Former Clay County sheriff Leon Beaton dead at age 89

Leon Beaton

Former Clay County Sheriff Robert Leon Beaton Sr. died Thursday, Oct. 15, at Greene Acres Nursing Home at age 89.

He was born Nov. 14, 1919, on Panther Island in the Bard community.

Raised at Paragould, he was a 1938 graduate of Paragould High School and completed one year at Notre Dame University. He began his working career at Beaton Mercantile, his parents' store, in Marmaduke. He then worked for Sam Lipscomb at Lipscomb's Mercantile.

In December 1939, he quit Mr. Lipscomb to go to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, eventually serving as a secretary for J. Edgar Hoover. He worked for the FBI for eight years except for a 33-month stint with the Marine Corps.

Returning to Northeast Arkansas, he purchased the Schugtown Gin, traded businesses with his father and operated Beaton's IGA at Rector, ran for and won the election for Clay County Sheriff, operated gins in Greene and Clay counties, farmed, and retired from the University of Central Arkansas as manager of the student center.

Survivors include two sons, Paul and wife, Kay, of Higden, Ark., and Dr. Robert Leon Beaton Jr. and wife, Debbie, of Summerfield, N.C.; three daughters, Ann Stallcup and husband, Wes, of Rector, Kay McCord and husband, Jack, of Pocahontas, and Tammy Thompson and husband, Richard, of Little Rock; a brother, Dr. Kenneth Beaton and wife, Martha, of Wynne; 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Maxine Whitsitt Beaton, and his second wife, Claudia Justus Beaton; his parents, Earl and Jessie Beaton; a son, Major Kenneth Earl Beaton, and a brother, Zane Beaton.

Active pallbearers were grandsons Todd Beaton, Michael Beaton, Nathan Stallcup, Blake McCord, Sawyer Beaton, Dax Beaton, Rett Thompson and Jason Thompson.

Honorary pallbearers, acknowledged for their friendships and as sources of inspiration and high standards, included Bill Carter, Alfred Herget, Dr. Donald Purcell, Judge Gerald Brown, Glen Pillow, Bob Branch, Herb Bland, Dr. Robert Fahr, Pat Quinn, Bill Block, Dr. Asa Crow, Bill Fisher, Dr. M.P. Hazzard, Joe Williams and David Goodson.

Visitation was at Mitchell Funeral Home of Paragould at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, followed by funeral services at 3 p.m. there. The Rev. Tom Letchworth officiated. Burial followed at Linwood Cemetery of Paragould.

Memorials may be made to: Rector High School Helping Hands Foundation, 610 South Main, Rector, AR 72461 or The First United Methodist Church of Paragould.

Those who wish may sign the online guestbook at mitchellfuneralhomes.com.

MITCHELL FUNERAL HOME, INC.

P. O. Box 57

Paragould, AR 72451-0057

(870) 236-7765