Obituaries

Carla Sue Benson (02/02/05)
Carla Sue Benson, 59, of Harrisburg passed away on Jan. 16, 2005 at NEA Medical Center of Jonesboro of natural causes. She was born in Hoxie and had lived in Harrisburg for the past 26 years and was formerly of Jonesboro. She was an auditor for UPS and of the Baptist faith. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Allie Guess Whittaker...

Nellie Jane Blalock Johnston (02/02/05)
Nellie Jane Blalock Johnston, 85, of Jonesboro passed away Monday, Jan. 31, 2005 at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was a homemaker, a school teacher and worked for the Craighead County Social Services where she served as Director from 1968 until her retirement in 1982...

Willie Ray "Billy" Reese (02/02/05)
Willie Ray "Billy" Reese, 68, of Harrisburg passed away on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005 at the family residence in Harrisburg of natural causes. He was born in Trumann and had lived most of his life in the Harrisburg and Trumann area. He was a retired deputy sheriff for Poinsett County and school bus driver for the Weiner School district, veteran of the US Army serving in the Korean War and of the Pentecostal faith...

D. Wade Harlan (02/02/05)
D. Wade Harlan, 89, of Sedona, Ariz. died Sunday, Jan. 23, at his residence. Born in O'Kean, he was a former resident of Trumann and had moved to Sedona in the 1940s. He served in the Marines in the Aleutian Islands and Okinawa during World War II and was a retired accountant for the state of Arizona. He was a past master of Thunderbird Masonic Lodge No. 48, past president of Phoenix South Mountain Lions Club and a member of Sedona United Methodist Church...

Charles Meridith (02/10/05)
Former Trumann Chief of Police Charles Earnest Meridith passed away on Feb. 4, 2005 at the Randolph County Medical Center in Pocahontas of natural causes. He was 69 years old. He was born in Trumann and had lived in Pocahontas since 1975. He was involved in law enforcement for over 35 years, serving as TPD Chief for almost seven years, served as Pocahontas Chief twice and worked for the Arkansas Driver Control Department. He was a veteran of the US Army and of the Church of God faith...

Ramon "Ray" Zapata (02/10/05)
Ramon "Ray" Zapata, 65, of Trumann passed away on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2005 at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro of natural causes. He was born in Devine, Tex. and lived in Trumann since 1972. He was a retired painter and of the Pentecostal faith. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fransisco and Gregoria Campas Zapata...

Bonnie Lee Jacobs (02/10/05)
Bonnie Lee Jacobs, age 63, passed away on Feb. 4, 2005 at her Wilmer, Tex. residence. She was born in Trumann to Henry and Pauline (England) Carter. She was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church in Red Oak, Tex. She is survived by her husband, Jim Jacobs of Wilmer; her mother, Pauline Carter of Trumann; one son, Tim Jacobs of Richardson; one daughter, Laura Jacobs of Ft. ...

James Elbert "Bulldog" Presley (02/16/05)
James Elbert "Bulldog" Presley, 80, of Trumann passed away on Feb. 8, 2005 at the family residence of natural causes. He was born in Trumann and lived here for the duration of his life. He was a retired maintenance supervisor for Great Dane Trailer Mfg. and a member of the Trumann Missionary Baptist Church...

Pirlean Adams (02/16/05)
Pirlean Adams, 72, of Trumann passed away on Feb. 8, 2005 at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She is formerly of Lepanto, a homemaker and member of the Etowah Pentecostal Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Buddy Adams; two sisters, Ileane Davis and Wanda Lee Holmes and two brothers, Lones Raper and Mick Raper...

Stephanie Kelso Burgess (02/16/05)
Stephanie Kelso Burgess, 39, of Trumann passed away on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005 at Baptist East in Memphis of natural causes. She was born in Trumann and had been a lifetime resident. She was a bookkeeper for Taylor and Stuckey in Trumann and a member of the Trumann Revival Center...

Mamie Lou Swindle (02/16/05)
Mamie Lou Swindle, 94, of Calico Rock passed away on Feb. 8, 2005 at White River Health Care in Calico Rock of natural causes. She was born in Union County, Miss., had lived in Calico Rock since 1983 and was formerly of Trumann. She was a homemaker and member of the Missionary Baptist Church in Trumann...

Opal Irene Birdno Smith (02/23/05)
Opal Irene Birdno Smith, 83, of Lepanto died Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 at Trumann. Born in Portia, Mo., she was a homemaker and a member of Lepanto Church of Christ. Survivors include three daughters, Linda Powell of Lepanto, Connie Smith of Trumann and Renee Smith of West Memphis; five sons, Billy Joe Smith of Plant City, Fla., Jimmy Smith, Paul C. Smith and Jackie Smith, all of Lepanto, and Ronnie Smith of Blytheville; 24 grandchildren; and 34 great-grandchildren...

Richard Ferguson (02/23/05)
Richard "Toot" Ferguson, 73, of Bay died Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005 at Baptist Memorial Hospital East of Memphis. A native of Craighead County, he had lived most of his life in the Bay area and attended Bay Assembly of God. He was employed by the Bay School District and retired from Colson Caster Corp...

Troy Lee White (02/23/05)
Troy Lee White, 77, of Heidelberg, Miss. passed away on Monday, Feb. 14, 2005 at the family residence of natural causes. He was born in Gholson, Miss., had lived in Mississippi for the past four years and was formerly of Trumann. He was a former employee of Parker Hannifan and the Singer Co. in Trumann and a member of the Shady Grove First Baptist Church in Heidelberg...

Hugh William Craig, Jr. (02/23/05)
Hugh William Craig, Jr., 60, of Smithville passed away Monday, Feb. 14, 2005 at Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain home. He was born in Trumann and lived there until ten years ago when he moved to Smithville. He was retired from Parker-Hanifan and was of the Baptist faith...