NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Betty Jean Walker
SPRINGDALE -- Betty Jean Walker, 82, passed away peacefully on Oct. 23, 2010, at The Maples in Springdale. She was a 62-year resident of Springdale, and active in local, state and national organizations.
Betty was born in Seligman, Mo., to E.C. and Ruth McClain Hooker as the youngest of four children. She graduated high school in Seligman, then attended both Southwest Missouri State in Springfield and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She was a featured singer with a local orchestra while in Springfield.
After she came to Springdale, Betty owned and operated the Springdale Credit Bureau and was also the original business manager of Springdale Memorial Hospital (now Northwest Medical Center).
Her local activities included serving on the Washington County Selective Service Draft Board, Beta Sigma Phi and she was a member of the First United Methodist Church.
Betty was active in the Republican Party on the county, state and national level, including serving as a voting delegate to two Republican National Conventions. She was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) in the Department of Defense.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents; one brother and one sister. She is survived by her husband, William C. "Bill" Walker of the home; daughters, Jeanne Walker of Louisville, Ky., and Jan Walker of Springdale; her sister, Teena Carpenter of Fayetteville; one grandchild; and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today, Oct. 26, at the Sisco Funeral Chapel in Springdale. A memorial service at will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, at Sisco Chapel on with the Rev. Judy VanHoose officiating. There will be a private family burial.
Pallbearers are David Carpenter, Joe Herriman, Adrian Luttrell, Jim Crouch, Clay Galloway and Paul Bynum Jr. Honorary pallbearers are Stuart Hooker, Brent Hooker, Kendall Carpenter, Jim Cypert, Pierce Smith, Howard Sutton, Paul Davis, Gene Thompson, Harold Beisel, Andy Penzo, Don Marts, Bobby Hopper, Ken Galloway, Jim Buchanan, and Betty's chapter of Beta Sigma Phi.
The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the staff of The Maples at Har-Ber Meadows, who for five years consistently treated Betty with respect, good humor and loving care. They also wish to thank the kind and supportive staff of Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale.
Memorials may be made to Circle of Life Hospice, 901 Jones Road, Springdale AR 72762; or First United Methodist Church Foundation, 206 W. Johnson Ave., Springdale AR 72764
Online condolences may be made to www.siscofuneral.com.
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Utah Lee Robison
SILOAM SPRINGS -- Utah Lee Robison, 68, of Siloam Springs died Oct. 23, 2010, at his home in Robison Hollow. He was born Dec. 13, 1941, in Siloam Springs to Junior Thomas "Pete" and Ollie Reynolds Robison. He retired from Syroco in 1998 and enjoyed ham radio.
Survivors include his wife, Carol Jean Robison; two daughters Tammy Jenks and husband Mike of Robison Hollow and Stacy Schraub and husband Ryan of Siloam Springs; two sons, David Robison and wife Glynda of Robison Hollow and Steven Robison and wife Michelle of Westville, Okla.; a brother, Paul Robison of Robison Hollow; a sister, LaVona Winkler of Siloam Springs; 12 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. today at Sager Creek Community Church in Siloam Springs.
Cremation arrangements are by Backstrom-Pyeatte Funeral Home of Siloam Springs.
Brenda Kay Halle
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Brenda Kay Feast Halle of Jacksonville, Fla., died Oct. 18, 2010, at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville. She was born Nov. 30, 1952, in Wichita, Kan., to Bert and Leona Feast. She had served in the Air Force and was an aircraft inspector with the Defense Contract Management Agency.
Survivors include her husband, Edward J. Halle; a daughter, Ashley Schmitz and husband Mike of Ohio; a son, Benjamin Burke of Oklahoma City; a brother, Richard Feast of Bentonville; her mother, Leona Feast of Pea Ridge; and four grandchildren.
Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Baptist Church in Rogers.
A memorial service with military honors was held by Craig Funeral Home in St. Augustine, Fla.
Donald Gene Sampson
BELLA VISTA -- Donald Gene Sampson, 75, of Bella Vista, Ark., went to be with his Lord, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010.
A celebration of Don's life will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010, at the Hope Church in Bentonville, Ark.
Online tributes to the family of Donald Gene Sampson may be made at www.bentoncountymemorialpark.com.
Under the direction of Benton County Memorial Park Funeral Home of Rogers, Ark.
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Charles Johnson
WATTS, Okla. -- Charles "Chalk" Johnson, 68, of Watts, Okla., died Oct. 24, 2010, at his home. He was born April 5, 1942, in Watts to John Jr. and Edna Mae Ames Johnson. He retired from Franklin Electric in 2004 and was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include a daughter, Melissa Johnson of Siloam Springs; a son, Bud Johnson of Siloam Springs; a sister; a brother; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Backstrom-Pyeatte Funeral Home in Siloam Springs.
Services will be 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Burial will be at Bell Cemetery in Watts.
Wilma Jean Lamphear
SILOAM SPRINGS -- Wilma Jean Lamphear, 73, of Siloam Springs died Oct. 24, 2010, at Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital. She was born June 7, 1937, in Delaware County, Okla., to Cecil and Grace Ketterman Anderson. She owned and operated several restaurants in the Siloam Springs area for many years.
Survivors include two sons, Dale Lamphear Jr. and wife, Sherry, and Cecil Lamphear, all of Siloam Springs; a daughter, Debbie Cleveland of Siloam Springs; a sister, Letha Brown of Siloam Springs; eight grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Wasson Funeral Home in Siloam Springs.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Burial will follow at Maysville Cemetery.
Gordon Robert Christisen
BELLA VISTA -- Gordon Robert Christisen, 85, of Bella Vista, Ark., died Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, at Circle of Life Legacy in Bentonville, Ark. He was born on Oct. 9, 1925, in Kansas City, Mo., to Louie Christisen and Bernice Thomas Christisen.
He served in the United States Navy during World War II on USS Drew and was awarded three Bronze Stars. He served 40 years as a railroad engineer. He was a lifetime member of the VFW. He moved to Bella Vista 19 years ago from Kansas City, Mo. He was a member of the Railroad Club in Springdale and an avid golfer. He was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church in Lowell, Ark., where he was financial secretary.
He is survived only by cousins, Ron McLaughlin of Arizona, Marlene Byous of Lamar, Mo., Nancy De Carlo of Oklahoma City, Gloria Gregory of Kansas City, Mo., Joan Cole of Overland Park, Kan., Marcia Diebold of Clinton, Mo., Tom Day of Lamar, Mo., Bob Thomas of Iowa, Beverly Lucas of Lamar, Mo., Wanda Wooten of Topeka, Kan., and Dale Christisen of Perryville, Mo.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010, at the Bella Vista Funeral Home, 2258 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Ark., with Pastor Charles Huebner officiating.
Arrangements are by the Bella Vista Funeral Home and Crematory, 2258 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Ark.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Circle of Life Hospice -- Legacy, 900 N.E. Verdant, Bentonville, AR 72712.
Online condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.
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Michael J. Zabinski
ROGERS -- Michael J. Zabinski, age 86, of Rogers, died Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, at Cox Health in Springfield, Mo. He was born in Calumet City, Ill., on May 13, 1924, to the late Boleswa and Elizabeth (Worosz) Zabinski.
He served his country in the U.S. Army. He retired to Rogers in 1972 from American Steel in Hammond, Ind. Locally, he worked for Daisy Manufacturing and delivered for his son's Butterfield Greenhouse.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Zabinski, who died in 1985; and seven siblings.
Survivors include his sons, Chuck Zabinski and wife, Dawn, of Nixa, Mo., Mark Zabinski and wife, Beth, of Rogers; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010, at Callison-Lough Funeral Home, Rogers.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday in the Chapel of Callison-Lough Funeral Home, officiated by Deacon Clarence Leis.
Entombment will follow in the Mausoleum at Benton County Memorial Park.
Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation, 355 Lexington Ave., 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017.
Arrangements are by Callison-Lough Funeral Home in downtown Rogers.
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