Obituaries

Melissia Heath (01/02/04)
Melissia Heath, 73, of the Rector Nursing Home, formerly of Black Oak, Ark., died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003, in the Piggott Community Hospital. She was born Aug. 29, 1930, in Crockett, the daughter of the late Ruben T. and Callie Hilderbrand Graves. She was united in marriage to Elmer Heath on Dec. 22, 1956. He preceded her in death in February of 2002...

Myrtle Lee Cochran (01/02/04)
Myrtle Lee Cochran, 93, of Corning died Dec. 28, 2003, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Dec. 3, 1910, in Crockett, the daughter of the late James Walter and Leota Mae Walls Bradberry. She was united in marriage to Virgil Otto Cochran on Feb. 17, 1926. He preceded her in death on June 11, 1981. Mrs. Cochran worked as a farmer and homemaker. She was of the Baptist faith...

Virgil Don Broadway, Sr. (01/02/04)
Virgil Don Broadway, Sr., 62, of Greenway died Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003, in Greenway. He was born May 12, 1941, in Modesto, Calif., the son of the late Andrew and Lavitha McCaslin Broadway. He was united in marriage to Judy C. Courtroul on Oct. 16, 1961, to this union four children were born...

Pauline Florence Tippitt (01/02/04)
Pauline Florence Tippitt, 88, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2003, at Rector Health Care. She was born July 8, 1915, in Dexter, Mo., the daughter of the late Harvey Leon Henry and Rosa Strait Henry. She was united in marriage in 1936 to Clarence Columbus Tippitt. He preceded her in death on March 17, 1998...

Inell Duff Molencupp (01/02/04)
Inell Duff Molencupp, 79, of Supply, Ark., died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003. She was born July 29, 1924, in Supply, Ark., the daughter of Robert Arnie Duff and Birdie Lee Fowler Duff. Mrs. Molencupp was a member of the Grandview Free Will Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clead Molencupp; a son, Garry Molencupp; her parents, Robert and Birdie Duff; three sisters; and three brothers...

Doyle Allen "Hot" Blackwell (01/07/04)
Doyle Allen "Hot" Blackwell, 52, of Poplar Bluff died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003, in the Three Rivers Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. He was born Sept. 6, 1951, in Poplar Bluff, the son of the late Doyle and Cora Francis Ollis Blackwell. He was united in marriage to Kelly Ann Merritt on Oct. 3, 1981, to this union two daughters were born...

Jewel Causey (01/07/04)
Jewel Causey, 73, of Senath, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 1, 2004, at his residence in Senath. He was born April 21, 1930, in Piggott, the son of the late James R. and Addie Keith Causey. Mr. Causey was married to Virginia Wagster on Feb. 10, 1950. He married Drenda Wilson on July 22, 1972, in Senath...

Mary Ann Myers (01/07/04)
Mary Ann Myers, 70, of Marquand, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 1, 2004, at the Madison Medical Center in Fredericktown, Mo. She was born on July 12, 1933, in Campbell, a daughter of William Wallace and Eva Bell Pierson Alderson. On Sept. 27, 1956, in St. Louis, she was married to Marvin Basil Myers who preceded her in death on Dec. 9, 1994...

Lucy M. Elkins (01/07/04)
Lucy M. Elkins, 66, of Piggott, died Saturday, Jan. 3, 2004, in the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born Aug. 20, 1937, in Pollard, the daughter of the late Lonnie and Edith Ann Brown Elkins. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Shelly Odell Elkins and Norman Elkins; and one sister, Zora Sullivan...

William Giles "Billy" Whiteaker (01/14/04)
William Giles "Billy" Whiteaker, 22, of Las Vegas, died Jan. 3, 2004, at his residence in Las Vegas. He was a graduate of Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nevada and worked as a waiter. Mr. Whiteaker was a member of Southaven General Baptist Church...

Charley Jones (01/14/04)
Charley Jones, 93, of Piggott died Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004, in the Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett. He was born Nov. 14, 1910, in Paragould, the son of the late Sam and Maggie Riggs Jones. He was united in marriage to Marjorie Lucille Neighbors on Sept. 10, 1932. To this union three daughters were born...

Donald Rex Causey (01/14/04)
Donald Rex Causey, 75, of Blytheville died Friday, Jan. 9, 2004, in the Baptist Hospital East in Memphis. He was born Sept. 9, 1928, near Piggott, son of the late James Riley and Addie Keith Causey. He was united in marriage to June Marie Piland on Jan. 16, 1951. To this union three children were born...

Versa M. Davis (01/14/04)
Versa M. Davis, 97, of Clio, Mich., died Friday, Jan. 9, 2004, in Flint, Mich. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, 2004, at Hoggard and Sons Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16, 2004, in the Hoggard and Sons Chapel with Dale Davis officiating. Burial will be in the Piggott Cemetery...

Versa Margrette Davis (01/21/04)
Versa Margrette Davis, 97, of Clio, Mich., died Jan. 9, 2004, in Flint, Mich. She was born Apr. 27, 1906, in Peoria, Ill., the daughter of the late Charles and Mary Chapman Foltz. She was united in marriage to Bill Davis on Oct. 5, 1925, to this union three children were born...

Ronald Max Seal (01/21/04)
Ronald Max Seal, 66, of East Prairie, Mo., died at 6:20 p.m., Jan. 12, 2004, at the Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn. He was born on Aug. 22, 1937, in Piggott, the son of Faye Arnold Seal of Paragould and the late Frank Seal. He had been the office manager at the Associated Natural Gas Company and retired in April of 1998. ...

Ronald Shipman (01/21/04)
Ronald Shipman, 52, of Caraway, Ark., died Jan. 15, 2004, at the Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born May 31, 1951, in Dexter. He was the son of the late Eullis and Zelma Potter Shipman. He married Doris Jones on April 7, 1979. He is survived by his wife, Doris; three sons, Shawn, Anthony and Brett Shipman; three daughters, Christy Woods, Jennifer Shipman and April Shipman, all of Caraway; six grandchildren; four brothers, Otis and Carroll of McDougal, Harold of Odessa, Mo., and Raymond of Aurora, Mo.; four sisters, Inez Willson of Millington, Mich., Wava Shipman of Piggott, Willene Wieners of Oak Grove, Mo., and Ruby Sanders of McDougal; and other relatives and friends.. ...

Floy Mahdeen Romine (01/21/04)
Floy Mahdeen Romine, 79, of Piggott died Friday, Jan. 16, 2004, in the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. She was born Aug. 25, 1924, in Black Oak, Ark., the daughter of the late Oscar and Sophia Armstrong Hickey. She was united in marriage to William Harold (Bill) Romine on Jan. 23, 1947, to this union two sons were born...

Joyce Adavee Pillow (01/21/04)
Joyce Adavee Pillow, 61, of Greenway died Sunday, Jan. 18, 2004, in the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould. She was born May 23, 1942, in McDougal, the daughter of the late Odis Cleo and Edna Nixon Gilbee. She was united in marriage to James S. Pillow on Sept. 17, 1960, to this union three children were born...

Ida Mae Acker (01/21/04)
Ida Mae Acker, 67, of St. Francis died Monday, Jan. 19, 2004, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born July 3, 1936, in Harbor Heights, Mich., the daughter of Claud Garland Kirkham and Mildred Irene Randall Kirkham. She was united in marriage to Gerald Lee Acker on Dec. 24, 1963, in Pontiac, Mich. He preceded her in death on Nov. 8, 1997...

Selma Lee Grigsby (01/28/04)
Selma Lee Grigsby, 76, died Jan. 10, 2004, at Crestpark Retirement Home in Marianna, Ark. She was born Dec. 16, 1927, in Leachville, the daughter of Charlie Perry and Dool Mae Gatlin Gray. She was united in marriage to Thedell Grigsby. Mrs. Grigsby was a homemaker and was of the Baptist faith...

Joe Statler (01/28/04)
Joe Statler, 63, of Rector, died Friday, Jan. 23, 2004, at his home. He was born May 25, 1940, in Clay County to Birtlee (Stevens) Statler and the late Barney Statler. He was retired from Monroe Auto Equipment of Paragould, a lifelong member of the community and a member and deacon of Union Home General Baptist Church...

Velma L. Rice (01/28/04)
Velma L. Rice, 86, of Festus, formerly of Piggott, died Sunday, Jan. 25, 2004, at her home in Festus. She was born June 23, 1917, in Pollard, the daughter of the late Euin and Belle McDonald Pillow. She was united in marriage to George Spencer Pickering and he preceded her in death in 1959. She married Edwin Rice on Nov. 27, 1973...

Jerry Jordan (01/28/04)
Jerry Jordan, 85, of Success, Ark., died Jan. 24, 2004, at the John J. Pershing V.A. Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. He was born Nov. 4, 1918, in Hickoria, Ark., the son of R.O. and Effie White Hooper Jordan. He was united in marriage to Virgie Mae Ellis on April 28, 1940. To this union 14 children were born...