OBITUARIES
Betty Ann (Blayney) Fellows
Betty Ann (Blayney) Fellows passed away at the age of 91 on September 22, 2020, at Benton House Assisted Living facility in Olathe, Kansas, after a long illness. She was born on August 26, 1929, to Leonard and Murdest Blayney in Moline, IL. After graduating from Rock Island High School, she went to work as a bookkeeper for Deere and Company. Betty married her husband Ralph E. “Gene” Fellows on October 8, 1950, at South Park Presbyterian Church in Rock Island, IL. She and Gene lived predominantly in the Quad Cities with the exception of a brief period of time in Ft. Dodge, IA and Pontiac, IL. They eventually settled in Bettendorf, IA where they built their home. During her time in the Quad Cities area she was active in her church, loved to play bridge and volunteered at a local school for children with learning disabilities. She and Gene resided in Bettendorf until 1984 when they retired and moved to Bella Vista, AR, where they lived together until Gene’s passing in 2018. In March of 2020, Betty relocated to Kansas City to be closer to family. Betty found immense joy and satisfaction in being a wife to her husband and a mother to her two boys, David and Bryan, and her son’s families added more loved ones for her to fuss over. She never met an animal she didn’t like and especially loved her two dogs, Penny and Ginger. Growing up her mother taught her to be a wonderful cook and she loved feeding people. Betty found great pleasure in creating fabulous pies with delicate flaky crusts and baking cookies of all kinds. One of her specialties was Christmas cookies she loved feeding David’s friends at Christmas time. She treasured wonderful summer family vacations spent fishing, swimming and sunbathing in Michigan and Minnesota. Betty was passionate about quilting, sewing and her participation in quilting groups and looked forward to her many trips to Paducah, Ky., for National Quilt Shows. She won many regional quilting contests in the ’80s and ’90s and qualified for national competitions several years. In retirement she and Gene enjoyed a variety of activities together, including fishing, golfing, cross-country skiing, spending time with their friends and traveling coast to coast attending Elderhostels. She and Gene were active members of Highlands Methodist Church in Bella Vista, AR., and liked to participate in volunteer opportunities in their community. Betty was preceded in death by her husband Gene and her sister Lois. She is survived by her sons David and Bryan, David’s wife Judy and their two children Jared and Jordan, Bryan’s wife Jan and their son Deston. Betty’s Memorial Service will be held at 1 pm on October 10th, 2020, at the Highlands Methodist Church in Bella Vista, after which her cremains will be interred beside her husband Gene’s in the Columbarium. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Highlands United Methodist Church, 371 Glasgow Road, Bella Vista, AR 72715, or Bella Vista Animal Shelter, PO Box 5248, Bella Vista, AR 72714.
PAID OBITUARY
Robert Frank Weir
Robert Frank Weir, 72, of Siloam Springs, died Sept. 22, 2020, at his home.
He was born Oct. 10, 1947, in Bentonville, to Robert Ralph Weir and Bessie Pearl Harral Weir. He entered the world with a broken arm and two older sisters, Patsy and Deanna. He went to school in Gentry and graduated from Gentry High School in 1964. Soon after, he went into the U.S. Navy and served four years on the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier working on the flight deck and loading bombs onto the planes. After service, he returned to Gentry and met Rhonda Thompson. They were married on Feb. 7, 1970. They lived in Siloam Springs and were blessed with two sons, Jeremy Charles and Nicholaus. He worked at Waukesha and then Brand-Rex for many years. Bobby and Rhonda opened Gentry Automotive soon after Brand-Rex closed. He worked for T and T East and his last job was as the cook for New Life Child Development Center. He was a member of Gentry First Baptist Church, and both he and Rhonda taught Sunday School in the primary department. He was a member of Key Lodge 7 Masonic Lodge in Siloam Springs.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Rhonda; and his son, Nicholaus.
He is survived by his son, Jeremy Weir; grandchildren, Kiley Weir and Kinley Weir; sisters, Patsy Hogan of Temple, Texas, and Deanna Smith and husband Clifford of Bristow, Okla.
Funeral services were Sept. 26 at First Baptist Church in Gentry, with Mark Evans officiating. Burial followed at Gentry Cemetery. Arrangements were by Wasson Funeral Home in Siloam Springs.