OBITUARIES: Benton County

Betty Jean Skaggs

ROGERS -- Betty Jean Skaggs was the youngest child of Jake and Sara Hale. She was born on June 3, 1927, on their farm near Jamestown, Kan. She died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at her home in Rogers, Ark.

She had two sisters, Eva and Mae, and two brothers Vivian and Lavern. She married Robert Skaggs in June 1949. Betty and Robert lived in Chicago from 1949 until 1993. They have three children -- Roxanna, Jason, and Benton.

Betty is survived by her husband, Robert; her daughter, Roxanna and her husband Henry Hauschild; her son, Jason Skaggs and Nancy Belzer; her son, Benton Skaggs and Kim Taglia. She has five grandchildren. Jennifer, Kathrine, Jake, Samantha, and Erica, and four great-grandchildren, Leija, Paxton, Grason and Avianna.

Betty attended Texas State College for Woman in Denton, Texas, and North Eastern University in Chicago, Ill., and was graduated Magna Cum Laude with her degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy. She taught piano in Chicago for 10 years. She also worked for 10 years as a naturalist guide at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill. Since returning home to Rogers in 1993 Betty has been the President of the Rogers Music Guild, the accompanist for two musical productions at Northwest Arkansas Community College. She worked as an accompanist for the Bella Vista Woman's Choir, church groups, and at NWACC. She contributed to the musical life of the First Presbyterian Church of Rogers as a pianist and member of the choir and bell choir.

Betty had a deep love for wild places, woods, prairies, marshes, rivers and lakes. She was at home with the music of Bach, good piano jazz, opera, dance, and live theater. She enjoyed the paintings of Claude Monet and Henri Matisse. The poetry of William Wordsworth and Mary Oliver. She liked rodeos and Pow Wows.

Betty's love, loyalty, and grace was a blessing to her family and community. There will be a worship service to celebrate her life Saturday, March 12, 2011, at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Rogers, Ark. The service will be led by the church's Pastor Jeff Parker and the Rev. Jerry Rice. Inurnment will take place at the columbarium on-site at the church. There will be a reception following the worship service.

In lieu of flowers, Betty's family ask that memorial gifts be given to the Betty Jean Skaggs Memorial Piano Fund at First Presbyterian Church of Rogers, The Circle of Life Hospice Organization, 901 Jones Road, Springdale, Ark., or to The Nature Conservancy.

All cremation arrangements were made under the direction of Epting Funeral Home in Bentonville, Ark. Online condolences can be made to the family at www.eptingfuneralhome.webs.com.

-- Paid

Tom McCullough

FAYETTEVILLE -- Tom McCullough, age 45, of Fayetteville died Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, in Houston, Texas.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah; two daughters, Kathryn and Caroline McCullough, both of Fayetteville; his father and mother Jack and Cheryl McCullough of Bentonville, Ark.; one sister, Cheryl Murphy and her husband Brian of Columbus, Ohio; niece, Mallory Murphy; two nephews, Jack Murphy and Sean Murphy all of Columbus, Ohio; and his grandmother Helen M. Keller of Rogers, Ark.

Funeral service will be 11 a.m. today (Monday) at the Robinson Avenue Church of Christ in Springdale with burial at Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville under the direction of Moore's Chapel in Fayetteville.

Memorial contributions may be made to: Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy UAMS, Attn. Janet Aronson, 4301 West Markham St. #816, Little Rock, AR 72205 or MD Anderson Cancer Center, Leukemia Research, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486.

When the memorial is made, please note the memorial is for Tom McCullough.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to all of those who cared for him at Highlands Oncology, UAMS and MD Anderson.

To place an online tribute visit www.mooresfuneralchapel.com.

-- Paid

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