Obituaries from December 2007

Guelda J. Valmassoi (12/19/07)
Guelda J. Valmassoi of Rector died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007. She was born in Boydsville and returned to this area after living several years in Michigan. She most recently resided at Evergreen Health and Rehabilitation in Rector. She was preceded in death by her father, Donald (Slim) Taylor of Rector...

Billy Mack Shields (12/19/07)
Billy Shields, 63, of Tulsa, Okla., formerly of Rector, died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007, at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa. Born March 27, 1944, in Drain, Ore., he attended Rector High School. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and served on the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier...

Tina Maria Lyles (12/19/07)
Tina Lyles, 50, of Rector died Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007, at Springhill Baptist Hospital in North Little Rock. Born March 11, 1957, to Billy and Francis "Frankie" (Berry) Lyles in Paragould, she was an employee of Wal-Mart, where she was the deli manager...

Velus "Jack" Johnson (12/19/07)
Velus "Jack" Johnson, 100, died Saturday, Dec. 15. He was born Dec. 17, 1906, in Clay County to the late Edward and Lily (nee) Dortch and was retired from the Terminal Railroad Association. He also was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Beryl (nee Ward) Johnson...

Jeffery Scott Haywood (12/19/07)
Jeffery Scott Haywood, 44, of Rector died Tuesday, Dec. 11, in Rector. Born July 27, 1963, in Centerville, Ill., to Patricia Haywood of Rector and the late Marion Haywood, he was a retired truck driver and of the Lutheran faith. Also preceding him in death was one brother, Robert Haywood...

Mary Anna Farmer Crain (12/19/07)
Mary Anna Farmer Crain, 92, of Jonesboro died Friday, Dec. 14, at Craighead Nursing Center in Jonesboro. Born April 19, 1915, in Marmaduke to the late Louis Bozrah Farmer and Vessie Vee Hampton Farmer. She was a homemaker and enjoyed quilting and needlework. She was a charter member of White Oak General Baptist Church in Rector, which was organized Aug. 21, 1939. She was listed as the ninth member. She also was a member of New Life Assembly Church of Jonesboro...

Ivory Owens (12/12/07)
Ivory Owens, 92, of Nimmons, died Monday, Nov. 10, 2007, at the Heritage Nursing Center in Kennett, Mo. She was born March 1, 1915, in Vinemart, Ala., and was the daughter of the late Frank and Effie Gibson Johnson. She was married May 6, 1935, to Vernie Owens, who preceded her in death...

Dennis Earl Thrasher (12/12/07)
Dennis Earl Thrasher, 57, of Rockvale, Tenn., formerly of Rector, died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Born Aug. 26, 1950, in Rector to Revelle "Tweet" Thrasher of Rector and the late Denzil Thrasher, he was an executive sales manager for Tire Express and a member of Cappadocia Baptist Church...

Jack Dean Seagraves (12/12/07)
Jack Seegraves, 65, of Rector died Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007, at his home. He was born July 6, 1942, in Clay County to the late Dean and Olive Seegraves. He is survived by his wife, Glenda Bess. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday, Dec. 12) at the Irby Funeral Home Chapel in Rector with Paul Seegraves officiating. Visitation was to begin at 10 this morning. Interment will be at Woodland Heights Cemetery in Rector...

Jerry Byron Clayton (12/12/07)
Jerry Clayton, 68, of Rector died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, at his home after a courageous battle with cancer. His loving family was around him. Born March 29, 1939, to Noah and Rachel Clayton, he had retired from Uniroyal as a shift manager. He loved fishing and hunting with his family and spending time with his grandchildren, who were his pride and joy...

Allen Ray Earls (12/12/07)
Lt. Col. (ret.) Allen Ray Earls of Rector, a decorated Air Force fighter pilot and longtime member of the Rector School Board, died Friday, Dec. 7, at St. Elizabeths Place in Jonesboro at age 65. In nine years of active duty with the U.S. Air Force, he served two tours in Vietnam, flying 253 combat missions. He served 12 years with the Arkansas Air National Guard...

Freeda Boyd (12/05/07)
Freeda Boyd, 87, of Rector died Dec. 1, 2007, at the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center at Paragould. She was born March 20, 1920, in Boydsville, the daughter of the late Edgar and Bertha Gifford Walls. She was united in marriage to Claude W. Boyd on May 16, 1936, The couple had four children. Her husband preceded her in death in 1980...

Gean Daniel Sipes (12/05/07)
Gean Sipes, 81, formerly of Rector, died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007, at Piggott Community Hospital. He was living at Murphy Health and Rehab in Piggott. He was born April 3, 1926, in Gosnell and was a disabled veteran of the Army. He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Michael Sipes, and a grandson, Jason DeLong...

Imogene Holifield (12/05/07)
Imogene Holifield, 85, formerly of Rector, died Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at Murphy Health and Rehabilitation in Piggott. She had been a resident there for the last seven years. Mrs. Holifield was born Sept. 20, 1922, in Clay County to the late Johnny and Lura (Pickens) Carpenter. She was a member of the Church of Christ. She served at one time as a substitute teacher and had a teaching certificate. She also was an office clerk for the Clay County tax assessor's office...

Charles Ray Miller (12/05/07)
Longtime Rector minister Charles Ray Miller, 83, of Nashville, Ark., died Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, in Nashville. He served the Fifth and Pine Church of Christ congregation in Rector for many years, having previously served in Piggott. Over the years, he was active in both the Rector and Piggott Chambers of Commerce, the Lions Club, Rotary Club, Civitan Club and the Band Parents Organization and had been a member of other clubs and organizations too numerous to name. ...