BENTONVILLE -- Ray Jefferson was remembered by friends and colleagues as a quiet, professional man with a passion for county government.
Jefferson, 94, died Sunday at his home in Bentonville. He was elected county collector and later treasurer, serving from 1958 until he retired as treasurer in 1984.
Shirley Sandlin, justice of the peace for District 8 and a former assessor, came to know Jefferson after she went to work in the Assessor's Office in 1978.
"I did know Ray; at that point, he was the treasurer," Sandlin said. "We were all housed in the original county courthouse. There was a lot fewer of us in those days. He was always a quiet, gentle man whenever I came in contact with him."
Jefferson was one of a group of military veterans who ran for government office after World War II, Sandlin said.
"There was a group of them that ran for different offices and pretty much swept the courthouse," she said.
With county government being much smaller then, it was common to see Jefferson outside his office visiting with people at the courthouse, Sandlin said.
"He had one person that worked with him," she said. "I can remember him sitting out in front of his door visiting with people as they went from one side of the courthouse to the other. Back then it was a much more laid-back operation."
County Collector Gloria Peterson followed Jefferson as treasurer after he retired in 1984.
"When Ray retired is when I ran for treasurer," Peterson said. "I had worked in the Assessor's Office for 9½ years so I did know him. He was definitely a fixture around the courthouse. He was highly thought of and highly respected. He did a good job in the treasurer's office."
Bruce Rutherford, a former county judge who now works as a criminal investigator for the prosecuting attorney, said he knew Jefferson before he ran for office in 1987. He said Jefferson was a friend and their friendship continued through the years after Jefferson retired.
"I saw him just last week," Rutherford said, recalling a chance meeting over lunch in Bentonville. "I've known Ray Jefferson for 35 years. I always enjoyed seeing him. He was very professional and a good man to be around."
Rutherford said he became acquainted with Jefferson while working for the Benton County Sheriff's Office before running for county judge.
"I considered him a friend," Rutherford said. "He used to come see me quite a bit when I was county judge."
Jefferson continued his practice of visiting the courthouse through the years and was always informed about county government, Rutherford said.
"Even in the past year, he came to visit me in my office, and we talked for an hour or so," he said. "He always kept up with county government. As long as he had been in office, he kind of had a passion for it."
Jefferson was born Oct. 13, 1919, in Bentonville to James Harvey and Vivian Davis Jefferson. He graduated from Bentonville High School in 1936, and in 1941 he was inducted into the U.S. Army where he served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In 1951 he married Joella Carter, who preceded him in death.
Graveside services will be held Friday at Bentonville City Cemetery under the direction of Benton County Memorial Park Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Benton County Humane Society of Rogers or Circle of Life, 901 Jones Road in Springdale, Ark., 72762.
NW News on 07/24/2014