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Joe Cole
CHARLESTON — Joe Dan Cole, 66, of Charleston died Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2002, in Fayetteville. He was born Oct. 17, 1936, in Charleston. He was a retired airline agent for Sato, served in the Army during the 
Korean War and was a member of First Baptist Church in Fort Smith.
Graveside service will be 10 a.m. today at U.S. National cemetery in Fort Smith under the direction of Smith Mortuary of Charleston.
He is survived by a daughter, Belinda Cole of Rogers; a son, Stephen D. Cole of Charleston; two sisters, Patricia Boyd of Kilgore, Texas, and Judi Bayhylle of Fort Smith; a brother, Bill Cole of Fort Smith; and the mother of his children, Shirley M. Cole of Charleston.
Margie Gushea
Margie Lane Gushea, 80, of Fort Smith died Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2002, in a local hospital. She was born April 19, 1922, in Schaberg. She was a graduated of Van Buren High School, a active member of Arkansas Retired military Association Auxiliary, a member of Heritage United Methodist church, a homemaker and the widow Fred Gushea.
Funeral will be 10 a.m. today at Ocker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Van Buren with burial at U.S. National cemetery in Fort Smith.
She is survived by a daughter, Linda Gant of Van Buren; a son, Greg Gushea of Manteca, Calif.; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Wayne Hayes, Bobby Mack, Jerry and Jay Williams, Gene Bradley, Dale Ray and Tommy Hooten.
Doyce Crawford
MENA — Doyce Odessa Crawford, 86, of Mena died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003, in Mena. She was born April 2, 1916, in Athens. She was a homemaker and a attended Free Will Baptist Church. She was the widow of Obie Cecil and George Crawford.
Graveside service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Board Camp cemetery under the direction of Beasely-Wood Funeral Home of Mena.
She is survived by two daughters, Letha Gonzales and Wanda Easley, both of Mena; a son, William Cecil of Cove; a sister, Velma Rowton of Kelso, Wash.; two brothers, Ednel and Fairol Gibbons, both of Cove; 13 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.
William Bismark
WICKES — William “Billy” Bismark, 60, of Wickes died Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2002, in his home. He was born Nov. 21, 1942, in Mena. He served in the National Guard, was retired from Alltel, a rancher, a member of Wickes Church of the Nazarene, where he was on the board and was head trustee.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. today at Wickes Church of the Nazarene with burial at Witherspoon cemetery under the direction of Hall Funeral Service of Mena.
He is survived by his wife, Nora; four daughters, Beth Bismark and Kimberly Sykora, both of Hot Springs Village, Deanna Kimball of Birmingham, Ala., and Melinda Deramus of Mena; his father, Carl Bismark of Mena; a sister, Elizabeth Frachiseur of Grannis; a brother, Paul Bismark of Magnolia; and four grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Mike, Zachary and Tyler Sykora, Daniel Kimball, Tony Deramus, Chris Frachiseur, Carl Bismark and Eric Sanders.
Honorary pallbearers will be Alltel co-workers and Wickes Nazarene Church trustee’s.
Memorial contributions may be made to Wickes Church of Nazarene Building Fund.
Elizabeth Dixon
COVE — Elizabeth Caroline “Carol” Dixon, 40, of Cove died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003, in Mena. She was born Dec. 7, 1962, in Mena. She was a homemaker and a member of Hatfield Free Will Baptist Church.
Funeral will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Hatfield Free Will Baptist Church with burial at Pleasant Grove cemetery in Big Fork under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home of Mena.
She is survived by her husband, Tim; a daughter, Ashley Dixon of Cove; her parents, Bill and Delma Bates of Hatfield; two sisters, Lisa Evone Bain and Michelle Lavarne Tilley, both of Hatfield; and two brothers, Michael Joe Little of Hatton and Billy Duane Bates of Cove.
Memorial contributions may be made to Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency, 1100 N. University, Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72207.
Maxine Lancaster
OZARK — Maxine Lancaster, 83, of Ozark died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003, in a local nursing home. She was a homemaker and a member of Mount Zion Regular Baptist Church and the Home Demonstration Club in Pleasant View.
Funeral will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Mount Zion Regular Baptist Church with burial at Rankin cemetery in Ozark under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark.
She is survived by her husband, John; two daughters, Sharon Needham of Ozark and Pam Lancaster of Charlottesville, Va.; two sisters, Una Cox of Fayetteville and Freddie Burson of Inola, Okla.; a brother, Jerry Stockton of Murfreesboro; three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Terry Spurlock, Glen Harden, John Hunter, Bill Stockton, Dub Shankle and Paul Summerhill.
The family will visit with friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
John Beckham
John “Butch” Beckham, 45, of Fort Smith died Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003, in his home. He was an employee of Rheem Manufacturing Co.
Funeral will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Ocker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Van Buren with burial at Gill cemetery in Van Buren.
He is survived by a daughter, Lauren Beckham of Russellville; a son, Jason Beckham of Gentry; his mother, Allie Beckham of Fort Smith; eight sisters, Carolyn Ballentine, Brenda Reed, Becky Brammer and Jeana Symonds, all of Fort Smith, Janice Brown of Lavaca, Rhonda Overby and Dana Linton, both of Van Buren, and Janelle Westphal of Rudy; two brothers, Grant Beckham of Van Buren and Wayne Beckham of Alma; and two grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Cary Tipton, Jeremy Brown, Scott McDonald, Austin Robinson, Aaron Reed, Houston and Wesley Beckham and Joey Love.
Honorary pallbearers will be brothers-in-law.
The family will visit with friends from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Geraldine Thorpe
HARTFORD — Geraldine Thorpe, 87, of Hartford died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003, in Poteau. She was a retired registered nurse, a graduate of St. Edward School of Nursing, a Methodist, a veteran of the Army Nursing Corps and World War II and a member of VFW Auxiliary. She was the widow of John O. Thorpe.
Memorial service will be 2 p.m. today at Midland United Methodist Church in Midland with burial at U.S. National cemetery in Fort Smith under the direction of McConnell Funeral Home of Greenwood.
She is survived by a sister, JoEllen Sabatucci of Hartford; a stepdaughter, Barbara Johnson of Huntington Beach, Calif.
Memorial contributions may be made to Gideons International, P.O. Box 685, Greenwood, AR 72936.
Shirley Stauffer
TULSA — Shirley Few Stauffer, 64, of Tulsa died Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003, in Tulsa.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Mallory Funeral Home Chapel in Stigler with burial at Mountain Home cemetery in Stigler.
She is survived by three sons, Dale Williams of Yorktown, Va., Damon Williams of Owasso, Okla., and Eddie Stauffer of Wichita, Kan.; two sisters, Verda Pugh of Tulsa and Linda Henderson of Stigler; two brothers, J.D. Few of Broken Arrow, Okla., and Roy Few of Coweta, Okla.; and five grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Jerry Few, Dale Salzano, Brian Henderson, Bob Williams, Woody Bart and Mike Pugh.
Donald Reese Sr.
SOUTH CAROLINA — Donald Mark Reese Sr. of South Carolina died Friday, Nov. 29, 2002, in Catawba, S.C. He was a retired truck driver.
Graveside service will be 1 p.m. today at U.S. National cemetery in Fort Smith under the direction of Roberts Funeral Home of Booneville.
He is survived by a daughter, Alicia of Van Buren; two sons, Dereck and Donnie Reese Jr., both of Paris; a sister, Debbie of Mammonth Springs; and two brothers, John and Louie Reese, both of Fort Smith.
Jeanette Gall
Jeanette C. Gall, 74, of Van Buren, formerly of Streator, Ill., died Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003, in Van Buren. She was a member of Central Church of Christ in Streator, Ill.
No services will be held. Arrangements are under the direction of Fentress Mortuary of Fort Smith.
She is survived by a daughter, Julie Mahan of Van Buren; a son, Steven Walker of Nebraska; three sisters, Libby Okerberg of Chillicothe, Ill., Dorothy Rogers of Streator, Ill., and Leona Owensby of Westminster, Colo.; two brothers, Don Lutes of Sublette, Ill., and Jack Lutes of Madison, Mo.; and two grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to charity of donor’s choice.
Christine Caves
SALLISAW — Christine J. Caves, 69, of Sallisaw died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003, in Sallisaw. She was born Dec. 26. 1933, in Pine Bluff. She was a homemaker and of the Independent Baptist faith.
Graveside service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Copeland cemetery south of Sallisaw under the direction of Agent Funeral Home of Sallisaw.
She is survived by three daughters, Leatha Manous of Oklahoma City, Julie Girty of Sallisaw and Connie Meginess of Little Rock; three sons, Phillip, Bert and Stephen Caves, all of Sallisaw; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Kevin, Jacob, Jeremiah and Ragon Caves, Michael Girty and Craig Lee.
The body may be viewed 1 to 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the funeral home.
Crystal Creekmore
Crystal Viola Creekmore, 85, of Fort Smith died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003, in Fort Smith. She was Methodist.
A private family service will be held. Arrangements under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home of Fort Smith.
She is survived by a daughter, Donna Harriman of Fayetteville; two sons, Ken Creekmore of Huntsville, Ala., and Carl K. Creekmore Jr. of The Woodlands, Texas; and two grandchildren.
Lem C. Bryan
Lem C. Bryan, a longtime resident of Fort Smith, died Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003, in Fort Smith. He was born at Chattanooga, Tenn., on Sept. 8, 1908, the son of L.B. Bryan and Merle Jones Bryan. He attended public schools in Chattanooga and Fort Smith and received a L.L.B. degree from the University of Arkansas in 1938. He was chief deputy prosecuting attorney, 13th Judicial District, before entering private law practice in 1938. He was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1940 and received a commission as lieutenant junior grade, U.S. Naval Reserve in September 1941. He reported for active duty with the Navy on Jan. 5, 1942, and served throughout World War II, including two years in the South Pacific on the staffs of Admirals Ghormley and Halsey and two years on the staff of the Secretary of the Navy.
Upon discharge from the Navy with the rank of Commander, Mr. Bryan served as attorney for the Civil Aviation Administration for the state of Arkansas 1946-47 before returning to law practice in Fort Smith, eventually as a partner in the firm Bryan & Fitzhugh. He was very active in community affairs until his retirement from active law practice in 1982. His many contributions to his community and state include: president of Noon Civics Club, president of the Sebastian County Bar Association, member of Arkansas Bar Association and American Bar Association, Senior Warden of the vestry of St. John’s Episcopal Church, president of the board of directors Carnegie City Library, member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, member of board of directors of Chamber of Commerce, member of Medical Center Advisory Committee Board of Trustees of University of Arkansas, city attorney for City of Fort Smith, member of Executive Committee of Arkansas Municipal League and chairman of Arkansas State Professional Ethics and Grievance Committee.
Mr. Bryan is survived by his wife of 56 years, Emily; a niece, Vyvian Cabell Shuler of Southern Pines, N.C.; and a nephew, Dr. Ben Bryan Cabell of Pensacola, Fla. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6, 2003, at St. John’s Episcopal Church followed by interment at U.S. National cemetery in Fort Smith under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home of Fort Smith.
Pallbearers will be Mitch Llewellyn, Dan Roebuck, Bob Dawson, Bobby Meek, Doug Smith, John Holland, Rice Brewer and Fadjo Cravens.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 215 N. Sixth St., Fort Smith, AR 72901 or Methodist Nursing Home, 1915 S. 74th St., Fort Smith, AR
Alexander Cobb
Alexander B.T. Cobb, 56, of Fort Smith died Saturday, Jan. 4, 2003, in Greenwood. He was a graduate of Northside High School, Tulane University and the University of California Hastings College of Law. He had been a trial lawyer in Los Angeles for 30 years.
Cremation and memorial service will be at a later date under the direction of Fentress Mortuary of Fort Smith.
He is survived by a daughter, Sarah E. Cobb of Boulder; a son, Britton R. Cobb of Dallas; his mother, Marguerite E. Cobb of Fort Smith; three brothers, Bayless E. Cobb IV of San Diego, James L.S. Cobb of Raleigh, N.C., and Matthew B. Cobb of Fort Smith.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 215 N. Sixth St., Fort Smith AR 72901.
