Ewell 'Paul' Fritts

Ewell "Paul" Fritts, 91, of Wesley, Ark., died in Meadowview Health and Rehab in Huntsville, Ark., on Feb. 2, 2014. He was born Dec. 15, 1922, to Ona Salsman Fritts and Willie J. Fritts on the family farm near Wesley. Paul was a member of the Wesley Church of Christ where he led singing for about 40 years and served for a time as an elder. He was a lifetime farmer, having raised chickens and beef cattle and maintained a dairy operation for many years. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers. His older brother, Hugh, was killed in combat in 1945 in France in WWII. His younger brother, Ray, died at the age of 13 of rheumatic fever. Paul served his country in WWII with the 351st Engineer General Service Regiment in both the European and Pacific Theaters and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Paul is survived by his wife of 67 years, Cuba McElhaney Fritts; one son and his wife, Steven and Diana Fritts of Wesley; one daughter and her husband, Glenda and Stephen Davis of Wesley; five grandchildren and their spouses, Adam and April Fritts of Monett, Mo., Deborah and David Harnke of Morrison, Colo., Sarah and Lance Petrillo of Littleton, Colo., Lydia and Kyle Trauth of Morrilton, Ark., and Tabitha and Lee Inboden of Jonesboro, Ark.; two step-grandchildren, Ashley and Tali Nelle-Davis; and seven great-grandchildren, Ava and Neil Fritts, Asher and Samara Harnke, Chloe and Sophie Petrillo, and Lily Trauth. Funeral services will be held at the Wesley Church of Christ building at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, with Jeff Watson officiating, followed by interment at the Wesley Cemetery, under the direction of Brashears Funeral Home, brashearsfuneralhome.net, of Huntsville, Ark. Visitation: 5-7 p.m. Friday at Brashears. Memorials may be made to the Arthritis Research Foundation.