Washington County Obituaries

Barbara Worth Erwin Richey

Fayetteville — Barbara Worth (Erwin) Richey, age 85, of Fayetteville, died Feb. 18, 2011, at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville. She was born Aug. 5, 1925, in Talhina, Okla., to the late Virgil and Charley (Chesser) Erwin.

She was a longtime member of First Baptist Church at Lowell, a current member of Mission Boulevard Baptist Church in Fayetteville, and retired from clerical work.

Survivors include her children, Harry Hardin and wife, Sharon, of Seneca, Mo., Joyce Norwood and husband, Chuck, of Kiowa, Colo., Tom Hardin and wife, Ceil, of Fayetteville; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two husbands; a son, Richard Eugene Hardin; three brothers; and three grandsons.

Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 21, 2011, at Callison-Lough Funeral Home, Rogers. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday at Mission Boulevard Baptist Church, Fayetteville, officiated by Bro. Gary Thomas and Bro. Brian Disney. Interment will follow in Round Mountain Cemetery.

Arrangements are by Callison-Lough Funeral Home in downtown Rogers, www.callisonloughfuneralhome.com.

— Paid

Roberta Douglas Cummings Tucker

ROGERS — Roberta Douglas Cummings Tucker was born on Nov. 10, 1917, in Prairie Grove, Ark. Her parents were Mary Rebecca Maupin Cummings and Hugh Douglas Cummings. She was the youngest of five children.

She graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1940 with a degree in home economics. She married Robert Lewis Tucker of Little Rock, Ark., in 1941.

Roberta moved 36 times during her married life. She lived in Houston, Texas, New York, N.Y., Mogandisio, Somalia, Sydney, Australia, and Jakarta, Indonesia. She had five children.

After Robert’s retirement they returned to Arkansas. She was a Presbyterian for most of her life and was also a member of the First Christian Church of Rogers, Ark. She was a member of the Enoch Ashley chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She was an active member of many organizations in Rogers. For over 25 years, she volunteered in the second grade of Northside Elementary and received a lifetime honorary membership in the PTSA.

Roberta was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert Lewis Tucker; her brother, Judge Maupin Cummings; and her sisters, Lucy Cummings Webster, Emilie Cummings Bell, and Mary Cummings Jongeward.

Roberta is survived by her children, Nancy Jennings and her husband, Richard, of Austin, Texas, Emilie Varnell and her husband, Richard, of Fort Worth, Texas, Robert Tucker and his wife, Jeannette, of Houston, Texas, Lucy Day and her husband, Wendell, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Susan Chappuis and her husband, Duke, of Houston, Texas.

She is survived by her grandchildren, Richard Jennings of San Diego, Calif., Mark Jennings of Austin, Texas, Suzanne Varnell Sanders of Fort Worth, Texas, Richard Varnell of Austin, Texas, Charles Varnell of Denver, Colo., Robert Tucker of Baton Rouge, La., Sarah Tucker of Houston, Texas, Katherine Tucker Kane of Houston, Texas, Justin Smith of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, and Kelly Chappuis of Houston, Texas.

She is survived by great-grandchildren, Rebecca and Kimberly Jennings of San Diego, Calif., Kalie, Coleman, Woodrow and Jenibee Jennings of Austin, Texas, Virginia, Charles, Robert and Caroline Sanders of Fort Worth, Texas, Lillian and Emilie Varnell of Denver, Colo., and Clark Kane of Houston, Texas. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Roberta passed away on Feb. 9, 2011, in Fort Worth, Texas. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Feb. 26, 2011, at the First Presbyterian Church of Prairie Grove, Ark.

The family would like to thank Odyssey Hospice Care of Fort Worth and Father Johnson Shannon of All Saints’ Episcopal Church of Fort Worth, Texas.

— Paid

Alfred Ray Pope

OKLAHOMA CITY — Alfred Ray Pope, aged 82, died at St. Ann’s in Oklahoma City, Okla., Feb. 14, 2011.

Born Sept. 15, 1928, in Chowchilla, Calif., to Charles and Ida Pope, Ray left high school and joined the military, even though underage during World War II, and wound up making the Air Force his career. In the early 1950s, Ray was stationed in Japan where he met and married Alice Broyles in December 1951. An avid outdoorsman, Ray hunted and fished wherever he was based, but being stationed in Alaska, a land he loved, was one his highlights. Following his retirement from the Air Force as a master sergeant in 1966, the family settled in Northwest Arkansas. In later years, interest in travel resulted in cross country RV’ing with Alice. The decision to make that a permanent lifestyle was ended by Ray’s stroke in 2001.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice, in 2009.

He is survived by his three sons and their wives, Don and Jann, David and Donna, and Dan and Leslie; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

The family wishes to express their gratitude for all those who cared for him so well at St. Ann’s.

There will be visitation Monday, Feb. 21 at Stumpff Funeral Home and Crematory, 1600 S.E. Washington Blvd., Bartlesville, Okla.

Services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22 at the Fayetteville National Cemetery, 700 Government Ave., Fayetteville, Ark.

— Paid

Ana Luz Thompson

FARMINGTON — Ana Luz Thompson, 82, of Farmington, died Feb. 13, 2011, at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale. She was born June 17, 1928, in Coama, Puerto Rico, to Zacarias and Signesia Cruz.

She served in the Women’s Army Corps during WWII, and was a teacher throughout her life.

Survivors include her husband, William J. “Bill” Thompson of the home, and a son, Richard Thompson of Fayetteville.

Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Thursday at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville. Burial will be at Fayetteville National Cemetery.

Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home in Springdale.

Oleta McGarrah

SILOAM SPRINGS — Oleta McGarrah, 73, of Siloam Springs, passed away Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, at the Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville.

Oleta was born on July 6, 1937, in Gentry, Ark., a daughter of William Ralph Setser and Mabel Louella Cantrell Setser. She married Harlow McGarrah on Sept. 14, 1953, in Bentonville, Ark. Oleta and Harlow were farmers, and she worked for Simmons Poultry for many years in quality control. Oleta was a very hard worker who enjoyed flower gardening, being a seamstress and cooking. She was a member of the Jesus Name Assembly in Springdale.

Survivors include her husband, Harlow McGarrah of the home; one son, Robbi McGarrah and wife Paula of Siloam Springs; two daughters, Deborah Brown and husband Joe of Springdale and Vickie McCormick and husband Ken of Siloam Springs; one brother, Bill Setser of Springdale; four sisters, Mae Robertson of Bella Vista, Bertie Fisher of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Charlene Edwards and Linda Price both of Springdale; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at the Backstrom-Pyeatte Funeral Chapel in Springdale at 10 am. on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Pastor Joe Brown will officiate the service with burial being held at the Frisco Springs Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb 21, 2011, at the funeral home. Visit the online guestbook at www.backstrom-pyeatte.com.

— Paid

Jimmie Ray Rogers

HUNTSVILLE — Jimmy Ray Rogers, 93, of Huntsville died Feb. 17, 2011, at McKendree Village in Hermitage, Tenn. He was born Dec. 18, 1917, in Japton to John William and Ruania Drain Rogers.

H retired from Boeing Aircraft, was an Army veteran of WWII and a licensed Free Will Baptist minister.

Survivors include one daughter, Glenda K. Robinson and husband Loren of Nashville, Tenn.; one grandson; two great-grandchildren.

Services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Brashears Funeral Home in Huntsville. Burial will be in the Bohannan Cemetery.

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