaw, Jody Lee and Joann Rodgers and Danny Harrison Rodgers, all of Seattle, Wash.; and ve grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, at the Fayetteville National Cemetery with military honors by the United States Air Force. Arrangements are under the direction of Brashears Funeral Home of Huntsville.

Menifee Nichols ‘Red’ Swisher

FARMINGTON — Menifee Nichols “Red” Swisher, 87, of Farmington, died Jan. 7, 2012, in Fayetteville. He was born June 17, 1924, in Utica, Kan., the son of John Wesley and Bessie Cleo Nichols Swisher.

Red attended the Utica, Kan. school system where he graduated as valedictorian in 1942. He worked in the shipyards in Tacoma, Wash. before enlisting in the U.S. Army during World War II for three years. He served in the ETO for two years, including the Battle of the Bulge, where he received the Silver Service Star and Good Conduct Medal as a medic. Following his service discharge, he was a 30-year employee of Oil Well Division of U.S. Steel Corporation, as clerk and store manager in Cut Bank, Mt. Worland, Wyo., Farmington, N.M., Casper, Wyo. and Ventura, Calif.

Upon retiring to Farmington in 1976, he was employed as parttime truck driver and shipping clerk for 13 years by the Ozark Mountain Smoke House. He was a member of the Prairie Grove Christian Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Margery; three brothers; and two sisters.

Survivors include two daughters, Karen Wolf and her husband Kenneth of Fayetteville and Kathy S. Jones of Gray, Tenn.; one son, John R. Swisher of Grady; nine grandchildren; three great-granddaughters; and two great-grandsons.

Funeral service was held Jan. 17 at Prairie Grove Christian Church in Prairie Grove, with burial in National Cemetery in Fayetteville.

Any donations may be made to the Prairie Grove Christian Church Building Fund, 611 Wayne Villines Rd., Prairie Grove, AR 72753.

Arrangements were under the direction of Luginbuel Funeral Home of Prairie Grove. To sign the online guest book, visit www. luginbuel.com.

Imodene Louise Mahaffey

PRAIRIE GROVE — Imodene Louise Mahaffey of Prairie Grove, died Dec. 3, 2011, at her home. Born Aug. 3, 1930, in Sage, the daughter of C.R. and Mellie Williams Lawhon.

While her children were growing up she helped with the Rainbow Girls organization, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers, a past member of the Lincoln Kiwanis Club, the Lincoln Riding Club and the Prairie Grove Senior Center, where she assisted with delivering Meals on Wheels. Imodene was active in the Apple Jack, Rock City Sam’s and Northwest Arkansas Sam’s camping organizations. She was always ready for a good card game and the friendship that it brought. Imodene loved to listen to gospel music and was a member of the Jubilee Baptist Church in Westville, Okla.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Elvie Lawhon and Warren Lawhon; two sisters, Velma Lawhon Troxler and Laverne Lawhon Sipe; and one daughter, Nancy Ann Mahaffey.

Survivors include her husband of 59 years, Vern Mahaffey; one son, Edward Eugene Mahaffey and wife, Pam; and one daughter, Pamela Kay Mahaffey Eley and husband, Jerry; ve grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

The family would like to express their heart-felt gratitude to the staff of Circle of Life Hospice for their love, support and encouragement to Imodene and her family.

Memorial service was held Jan. 14 at Jubilee Baptist Church in Westville, Okla. Cremation arrangements were under the direction of Luginbuel Funeral Home of Prairie Grove.

The family has requested any donations be made to the Jubilee Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 686, Westville, OK 74965; or the Circle of Life Hospice, 901 Jones Rd., Springdale, AR 72762.

Faye Maureen Doege

FAYETTEVILLE — Faye Maureen Doege, 77, of Fayetteville, died Jan. 8, 2012, in Fayetteville. She was born in Prairie Grove on Nov. 21, 1934, to Tom and Mildred (Cannon) Lavender.

She was a member of the Poet’s Round Table of Arkansas and she enjoyed writing poetry and prose, bowling, and she loved her cat, Freckles.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Survivors include one son, Eric Doege and wife, Kathy Poore, of Fayetteville; two brothers, Jerry Lavender and wife, Sally, of Oklahoma City, Okla., Bill Lavender and wife, Nancy, of New Orleans, La.; three grandchildren; former spouse, Hans K. Doege of Prairie Grove; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Graveside services were held Jan. 13 at Mount Comfort Cemetery in Fayetteville.

Memorial donations can be made to the Washington Regional Hospice, 34 Colt Square Dr., Fayetteville, AR 72703; or to the Humane Society of the Ozarks, 1020 S. One Mile Rd., Fayetteville, AR 72704 in honor of Faye Maureen Doege.

Arrangements were with Benton County Memorial Park Funeral Home and Crematory of Rogers. Online tributes to the family may be made at www. bentoncountymemorialpark.com.

Sherman Forrest Osborn

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Sherman Forrest Osborn, 67, died Jan. 2, 2012, in Flagstaff , Ariz. He was born June 22, 1944, in San Francisco, Calif., the son of Leo Earl Osborn of Brentwood and Gladys Marguarette Paschal Osborn.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Russel Earl Osborn.

He is survived by two sons, Sherman Eugene Osborn and David Lee Osborn, both of Brentwood; two grandsons; a brother, James Doyle Osborn of Lincoln; and sister, Roena Maxine Liston of Brentwood.

A memorial service was held on Saturday at the Brentwood Community Building with the Rev. Perry Hall of ciating.

Judith Ann Cates

FARMINGTON — Judith Ann Cates died Jan. 10, 2012, in Fayetteville. She was born Dec. 27, 1939, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Judy and her then-husband, Dr. John Howe, a board certi ed forensic pathologist, raised two children and ran a ranch outside of Pueblo, Colo., for quarter horses bred for the race track.

After Dr. Howe’s death, she moved to Colorado Springs, where she met and married her caring husband, Loren Cates, in 1987.

While attending Denver University and majoring in English with a minor in French literature, her passion for reading continued to blossom.

Loren and Judy returned to Farmington in 2007, where Loren could be closer to his relatives and immediate family.

Being an avid reader all of her life and deeply interested in the sciences pertaining to the human body,

Judy investigated the possibility many years ago of being able to contribute further to the research of the human body. At her request, her body will be donated to science to aid in the continued advances and learning of the human body in Denver, Colo.

Survivors include her husband, Loren Cates, of 25 years; two children, Sabret A. Flocos, married to Tasso N. Flocos of Mclean, Va., and John Kelly Howe, married to Renee G. Howe, of Nampa, Idaho; stepchildren Kenneth D. Cates, Jeffery D. Cates and Diane Parris all of Farmington; many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. No services will be held. In lieu of owers, the family requests that donations be made to The Humane Society of America in her honor.

Avelina Hidalgo

FARMINGTON — Avelina Hidalgo, 77, of Farmington, died Jan. 11, 2012.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband, Arturo Hidalgo Espitunan.

Survivors include 14 children, Jesus Hidalgo Soto and Ma. de Jesus both of Farmington; Amparo and Eva Hidalgo Soto both of California; Cenorina, Elida, Adan, Arturo, Noe, Leticia, Raquel, Lucila, Olga, Reynaldo all of Durango, Mexico and numerous grandchildren.

Funeral mass was held Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Luginbuel Chapel in Prairie Grove.

Arrangements were under the direction of the Luginbuel Funeral Home of Prairie Grove. To sign the onnline guest book, visit www.luginbuel.com.

Martha Viola Burkart Wilken

MOUNTAIN HOME — Martha Viola Burkart Wilken, 91, of Mountain Home, died Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, at the Baxter County Hospice House. She was born in Meade, Kan., on March 5, 1920.

She resided in western Kansas for the rst 30 years of her life, until in 1950 when she and her husband moved their young family to Mountain Home.

She experienced much of the trials and tribulations of the 20th Century, weathering the great Dust Bowl era of the 1930’s in western Kansas, and then enduring the Great Depression in the 1930’s, until marrying a wheat farmer, George C. Wilken, in 1942.

That same year saw the birth of their rst daughter and George’s enlistment in the Army to serve in the European campaign of World War II. Seriously wounded in 1944, George returned to his wife and daughter, Georgia Lea, in 1944, recovered from his injuries and welcomed a second daughter, Donna Beth, in 1945.

Their son, Denny Dean was born two years later in 1947.

She spent her life as a mother and homemaker, enjoying quiet time at home with her family, as well as regular visits to the emerging entertainment center of Branson, Mo. Martha was a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother who was dearly loved and respected by her entire family. A devout believer in Christ, Martha did not belong to a speci c church, yet identi ed with the Presbyterian faith throughout her life.

In her later years, following the death of George, Martha took up an old hobby of crafting handmade potholders and hot pads, sewn on her 1940s-era Singer sewing machine, to give to friends and relatives.

Over the course of two years, Martha created over 1,000 pairs of potholders, which have been distributed far and wide across the U.S. and to multiple foreign countries on six different continents (these include England, Scotland, France, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, Brazil, New Zealand and South Africa). Martha refused any payment for these handcrafted pieces, giving them to family members and friends to distribute to their own friends and relations. Martha was oft rewarded, however, with numerous thank you notes sent from delighted recipients across the U.S. and the world, which made her quite proud, and her family even more so.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, George Carl Wilken, in 2009.

Survivors inlcude one sister, Ada May Burkart Roemer of Prairie Grove; two daughters, Georgia Lea Barrett of Mountain Home and Donna Beth Treat of Fayetteville; one son, Denny Dean Wilken of Salem; ve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Martha Wilken were held on Jan. 15 at the Roller Funeral Home Chapel with Life Tribute Celebrant, Frank J. Daniels, of ciating.

Donations may be made in her honor to the Hospice House of Mountain Home.

Janet Elaine Happy

LINCOLN — Janet Elaine Happy, 60, a longtime resident of northwest Arkansas, died on Dec. 30, 2011. She was born July 20, 1951, to Gerald and Ann Moore.

She is survived by her husband William “Bill” Happy of Lincoln; ve sons, Heath Alen Fields and Karen, David M. Fields and Jackie, William Anthony “Tony” Fields and Tammy, Gerald Alexander “Alex” Happy; four step-children, Paul Happy, Carla Powell, Steve Happy, Olivia Happy; two brothers, Wayne Moore and Philip Moore; one sister, Brenda Joyce Haddox; 35 grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren.

A memorial service was held Jan. 6 at Rosewood Memorial

Cates

Happy

Swisher