Archive - May 2012
May 15th
Mary Irene Perry, 94, of Benton, passed away Monday, May 14. She was born April 13, 1918, in Benton.Â
Mrs. Perry was a member of Spring Creek Baptist Church and a retired LPN.Â
She was preceded in death by her parents, Andrew and Eddie Mason; a son-in-law, Irvin Hill; two great-grandchildren, Jacquelyn and Perry Hill; and 10 siblings.
She is survived by her daughter, Wanda Hill; four grandchildren, Daniel Hill and wife Tami, Dana Ellison and husband Doug, Michael Hill and wife Cindy and Susan Briggler and husband Kevin; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Norma Jean McPherson, 86, of Benton died Saturday, May 12. She was born Feb. 22, 1926, in Saline County.
Norma Jean was a longtime member of Kentucky Missionary Baptist Church and a talented seamstress, with every little girl in the family having beautiful dresses that she made.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl E. and Dona Bradbury Smith; her husband of 64 years, Raymond McPherson; a brother, Jackie F. Smith; and a sister, Josephine Richmond.
Ruth A. Rudder Landers, 77, of Benton died Saturday May 12, in Benton. She was born November 10, 1934 in Hensley, to the late Samuel Andrew Rudder and Annie Elizabeth McAllister Rudder. Ruth attended Benton High School and was a member of First Baptist Church in Benton where she had a 20 year perfect attendance record in Sunday School. She first worked at the Owosso Furniture Co. She met and married Carl W. âRuffâ Landers and had one son, after he was a year old, she went to work in Benton City Hall, helping her father-in-law, Virgil F.
May 14th
Current and former residents and friends of the Tull community will come together this coming weekend to celebrate the 127th anniversary of Old Folks Singing.
The event is scheduled Sunday, May 20, at Ebenezer United Methodist Church and will begin at 10 a.m.
The first Old Folks Singing took place on the third Sunday in May in 1885.
In keeping with an established pattern, singing during the morning segment will come from the original Christian Harmony hymn book.
Janice Elwanda (Teddie) Gibbins Houser Nalls, 76, of Little Rock, passed away May 11, 2012. She was born in Altheimer, Arkansas to George Lee Gibbins and Carrie Bell Davis Grice Gibbins and was a member of the Church of Christ.
Melanie âMel Melâ Ashton Hauck, 12, of Bryant went to be with her Lord on May 10, 2012. Melanie was born in Russellville, AR on April 19, 2000. She loved listening to music and playing outside.
Melaine is survived by her mother, Kimberly Wilkerson and her brother Zachary Wofford of Bryant; her grandmother, Debbie Schembra and great grandparents, Tillman and Shirley Mitchell of Benton and a host of extended family and friends.
May 11th
MOUNTAIN HOME â Losing 5 of their last 6 games going into the State Tournament, the No. 3 seed Benton Panthers shrugged off their bad play of late and defeated the No. 6 seed Jacksonville Red Devils 5-0 in the opening round of State on Thursday night at Mountain Home High School. Junior left-handed starting pitcher Coulton Lee struck out 12 Devils in his complete-game, shutout win.
âCoulton pitched awesome,â Benton Coach Mark Balisterri said. âWe played really good [Thursday]. We played about as good as we played all year.â
JACKSONVILLE - The Benton Lady Panthers ended their regular season with an outstanding overall record of 29-2. The Lady Panthers also won the 6A South with a perfect 14-0 conference record. On Thursday, the Lady Panthers continued their tear through 6A as when they took on Little Rock Parkview in the first round of the State Tournament.
Benton, the No. 1 seed, demolished Parkview winning 16-0 to move into the second round with ease. Starting pitcher Jessica Franklin made easy work of Parkview, striking out eight straight in the game on her way to a no-hitter.
Thomas J. Wilson, 69, of Malvern, passed away Thursday, May 10, in a Hot Springs hospital. He was born March 4, 1943, in Little Rock, to the late Henry Eugene and Elsie Gray Wilson. He was a United States Navy Veteran serving four tours of duty in Vietnam and received several accommodations including three Bronze Stars, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and meritorious Unit Commendation. He was of the Baptist faith.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Janice Wilson.Â
Herman L. Wood, 90, of Little Rock, was called to his Heavenly home on May 9. He was born in Bismarck on October 11, 1921. He was a World War II Navy Seabees veteran. He was a welder and iron worker by trade and a member of Liberty Missionary Baptist Church of Little Rock.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Guy and Lucy Wood; three brothers, Earl, Hershel and Pete Wood; sister, Pauline Chapman and grandson, Ricky Bruck.
