Huge Marriages Search Engine!
Robert Johnson
Robert Raymond Johnson, 75, of Santee, Calif., died March 9, 2003. The native of Van Buren was a retired tool design engineer for Rohr, Lockheed and Convair and a member of Bass Masters and Model Aeronautics.
Survivors include his companion, Jean Plan; one daughter, Jean of Chula Vista; two sons, Robert C. and Jim, both of Chula Vista; two sisters, Jo Caughlin of Highlands Ranch, Colo., and Elenor Pursell of Little Rock; two brothers, Richard of Little Rock and Darryl of Fort Smith; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Ethel James
Ethel James, 90, of Alma died Wednesday, March 12, 2003, at a local hospital. She was a homemaker, member of Alma United Methodist Church and widow of George A. James.
Survivors include one daughter, Linda White of Tulsa; two sons, Kenneth James of Van Buren and Tommy James of Alma; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Graveside service was held March 14 at U.S. National Cemetery
in Fort Smith under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home.
Pallbearers were Jeremiah James, Tony James, Travis Henderson, Dewitt Summer, Jason Parks and Shawn Kitching.
Billie Moore
Billie Louise Moore, 85, of Van Buren died Thursday, March 13, 2003, at a local hospital. She was a member of City Heights United Methodist Church, homemaker and widow of William “Bill” Moore.
Survivors include two sisters, Shirley Hunt of Tucson, Ariz., and Betty Richmond of Heavener; caregiver, Genelle Newton of Greenwood; and several nieces and nephews.
Graveside service was held March 15 at Quinton City Cemetery
in Quinton, Okla., under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
Betty Boots
Betty Louise Boots, 63, of Van Buren died Monday, March 10, 2003, in Van Buren. She was a homemaker and volunteer in the community.
Survivors include seven daughters; one son; father and stepmother, Jasper T. and Betty J. Dunn; two sisters; three brothers; 20 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorial service was held March 12 at Fentress Mortary Chapel.
Inez Harriman
Inez Burchfield Harriman, 84, of Hamburg Ark., died Monday, March 10, 2003, at a Oxford, Miss., hospital. She was a native of Ashley County, a resident of Hamburg for most of her life and a resident of Oxford since 1998. She was the area director of the Arkansas Public Health Department, having retired in 1989. She was the administrative assistant to Ashley County Judge W.T. Higginbotham for many years, a member of the First Baptist Church and served as church pianist for more than 30 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Morril Harriman Sr.
She is survived by her son, Morril Harriman Jr. and wife Martha of Van Buren; her daughter, Lyna Jordan and husband Covin of Oxford; and three grandchildren, Stephanie Jordan of Oxford, Brian Harriman of Naples, Fla., and John Harriman of Van Buren.
Funeral service was held March 13 at First Baptist Church in Hamburg with Dr. Bobby Pennington and Rev. Klois Hargis officiating. Burial was at the Hamburg Cemetery
under the direction of Jones-Hartshorn Funeral Home, Hamburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church, PO Box 352, Hamburg, Arkansas 71646.
Freddie Samples
Freddie Joe Sample, 75, of Van Buren died Wednesday, March 5, 2003, at a local hospital. He was a retired employee of Fort Smith Bus Terminal and a cattle farmer.
He is survived by his wife, Merl of the home; a daughter, Sherry O’Bar of Van Buren; two sisters, Louise Woods of Van Buren and Betty Younger of Roland; a brother, John Samples of Van Buren; a granddaughter, Christal Gilmore; a stepgrandson, Cory O’Bar; two great-granddaughters, Chelbi and Chloe; several nieces and nephews.
Funeral service was held March 7 at Ocker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Van Buren with burial at Macedonia Cemetery
near Uniontown.
Pallbearers were Randall, Billie and Harold Richmond, Gary Jeremiah, Johnny and Jeff Mizell and Lance Bradford. Honorary pallbearers were Kenneth Hicks, Jearl and Paul Watkins, Phil Honeycutt, Curtis Workman, Jack Matthews, Herb Lewis and Lee Henson.
Sisily Preston
Sisily Hope Kelly Preston, 11 months, of Mountainburg died Wednesday, March 5, 2003, at a Little Rock hospital.
She is survived by mother, Amber Kelly, and her father, Jacob Preston of Mountainburg; maternal grandparents, Shelia and Robert Kelly of Mountainburg; paternal grandparents, Melinda Preston of Van Buren and Frank Preston of Alma; maternal great-grandparents, Vernon and Virginia Kelly of Van Buren and Phyllis and Glen Cluck of Oklahoma; and paternal great-grandparents, Joyce and Gary Linder of Oklahoma City, Dick and Sue Murphy of Amarillo, Texas, and Melba Preston of Van Buren.
Funeral service was held March 8 at Concord Baptist Church with burial at Gracelawn Cemetery
in Van Buren under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Alma.
Pallbearers were Michael Sevenstar, J.D. and Neal Preston, Shane Watkins and Royce Kelly.
Euing Wieburg
Euing Wieburg, 73, of Camdenton, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2003. He was born Feb. 14, 1930, in Strickler. He graduated from Van Buren High School in 1948, attended Little Rock Junior College, was a Navy veteran serving during the 
Korean War, was employed by Sherwin-Williams Paint Company for over 30 years, founded and operated Weiburg Enterprises Inc. in Camdenton, Mo., was a member of Osage Hills Baptist Church in Osage Beach, Mo., the Gideons International and Promise Keepers.
Visitation and a military honors service were held March 7 at Osage Hills Baptist Church in Osage Beach, Mo. A celebration of life reception in the Fellowship Hall followed. Private burial service will be Saturday at Wieburg Family Cemetery
in Camdenton, Mo.
He is survived by his wife, Evangeline; a daughter, Susan Hudgens of Little Rock; a son, David Wieburg of South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; a sister, Juanita Rowe of Van Buren; and six grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Gideons International.
William Patterson
William Wesley Odell Patterson, 75, of Mulberry died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2003, at his home. He was born June 6, 1927, in Mulberry, was a self-employed mechanic and the widower of Ruby Patterson.
He is survived by six daughters, Shirley Moez of Mesa, Ariz., Faye Pate of Coppell, Texas, Patricia McCarver and Elaine Baty, both of Van Buren, Diane Sheridan of Fort Smith and Bonnie House of Alma; four sons, Wesley Patterson and Verlon, both of Fort Smith, Charles of Ozark and Terry Patterson of Mountainburg; 27 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held March 5 at Oak Bower Church with burial at Oak Bower Cemetery
north of Mulberry under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Mulberry.
Pallbearers were grandsons, Randall and Chalin Jordan, Billy and James McChristian and Wayne, Michael, Cody, Junior and Allen Patterson, and great-grandsons, Jeffery Patterson and David Karr.
Howard Taff
Howard Taff, 90, of Mulberry died Monday, March 3, 2003, at a local hospital. He was a retired service station operator and a Navy veteran of World War II. He was the widower of Vera Taff.
He is survived by a daughter, Cheryl Howerton of Searcy; two sons, Don Taff of Alma and Mike Taff of Ozark; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral service was held March 7 at Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home Chapel in Van Buren with burial at New Cemetery
in Mulberry.
Pallbearers were his grandsons.
Virginia Mahan
Virginia “Blossom” Mahan, 86, of Alma died Tuesday, March 4, 2003, at a local nursing home. She was born Jan. 8, 1917, in Spadra. She was a 1935 graduate of Coal Hill High School, a member of Church of Christ, a Sunday school teacher and a volunteer at Sparks Regional Medical Center for several years.
Funeral service was held March 6 at Alma Church of Christ with burial at Hess Cemetery
in Coal Hill under the direction of Hardwicke Funeral Home of Clarksville.
She is survived by her husband, Johnny; a daughter, Layne Downs of Fort Smith; two sons, Buddy Mahan of Muskogee and Butch Mahan of Alma; seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Paul Puckett
Paul W. Puckett, 72, of Bixby, Okla., formerly of Rudy died Wednesday, March 5, 2003, in Tulsa. He retired from the Army after 20 years, having received the National Defense Service Medal, five Good Conduct medals, Vietnam Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, two overseas bars, two Air Medals, Combat Infrantryman’s Badge, Amy Commendation Medal, Bronze Star and Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was a member of the Columbia, Ga., Masonic Blue Lodge No. 344 and a Shriner. He moved to Rudy in 1981 and served the 88 Community as president and secretary of its volunteer fire department and served on the election board.
Survivors include three daughters, Carolyn Larkin, Polly Caughron and Kathy Babbitt; two sons, Robert Puckett and David Morrison; two sisters, Jeannette and Patys; one brother, Jerry Puckett; nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Graveside service with military honors was held march 8 at McCurry Cemetery
near Ruby under the direction of Bixby Funeral Home.
Lucille Bennett
Lucille Bell Bennett of Fort Smith died Saturday, March 8, 2003, at her home. She was the widow of Drew Bennett and was also preceded in death by her parents, John and Jane Bell; two brothers, Curtis and Charles Bell; and a grandson, William H. Wilson Jr. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Fort Smith.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Jimmie Drew Bennett and Nancy Bennet of Van Buren; a daughter and son-in-law, Ann Bennett Wilson and William H. Wilson of Fort Smith; a brother, John Bell of Van Buren; a brother and sister-in-law, Earl and Maxine Bell of Citrus Heights, Calif.; and sisters-in-law Ruth Bell Roos of Edison, N.J., Theresa Bennett Ainsworth of Broken Arrow, Okla., and Geneva Bell of Roseville, Calif. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Randy Bennett of Van Buren, Jeff and Kerri Bennett Taake and Greg Bennett Wilson, all of Fort Smith, and Bob and Patti Wilson Rhodes and Laura Ann Wilson, all of Little Rock. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, William H. Wilson III, Adrianne and Evan Wilson, Tyler, Emillie and Christopher Taake, Wesley Wilson Rhodes and Annalee Bennett Rhodes. A special friend, Richard Todd of Fort Smith, numerous nieces and nephews and a host of friends at Willowbrook Retirement Community also survive her.
Funeral service was held March 10 at Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home Chapel in Van Buren with burial at Roselawn Cemetery
in Fort Smith.
Pallbearers were Tyler and Jeff Taake, Greg Bennett Wilson, Randy Bennett, Bob Rhodes and Jimmy Johnson.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Edward Mercy Hospice, P.O. Box 17000, Fort Smith, AR 72917-7000.
Margaret Riordan
Margaret Ann Riordan, 61, passed away on the morning of March 9 after a courageous battle with cancer. Margaret, daughter of Robert Woodrow Amos and Hannah McCleary-Hutchison, was born March 6, 1942.
Margaret attended the Cambridge schools, graduating from high school in 1960. She graduated from the College of Wooster, Wootster, Ohio, in 1964 with a B.A. degree in English. She received a scholarship to Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, Rochester, N.Y., and graduated with a master’s degree in religious education in 1966. Margaret was a religious education director in Rochester following her marriage Aug. 26, 1966. She later taught children with special needs in Atlanta and taught special education and first grade at Cedarville for a few years. The greater portion of her time was spent at home in Natural Dam taking care of her family.
She is survived by her parents; her husband, Michael E. Riordan; her children, Amos Riordan and wife Paula, John Michael Riordan and Hannah Margaret Riordan; and her granddaughter, Katherine Elizabeth Riordan. She also is survived by her sister, Sarah Elizabeth Amos Ball and husband, Steven; and her niece, Katherine Ann Ball of Columbus, Ohio.
A memorial serevice will be held at noon Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Cedarville with burial at Hall Cemetery
under the drection of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren. A family memorial service will be held in Cambridge, Ohio, at a later date.
Pallbearers were Amos Riordan, John Riordan, David Roberts, Mike Spencer, Ruben Miller and Frank Workman. Honorary pallbearers were Leroy Hager and Grady Glass.
