Archive - Feb 2013 - Obituary
February 21st
Betty Wills, 80, of Benton passed away Tuesday, Feb. 19. She was born Aug. 29, 1932, in Mineral Springs.Â
She was preceded in death by her parents, Tom and Mary Porter; husband Howard Cramer Wills; brothers James, Don and Charles; and sisters Ruth and Evelyn.
Jennifer Dillard Laurent, 42, a loving wife, mom and daughter, a faithful friend and dedicated teacher of 13 years, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 17. Jennifer was born on May 11, 1970, in Memphis, Tenn., to John and Judy Dillard. She graduated from Mountain Home High School, in the class of 1988. She received her bachelor's of science degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, her teacher’s certificate from Texas Women’s University, and her master's degree from Arkansas State University.
Michelle O’Neal Patrick, 55, of Ludowici, Ga., departed this life to spend eternity with God on Friday, Feb. 15.
Michelle was born to Odell and Faye O’Neal on May 29, 1957. in Wenatchee, Wash. Michelle was a very strong-willed woman who handled every obstacle in her life with grace and honesty. She loved her family more than words can express. More importantly, she made sure that family members personally knew how much they were loved. No matter what any of her family did in life, she was always there to support them or set them straight. She had the kindest spirit and biggest heart.Â
February 19th
Joyce “Ann” Bodiford Burrus, 68, of Benton passed away Monday, Feb. 18. She was born May 7, 1944 in Monticello.
Mrs. Burrus was a homemaker and attended East Side Southern Baptist Church in Cave City.Â
She was preceded in death by her parents, Vergue and Carrie Bodiford; her husband, Bruce Burrus; a son, John Burrus; and four brothers, David, Everett, Van and Bruce Bodiford.
February 18th
Kay Max "Mickey" Taylor, 77, of Benton, left this world Saturday, Feb. 16, at Saline Memorial Hospice. He was born Dec. 23, 1935, in Warren, to Kyle and Eva Taylor.Â
Mr. Taylor graduated from Warren Public Schools and attended Arkansas A&M (now University of Arkansas-Monticello). He served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1964.
Mr. Taylor worked at Commercial Credit in Hot Springs for 12 years and spent the next 30 years at Union Bank in Benton, where he retired in 2003 as senior vice president and compliance officer.
Jean Ligon, 83, of Benton, passed away into the arms of the Lord early Saturday, Feb. 16.Â
She was born June 30, 1929, to the late Allen and Ollie Robertson of Kirby. She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Benton, where she was a member of Deborah Sunday School Class and WMU.
She was also a member of Benton Literary Guild and Westwood Garden Club of Little Rock.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Hattie Porter and husband Mid and Lillian Oliver and husband Floyd; and one brother, Ira Roberson and wife Nina De.
Mamie Louise Pettus Dobbins, 94, of Pine Bluff, passed away Thursday, Feb. 14, at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. She was born on December 21, 1918, in Bauxite, she was a daughter of the late Louis Jethro and Pearl Careen Pettus. She married Judson Foy Dobbins March 28, 1937. They had one daughter and three sons and shared sixty-two years of marriage until his death in 1999. Mrs. Dobbins was a stay-at-home mother and enjoyed cooking, Sunday school classes and in later years visiting with friends during lunch times at the Area Agency on Aging.
Sarah Colleen (Austin) Hale, 77, of Benton, passed away Thursday, February 14. She was born in Independence County on November 6, 1935 to the late Robert Austin and Cynthia (Walker) Austin. After graduating from Tuckerman High School, she obtained her Registered Nursing License in 1956 from St. Vincent’s in Little Rock. She served many years as an R.N. but retired from Teletype in Little Rock. Mrs. Hale was of the Church of Christ faith, enjoyed genealogy and tending to her flower garden. She also loved cats and dogs.
Bobbi Nell Webb Middlebrooks, 77, of Benton went to be with the Lord on Thursday, Feb. 14. She was born on Aug. 4, 1935 in McCaskill, to the late John Webb and Irene (Gaines) Webb. Mrs. Middlebrooks was a member of West Bauxite Missionary Baptist Church.Â
She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, James Middlebrooks.
Anthony Dalton Johnson, 73, of Paron passed away Feb. 15. He was born Jan. 15, 1940 in Paron, to the late Ezra and Lillie Ethel Nethercutt Johnson. Anthony was retired from Alcoa and farmed most of his life.
He was preceded in death by his parents, son J.J. Johnson, brother James Ezra “Junior” Johnson, sister Alice Lea Sullivan, grandparents Thomas Paul and Gertrude Harris Johnson and Rebel and Jessie Huchingson Nethercutt, and grandson Jonathan Johnson.
