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William Clare Marris
William Clare Marris, 90, died Monday, March 24, 2005, in Fort Myers, Fla.
He was born July 7, 1914, in Piggott, the son of Rev. William H. and Oma Gilbert Marris.
After graduating from Piggott High School, he attended the University of Arkansas receiving his degree in chemistry in 1936.
During World War II he served in the United States Coast Guard with his last assignment being aboard the U.S.S. General A.W. Greely.
After serving his country, he continued his education at the University of Texas, where he received his M.B.A. in accounting in 1947. He began a long and successful career in the field of oil and natural gas.
Retiring to Sanibel, Fla., in 1978, he continued to pursue his love of boating. He was an active member of the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ. And through winning and losing seasons, he remained a loyal supporter of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
In 1988, he was preceded in death by his wife of 40 years, Jeanne.
He is survived by several nieces and nephews; great-nieces and nephews; and great-great-nieces and nephews; and by his friend and companion of many years, Kathryn Boyle.
Graveside services were held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2005, at the Piggott Cemetery.
Oscar Conley Speer
Oscar Conley Speer, 85, of Rector, died Saturday, March 12, 2005, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould.
Born June 20, 1919, in the Campground Community near Paragould to the late Joseph Speer and Amanda Ramer Speer, he was a mechanic, farmer, a World War II Army veteran, of the Methodist faith and had been a member of this community for 66 years.
He was married Aug. 2, 1939, in Paragould to Versie Odessa Jetton, who survives.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one son, Granville Ethridge Speer, eight brothers and four sisters.
Survivors include his wife, Versie Odessa Speer of the home; three sons and daughters-in-law, Weldon and Susie Speer of Miami, Okla., Aaron and Sue Speer of Marmaduke and Darrell and Linda Speer of Rector; one daughter and son-in-law, Sandra and Gail Benson of Piggott; nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were at 10 a.m. Monday, March 14, at Irby Funeral Home Chapel in Rector with Bro. J.B. Harris officiating. Burial was in Shiloh Cemetery
near Paragould with Irby Funeral Home of Rector in charge of arrangements.
Active pallbearers were Harold Speer, Sherel Jetton, Michael Jetton, Jimmy Poole, Gerayne Poole and Sam Poole. Honorary pallbearers were Don Poole, Bob Little and Bob Murray.
Virgie M. Rogers
Virgie M. Rogers, 94, of Piggott, died Thursday, March 24, 2005, in the Jonesboro Health Care in Jonesboro.
She was born May 25, 1910, in Rector, the daughter of the late William Walker and Della Irby Smith.
She was united in marriage to Elbert Druie Rogers on Oct. 24, 1931. They had one son.
She was preceded in death by one brother and four sisters.
She is survived by her husband, Elbert Druie Rogers; one son, Joe Rogers and wife, Melba, of Jonesboro; three grandchildren, Preston Rogers and Melissa Rogers, both of Jonesboro, and Clifton Rogers of Racine, Wisc.; three great-grandchildren, Kyle, Joseph and Connor; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral service were held at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 28, 2005, in the Hoggard and Sons Chapel with Charles Carrens officiating. Pallbearers were Donald Hardin, Billy Veal, Bobby Shanklin, Van Taylor, Don Roeder and Thomas Sneed. Burial followed in the Piggott Cemetery.
Hoggard and Sons Funeral Home of Piggott was in charge of the arrangements.
Henry Cornelious Templeton
Henry Cornelious Templeton, 94, of Arlington, Texas, formerly of Piggott, died on Saturday, March 26, 2005.
He was the first child to be born in the new home on Cherry Street built by his father, W.D. "Buck" Templeton, on March 16, 1911. The home is now known as the "Pfeiffer-Janes House" and is part of the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center.
Mr. Templeton attended First Baptist Church in Piggott with his family and asked Christ to be his Savior at age 16.
He left Piggott in 1930 to join the 
military to help his family survive the Great Depression. After 21 years (seven in the Army and 14 in the Air Force, where he retired at the rank of Major), he joined his wife and daughters in Grand Prairie, Texas. In 1964, the family moved to Arlington, where he lived for over 40 years.
Mr. Templeton enjoyed a successful career in real estate in Arlington and Grand Prairie. Over the years, he returned to visit family and friends in and around Piggott many times. After he could no longer travel, he continued to keep up with Piggott news with his subscription to The Piggott Times.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, "Sammie", on Sept. 1, 2000; and one step-daughter, Clyda Fry, on Jan. 7, 2005.
He is survived by one daughter, Janice Bransford of Arlington, Texas; two son-in-laws, Don Bransford of Arlington and Johnny Fry of Arlington; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two brothers, Julious Templeton of Washington and Finis Templeton of El Paso, Texas; and many nieces and nephews around Piggott and in other states.
Graveside services were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 31, 2005, at Moore Memorial Gardens in Arlington. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 31, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Arlington.
Moore Funeral Home of Arlington, Texas, was in charge of the arrangements.
Ruth Hunter Ballard
Ruth Hunter Ballard passed away on March 27, 2005, at Hope Hospice in Fort Myers, Fla., after a brief illness.
She was born in Marianna, Ark., the daughter of Maude and Frank Hunter Sr. in 1916. She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers; two sisters; and her husband of 59 years, Willard H. Ballard.
She is survived by a daughter, Suzanne Stewart of Fort Myers and her husband, Charles Stewart; granddaughter, Tracy Stewart McKendry and her husband, Rev. Russell McKendry of Arvada, Colo.; grandson, Darren Stewart and his wife, Asli, of Annapolis, Md.; great grandchildren, Emily McKendry Benton, Zachary McKendry, Jonathan McKendry, Elizabeth McKendry, Hailey Stewart and Ryan Stewart; and one great-great- grandchild, Corey Benton. She is also survived by a brother-in-law Jack Ballard and wife, Peggy, of Piggott; and a brother-in-law, Ned Hardin Sr. of Grady, Ark.; and several nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Ballard graduated from high school in Marianna, Ark., and attended State Teachers College in Conway. Her last employment before retiring and moving to Fort Myers in 1973 was Secretary to the Assistant Postmaster General of the United States in Washington, D.C. She took a two year leave of absence from government employment in the late 60s to go with her husband to Dacca, Bangladesh, where he was employed by the State Department.
She was a faithful member of Covenant Presbyterian Church for many years. She was also a long time member of the Whiskey Creek Country Club.
Memorial services were held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in the chapel. Burial will follow in Piggott.
Memorials may be made to the Building Fund of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Hope Hospice of Fort Myers, Fla., or the charity of the donor's choice.
John Daniel Benson
John Daniel Benson, 40, of Paragould, died Monday, March 28, 2005, in the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould.
He was born Jan. 2, 1965, in Piggott, the son of David and Cathleen Throgmorton Benson.
He married Kimberly Gay Harmon on Feb. 14, 1996.
He is survived by his wife, Kimberly Gay Benson of Paragould; four children, Steven Benson and Matthew Benson, both of California, Chance Benson and John Daniel Benson II, both of Paragould; two step-children, Corey Laird and Kathy Laird, both of Paragould; mother, Cathleen Benson of Arizona; one brother, Bill Lindsay of Arizona; two sisters, Bonnie Whitman of Arizona and Betty Faulkner of California; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 1, 2005, in the Hoggard and Sons Chapel with Bill Newman officiating. Burial was in the Mitchell Cemetery
in Greenway.
Pallbearers were Carlos Crittenden, Dennis Harmon, Earl Harmon, Billy Knight, Tryson Hudson, James Morgan, Jason Tillman and Rodney Besserman.
Hoggard and Sons Funeral Home of Piggott was in charge of the arrangements.
James R. Staples
James R. Staples, former Arizona Southern Baptist leader and retired president of California Baptist University, died Monday, Jan. 3, 2005, in Dallas.
Staples served two stints (1960-1962, 1970) as editor of the Baptist Beacon, newsjournal of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention (The Beacon was succeeded by Portraits magazine in 1997.).
In an early editorial, he wrote, "Everyone likes a challenge. One of the greatest, if not the greatest challenge in all Baptist life, is the work of an editor...It is a task that cannot be accepted lightly since so many lives are touched and influenced by this medium."
Prior to joining the state convention staff in 1960, Staples served as pastor of North Phoenix Baptist Church for 10 years. During that time, the church began an elementary school, started seven missions, constructed three buildings and remodeled the auditorium.
Between stints with the Baptist Beacon, Staples was executive vice president of Grand Canyon College (now Grand Canyon University). He returned to higher education in 1970 to become the third president of California Baptist College (now California Baptist University), a post he held until his retirement in 1984. Subsequently he served as the institution's first chancellor for six years.
Under Staples' leadership, the California college completed construction of two student housing apartment buildings and the Wallace Book of Life building; established a discipleship program in the religion department and added several athletic programs. And in 1979, the college celebrated the burning of the $800,000 note for the purchase of the institution's Riverside property in 1955.
An active denominational leader, Staples served two terms as president of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention and was chairman of the state convention's executive board for six years. He also served as a trustee for Grand Canyon College and on the Southern Baptist Convention Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) and the former SBC Education Commission.
In retirement, Staples served as pastor of an English-language church in Germany and also was the founding pastor of Lake Elsinore Baptist Church in Lake Elsinore, Calif. He also led churches in Arkansas and Louisiana during his career.
He was born and raised in Piggott, the son of the late Albert J. Staples and Lula Anne Kerr Staples. He was one of seven children.
Staples graduated from Piggott High School in the 1930's. He was a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, he earned a doctor of education degree from Arizona State University.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, A.J.; three sisters, Londa Walker, Lottie Harris and Marie O'Neill; and three brothers, Wayne Staples, John Staples and Paul Staples.
He is survived by his wife, Elaine; daughter, Renee; two sisters-in-law, Lorene Staples and Marthanne Staples of Piggott; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the A.J. Staples Room fund at California Baptist University.
Joan A. Libby Greaney
Joan A. Libby Greaney, 72, of Piggott, died Tuesday, April 5, 2005, at Murphy Health and Rehabilitation Center in Piggott.
She was born April 20, 1932, in Scarborough, Pine Point, Maine, the daughter of the late Leon Stanley and Oletta June Skillings Libby.
She was united in marriage to Martin Eugene Greaney Sr. on Oct. 28, 1951. They had four children.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Martin Eugene Greaney Sr.; and two brothers, Leon and Clayton Libby.
She is survived by four children, Michael Joseph Greaney and wife, Linda, of Piggott, Stephanie Joan Greaney Frost and husband, Billy, of Lexington, S.C., June Oletta Bearden and husband, Sam, of Piggott and Martin Eugene Greaney Jr. and wife, Anna, of Prairie Lea, Texas; 14 grandchildren, Carol Ann, Michael, Joey, Erica, Mark, Michelle, Jennifer, Christina, William, Kathryn, Carrie, Gage, Clarissa and Erik; one great-grandson, Joshua; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Friday, April 8, 2005, in the Hoggard and Sons Chapel in Piggott with Rev. Charles Cooper officiating. Burial followed in the Piggott Cemetery
in Piggott. Pallbearers were Charley Cook, Jason Howell, Monte Howell, Gavin Burkman, Mike Cook and Joey Crawford.
Hoggard and Sons Funeral Home of Piggott was in charge of the arrangements.
Charles W. Tyler
Charles W. Tyler, 66, of McDougal, died Sunday, April 10, 2005, at Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott.
He was born Dec. 9, 1938, in Knobel, the son of the late James Howell Tyler and Hazel Fay Floyd Tyler.
He was united in marriage to Carmaleda Kilbreth on June 24, 1989.
Mr. Tyler was a retired truck driver and attended Corning Y Pentecostal Church in Corning.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers.
He is survived by his wife, Carmaleda Tyler of the home in McDougal; two sons, Billy Wayne Gilbee of McDougal and Mr. Tyler of Kentucky; one daughter, Terry Boren of Crockett; two brothers, Rev. Bill Tyler of Piggott and Johnie Tyler of Pollard; one sister, Shirley Volner of Cahokia, Ill.; two granddaughters; one great-grandson; and several nieces, nephews, friends and relatives.
Funeral services were held at noon on Tuesday, April 12, 2005, in the Ermert Funeral Home Chapel in Corning with Mike Kipman and Gary Hancock officiating. Burial followed in Post Oak Cemetery
at McDougal.
Ermert Funeral Home of Corning was in charge of the arrangements.
