Information for the obituaries and funeral notices below was supplied to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Advertising Department by funeral homes. For more information including cost and deadlines contact the advertising department at (501) 378-3889.
Some obituaries may appear in certain editions of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and not in others. This list shows the names of all people whose obituaries are in at least one edition. For obituaries not in this edition, please visit Arkansas Online at www.arkansasonline.com/obituaries/.
PULASKI COUNTY
Lucille N. Bailey of Little Rock. Virginia C. “Vick” Dolle Booth, 64, of Little Rock. Anthony Ray Cole, 41, of Little Rock. Thomas Grundy, 76, of North Little Rock. Reuben Heredia, 61, of Little Rock. Johnie William “Bill” Jones, 83, of Little Rock. Olajuwan L. Lovette, 21, of Little Rock. Dorothine McCraney, 70, of Little Rock. James Daniel “Dan” Reeves, 79, of Little Rock. Danny Lee Scoggins Jr., 32, of Sherwood. Robert “Bob” Stahler, 76, of Maumelle.
ELSEWHERE IN ARKANSAS
ASH FLAT
Norma Phelps.
BEEBE
Mildred Jarvis Robbins, 99.
BENTON
James D. Davis, 64. Betty L. Fisher, 68. Joseph Allen Lilly, 86.
BLYTHEVILLE
Mary Lou Maupin, 76.
BRINKLEY
Lehman C. Fowler, 86.
BROOKLAND
Elberta R. Hudson, 87.
CABOT
Frank Elmer Dodd, 85. Brett Jason Young, 33.
CALICO ROCK
Madelyn Hamby, 82.
CAMDEN
Harry D. Swanegan, 82. Douglas Wayne West Sr., 66.
CARLISLE
Terry H. Smith, 58.
CONWAY
Dorothy Lynn Bailey Anderson, 81. Clara Carter, 81. Ray Colbert, 53.
FORDYCE
Katherine McCollum, 84.
HOT SPRINGS
Robbie Sue Ham, 83.
LAKE VILLAGE
Gary Dean Castleberry, 55. Regina Fratesi Sampolesi, 50.
MAGNOLIA
Hugh Ben “Smitty” Smith, 86.
MALVERN
Marion Harper, 77.
McCASKILL
Guy Dwain Gibson, 62.
MENA
Bertha Scovell, 82.
NEWPORT
Ron Michaels, 64.
PARAGOULD
Linda L. Flanagan, 61.
POTTSVILLE
James Ray Flud, 77.
RUSSELLVILLE
Steven Ray Arnold Zamora, 19.
SEARCY
T.R. Fielder, 81.
TEXARKANA
Earl Troy Ratliff, 86.
WEST MEMPHIS
Wayne E. Young, 83.
OUT-OF-STATE
SIMI VALLEY, Calif.
Vance Carlisle Scott Sr., 76.
VICTORVILLE, Calif.
Jimmie Herman Mellon, 67, formerly of Augusta.
CRAWFORD, Texas
Jacquelyn Edwards Driver, 52, formerly of Sherrill.
FLOWER MOUND, Texas
Charles Van “Chuck” Freeman, 86, formerly of North Little Rock.
FORT WORTH
Precious Bougrine Neal, 49.
BRINKLEY — Services for Lehman C. Fowler, 86, of Brinkley will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, at First Baptist Church, Brinkley, Ark., with Brother Jim McDaniel officiating. Mr. Fowler died Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. Visitation will be at Fowler Funeral Home, Brinkley, on Friday, Feb. 25, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lehman was born on Feb. 1, 1925, in Ash Flat, Ark., to Mable and Merle Fowler. Following graduation from Ash Flat High School, he enrolled at the University of Arkansas in 1942. But the U.S. had entered into WWII and in July 1943, Lehman, at age 18, joined the U.S. Navy, went through OCS to become an ensign, and trained as a bomb-disposal officer. Before shipping off overseas, he married Virginia Elizabeth Holland in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 1945. Three months later, he was shipped overseas. Lehman was stationed in Hawaii, the Philippines, Japan and the Pacific Islands. Being a bomb-disposal officer was one of the most dangerous assignments, second only to the Navy Seals. Lehman was a brave man who was proud to serve and protect his country.
After the war ended, Lehman and Virginia moved to Fayetteville to continue his college education. He graduated in 1948 with a BS in agriculture. Lehman started his career as farm manager for the R.E. Short farm near Moro, Ark. In 1957, he started farming on his own near Hunter, Ark. In 1962, Lehman moved his family to Brinkley.
During this time, he was very active in the agricultural community. He served on the boards of directors of Riceland Foods, Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Agricultural Policy Institute at North Carolina State. He gave many technical presentations on a state and national level. He was named as a trustee to the Jewel Minnis Trust, a trust whose farm income makes it the largest contributor for University of Arkansas scholarships. Lehman also served as an adviser of USDA for Rice Science and Education and a vice president of the Arkansas Economic Education Council. In 1970, Lehman was hired as crop division manager of Winrock Farms in Carlisle, Ark., and director of western operations near Dalhart, Texas. He was responsible for supervising over 39,000 acres. He moved his family to Dalhart, Texas, in 1972. He moved back to Brinkley in 1979 and developed Della Gourmet Rice.
Lehman also has given back to his community and to humanity. He served as a deacon of First Baptist Church for over 30 years. He traveled to Bangladesh, Haiti, Belize and India to aid the poor in crop production as a mission outreach. He worked as a volunteer for FEMA, as a cook for the Arkansas Baptist Men Disaster Relief who aided victims of Hurricane Rita, and traveled to Mexico and Turkmenistan with Winrock International to work with farmers. In 1997, he spent 12 days in Iraq studying agriculture and trying to sell rice in the “Oil for Food Program.” Lehman was honored by being inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1996.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 55 years, Virginia Elizabeth; his parents; and two brothers. Left to cherish his memory are his two sons and two daughters and their families, Ronnie and Sandra Fowler of McGehee, Ark., Rose and Curtis Blakely of Longview, Texas, Lisa and Lane Dykes of Ovilla, Texas, and Reg and Brenda Fowler of Memphis, Tenn.; his 11 wonderful grandchildren and his 14 fantastic great-grandchildren; two brothers and three sisters.
Of all his accomplishments, his greatest unselfish act was taking care of his wife, Virginia, from the start of her illness in 1995 until her death in 2000. We will never forget that loving care. Lehman has been a friend to many. He was always willing to help. He has accomplished more in one lifetime than one could ever imagine. He has done it with integrity, honesty, hard work and faith in our Lord.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Rebecca Fowler Kidney Transplant Fund, Rose Blakely, Treasurer, P.O. Box 9246, Longview, Texas, 75608; or First Baptist Church, Brinkley, Ark.
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TEXARKANA — Earl Troy Ratliff, 86, of Texarkana, Ark., passed away Monday, Feb. 21, 2011, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Walnut Ridge, Ark.
He was a veteran of World War II and a long-time minister who served as pastor to nearly a dozen churches throughout Texas and Arkansas, including Hillcrest Baptist and Grand Avenue Baptist in Texarkana.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Doris Ratliff, of Texarkana; their son, Mark Ratliff, of Springdale, Ark.; his parents, Garland Ratliff and Fannie Franklin; and brother and sister-in-law, Devoe and Eva Ratliff, all of Jonesboro. Survivors include a son, Michael Ratliff and his wife Sharon of Tyler, Texas; a daughter, Dr. Phyllis Miller and her husband Dr. Anthony Burton of Fayetteville; seven grandchildren, Karen Henry and her husband Larry of Fayetteville, Kyle Henry of Dallas, Jenny Sawyer and husband Joel of Keller, Texas, Matthew Ratliff and wife Kelli of College Station, Texas, Susan Ratliff of Dallas, Julie Edwards and husband Greg of Richardson, Texas, and Sarah Ratliff of College Station. Earl Ratliff is also survived by three sisters: Lorene Deeter and Betty Kathel Lawrence of Walnut Ridge, and Avo Webb of Jonesboro, as well as eight great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, followed by graveside services at 2 p.m., both at Chapelwood Funeral Home in Nash, Texas.