Lt. Colonel James Woodrow Carpenter

Lt. Colonel James Woodrow Carpenter died July 13, 2014, at the age of 97. He was born in Washabaugh County, S.D. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ernestine (Teena) Hooker Carpenter of Fayetteville; his son, Kendal Carpenter of Springdale; his parents, Arthur and Mary Dimick Carpenter, and sister, Ruby Carpenter, all of South Dakota. Jim attended a rural school at Wanamaker, S.D., and worked on the family ranch until age 15 when he attended Coyne Electrical School in Chicago. Graduating from there, he then joined the U.S. Army and spent two years in the Hawaiian Islands. He was called back into the U.S. Army in 1941. He was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., when it was quite new. In 1943, he was assigned to Officers' Candidate School in Fort Monmouth, N.J. He received his commission in the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army. He commanded a wire team of 16 laying telephone wires between 7th corps Headquarters and the 3cd Armored Division (Spearhead). He was in England from March until June when he landed on Utah Beach in France on the morning of D-Day, June 6, 1944. He was decorated for the five major European battles: Normandy, Central France, the Ardennes, Belgium (the Bulge) and Central Germany. He was awarded the Bronze Star on the battlefield by General Joe Collins in March 1945 and received the French Medal of Honor. Jim remained with the occupation Army in Germany until he returned home after the end of the war in October 1945. Jim was an eight-year Army veteran and stayed in the reserves before retiring as Lieutenant Colonel. In December 1943, Jim traveled to Kansas City, Mo., with his overseas orders and married Teena. He was a D-Day veteran of Utah Beach. In 1948, Jim and Teena moved to Springdale where they owned and managed Jim's Radio on Hwy. 71, later known as Jim's Radio & TV Communications. He served on the National Dealer Council of Electronics Communication, was past president of the Arkansas Electronics Service Association and zone chairman of the National Foundation of Independent Businesses. As an active member of the community, Jim was past president of the Springdale Lions Club, recipient of the Lions International Melvin Jones Fellowship Award. He attended First United Methodist Church of Springdale, was an avid ballroom dancer and member of the Shiloh Square Dance Club. He was a member of the American Legion, Veteran of Foreign Wars and Reserve Office of NWA, and was a board member and volunteer at Shiloh Museum. Survivors include his son, David J. Carpenter and wife, Vonita, and his granddaughter, Shannon Carpenter, all of Springdale; and grandson, Bradley of Fayetteville. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, July 22, 2014, at 2 p.m. at Butterfield Trail Village, Convocation Room, of Fayetteville, Ark., with the Rev. Judy VanHoose, associate pastor of First United Methodist Church in Springdale, officiating. A private burial will be held at a later date at Bayless Cemetery near Gateway, Ark. The family wishes to express their gratitude to Butterfield Trail Village for the loving care they have given Jim since he moved there on Sept. 11, 2001. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Butterfield Trail Village, 1923 E. Joyce Blvd., Fayetteville, AR 72703; or First United Methodist Church, 206 W. Johnson Ave., Springdale, AR 72764. Online condolences may be made to www.siscofuneral.com.