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William “Joe” Akridge
William “Joe” Akridge, 78, of Jacksonville died Sunday, Feb. 25, 2001, at his home. He was a member of West-Ark Church of Christ in Fort Smith, Fort Smith Sebastian Lodge No. 706, a 50-year member, and Western Arkansas Consistory, Scimitar Shrine and Bagman of Bagdad.
Services will be held 2 p.m. today in Fentress Mortuary Chapel in Fort Smith with burial at Roselawn cemetery.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Donna Fosteen Akridge of Fort Smith.
He is survived by his wife, Donna Akridge; one son, Harold Joe Akridge of Bella Vista; two stepsons, Danny and Gary Edwards of Paragould; one stepdaughter, Teresa Campbell of North Little Rock; one sister, Ruby Barton of Fayetteville, N.C.; one brother, John Wayne Akridge of Temucula, Calif.; one grandson, William Joe Akridge II of Navarre, Fla.; three great-grandchildren; and eight stepgrandchildren.
Joe was a successful Retail Food Salesman in Arkansas beginning with Shipley Baking Company in 1942, General Mills Inc. with 25 years of service and retiring in 1979. He continued with Van Hook Brokeage Company and Dial Foods through 1996.
Pallbearers will be Leroy Akridge Jr., Harold L. Wiggs, Leroy Akridge III, Johnny Bradley, Kenneth Wood, Hugh Akridge, and Charles Weir.
Memorial contributions may be made to West-Ark Church of Christ Building Fund, 900 N. Waldron, Fort Smith, AR 72903.
Jerry Ritchie
POCOLA — Jerry P. Ritchie, 58, of Pocola died Saturday, Feb. 24, 2001, in Fort Smith. He was a Postal Service letter carrier and a member of Southside Baptist Church.
Graveside service will be 10 a.m. today at National cemetery in Fort Smith under the direction of Fentress Mortuary of Fort Smith.
He is survived by his wife, Wrenetta; three sons, Alan Burns of Fort Smith, Brian Burns of Bloomington, Ind., and Craig Burns of Alma; one brother, Bill Ritchie of Fort Smith; five grandchildren, Blake, Breckenn, Brennan, Baylee and Brianna Burns.
Memorial contributions may be made to Southside Baptist Church, 2400 Dodson Ave., Fort Smith, AR 72901 or St. Edward Hospice, P.O. Box 17000, Fort Smith, AR 72917-7000 or American Cancer Society Arkansas Division, P.O. Box 3822, Little Rock, AR 72203.
Cora Wells
ROLAND — Cora Bell Wells, 86, of Roland died Sunday, Feb. 25, 2001, in Fort Smith. She was a homemaker and was a Pentecostal.
Funeral will be 10 a.m. today in Agent Funeral Home Chapel in Muldrow with burial at Dora cemetery in Dora.
She is survived by two daughters, Melba Burton of Modesto, Calif., and Sharon Walker of Roland; three sons, Amon and J.R. Wells, both of Roland, and Bobby Wells of Porterville, Calif.; one sister, Rosetta O’Neal of Liberty Community; 12 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-granchildren.
Pallbearers will be her sons and grandsons.
The body may be viewed 1 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Kathryn Vinson
STILWELL — Kathryn Terrell Vinson, 62, of Stilwell died Friday, Feb. 23, 2001, in Stilwell. She was born July 29, 1938, in Gore. She graduated from Stilwell High School and attended Central Airlines School in Kansas City, Mo. She was a Baptist.
Funeral was Monday in the Roberts/Reed Culver Funeral Home Chapel in Stilwell with burial at Stilwell City cemetery.
She is survived by one son, John Shelton of West Monroe, La.; her mother, Florence Terrell of Stilwell; three sisters, Margaret Yell of Stilwell, Patricia Vinson of Paris and Donna Walker of Garnett, Kan.; one brother, Sam Terrell of Stilwell; and four grandchildren.
William Reed
WALDRON — William Hubert Reed, 81, of Waldron died Saturday, Feb. 24, 2001, in Waldron. He was a retired cannery worker and attended Lamb Baptist Church.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. today in Martin Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron with burial at Buffalo cemetery in Boles.
He is survived by his wife, Myrtle; two daughters, Gerri Lewis and Linda Holden, both of Lodi, Calif.; one son, Ed Reed of Lodi; 10 grandchildren; and 28 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Robert Thornburg, Billy and Charles Lunsford, Buddy Helton, Jerry Lasiter and Darrin Milligan.
David Smith
CAMERON — David H. Smith, 45, of Cameron died Monday, Feb. 26, 2001, in Fort Smith. He was born July 3, 1955, in Poteau. He was a veteran of Marines Special Forces and Cameron police chief, a member of Moshulatubbee Lodge and the Fraternal Order of Police, the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police and a member of the Oklahoma National Guard.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. Friday in Poteau Church of Christ with burial at Slaytonville cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Cindy; two daughters, Esther Lea and Amber Rose Smith, both of the home; and his mother, Evelyn Smith.
Pallbearers will be Robert Marchant, Eric Frey, Hanson Taylor, Joe and Barry Morgan and Richard Cooper.
Christine Jeter
TEXARKANA, Texas — Christine Jeter, 70, of Texarkana, Texas died Saturday, Feb. 24, 2001, in Texarkana. She was born Dec. 25, 1930, in Rusk, Texas. She was a nurses’ aide and was Pentecostal.
Graveside service will be 2 p.m. Friday a Chapel Wood Memorial Gardens in Texarkana under the direction of Beasley-Wood Funeral Home of Mena.
She is survived by two sons, Roy Patterson of Wickes and Billy Wayne Jeter Jr. of Texarkana, Texas; one brother, Leroy Barlow of Texarkana, Texas; three grandchildren, Timmy Lee Thornton of DeQueen and Roy Lee Patterson Jr. and James Lee Patterson, both of Wickes; and two great-grandchildren.
Roy Jones
ALMA — Roy Estel Jones, 88, of Alma died Monday, Feb. 26, 2001, in his home. He was retired from Desoto Furniture Co. after 33 years and was the widower of Lucille Jones.
Funeral will be 10 a.m. Thursday in Ocker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Van Buren with burial at Gracelawn cemetery in Van Buren.
He is survived by two daughters, Donna Sue Thomas of Mountainburg and Mary Estel Miller of Summerville, S.C.; two sons, James Dennis of Cedarville and Edgar Allen of Fort Smith; two sisters, Laura Jackson of Denton, Texas, and Vern Yarbrough of Canton, Texas; one brother, Herbert of Arlington, Texas; 11 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Pallbearers will be Chuck, Byran, and Rodney Thomas, James Jones, Bruce Burcham and David Winders.
Honorary pallbearers will be his grandsons.
The family will visit with friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Jack Smith
STIGLER — Jack Olen “Red” Smith, 80, of Stigler died Monday, Feb. 26, 2001, in Muskogee.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. Friday in Mallory Funeral Home in Stigler with burial at Keota cemetery in Keota.
He is survived by four daughters, LaDonna Sue Smith of Oklahoma City, Martina Weatherby of Cherry Hill, N.J., Shirlynne Weatherby and Jackie Roletter, both of Brooklawn, N.J.; three sons, Eric Weatherby, William Lee Smith and Dale Smith, all of Anchorage, Alaska; two sisters, Maude Wilson of Stigler and Hattie Smith of Pueblo, Colo.; two brothers, Wesley Smith of Albuquerque, N.M., and S.B. Smith of Wichita, Kan.; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
The body may be viewed at the funeral home.
Harvey Dowty
Harvey Dowty, 20, of Van Buren died Friday, Feb. 23, 2001, in Van Buren. He graduated from Van Buren High School and attended First Assembly of God Church in Van Buren.
Graveside service will be 10 a.m. Thursday at Gill cemetery Arbor in Van Buren under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.
He is survived by his parents, Johnny and Betty Dowty of Van Buren; and two sisters, Cynthia Dowty of Rock Dale, Texas, and Carolyn Ford of Alma.
Harry Wilson
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Harry Wilson, 75, of Kansas City, Mo. died Monday, Feb. 26, 2001, in Kansas City. He was born Oct. 8, 1925, in Pocahontas and was a welder.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. today in Bible Way Free Will Baptist Church in Cameron with burial at Greenhill cemetery in Cameron under the direction of Evans and Miller Funeral Home of Poteau.
He is survived by his wife, Lois; three daughters, Lawlinda Holbrook, Shirley Fox and Judy Bentzen; 14 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.
Fred Hamilton
VIAN — Fred G. Hamilton, 83, of Vian died Sunday, Feb. 25, 2001, in Tulsa. He was a retired grocery salesman and attended Full Gospel Church.
Funeral will be 11 a.m. Thursday in First United Methodist Church in Vian with burial at Box cemetery north of Vian under the direction of Agent Funeral Home of Sallisaw.
He is survived by his wife, Hazel; two daughters, Wilma Cardwell of Tulsa and Glenda Crutchfield of Broken Arrow; three stepdaughters, Phyllis June Brooks of Sacramento, Calif., Lola Ann Rogers of Mounds, Okla., and Judy Eileen Anderson of Vian; two stepsons, James Enoch Anderson of Poteau and Richard Dale Anderson of Tulsa; two sisters, Margarine Holder of Vian and Uleta Smith of Sallisaw; five grandchildren, nine stepgrandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Carroll Hart, Denny Houston, Gordon Holder, Jan Hamilton, David and Ryan Boyle and Rod Brissey.
Earmal Woodward
Earmal A. Rush Woodward, 82, of Fort Smith died Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001, in a local nursing home. She was a homemaker and member of the Bonanza Church of Christ. She was the widow of C.R. “Rose” Woodward.
Funeral will be 10 a.m. Friday in Putman Funeral Home Chapel in Fort Smith with burial at Mountain View cemetery in Hackett.
She is survived by five daughters, Earnestine Mullen of Newark, Texas, Ruby Andrews of Jonesboro, Joyce Jones of Van Buren, Glenda Nichols of Fort Smith and Barbara Hatfield of Bonanza; three sons, Toney Biggers of Fort Worth, Texas, Henry Bearce of Charleston and Deamos Woodward of Farmington; 51 grandchildren; 102 great-grandchildren; and 22 great-great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons.
The family will visit with friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Peachtree Hospice, 2910 Jenny Lind, Fort Smith, AR 72901.
Roger Unholtz
OZARK — Roger Carroll Umholtz, 63, of Ozark died Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001, in Ozark. He retired from the Air Force and the Arkansas Highway Department and worked part time in maintenance at Garan Manufacturing in Ozark.
Funeral will be 3 p.m. Thursday in Ozark Free Will Baptist Church with burial at Highland cemetery in Ozark under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark.
He is survived by his wife, Armita; five daughters, Virginia DeWinter of Mishawaka, Ind., Mary Perriman of Lamar, Elizabeth Gabel and Joye Brown, both Ozark, and Jenifer Finley of Lansing, Kan.; two sons, Billy Carroll Umholtz of Clarksville and Jason Huggins of Ozark; one sister, Mary Goodman of Royal; two brothers, Jerry of Ozark and Micky of Overland Park, Kan.; 13 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Rocky Joe Smith, Orville Nichols, Bobby Bearden, James and Charles Dickerson, Lionel Elder, Clois Hill and Buddy Cloos.
Memorial contributions may be made to Ozark Free Will Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 586, Ozark, AR 72949.
Orvel Knight
ALMA — Orvel James Knight, 77, of Alma died Monday, Feb. 26, 2001, in a local hospital. He was a self-employed mechanic and member of Alma Full Gospel Outreach Church.
Funeral will be 2 p.m. Thursday in Edward Van-Alma Funeral Home in Van Buren with burial at Evergreen cemetery in Alma.
He is survived by his wife, Betty; three daughters, Sandra and Sheila Knight, both of Bloomfield, Mo., and Donna Kay Robinson of Alma; three stepdaughters, Anna May Carter of East Prairie, Mo., Patsy Gravil of Sikeston, Mo., and Cres Julian of Van Buren; two sons, Jerry of Prescott and Danny of St. Louis; four stepsons, Frank Kinney of Winfield, Mo., Charles Finney of Mulberry, Edgar Finney of Fort Smith and Bud Finney of Van Buren; one brother, James Knight of New Orleans; 32 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Scott and Charlie Finney Jr., Bradley and Ronnie Lee Julian Jr., Jorge Daponte, James Darden, Ronnie Julian Sr. and Churck Finney.
The family will visit with friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
