Obituaries from September 2003

Deborah Lynn Nelson (09/24/03)
Deborah Lynn Nelson, 49, of Paragould died Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. She was born Dec. 18, 1953, in Flint, Mich. She worked at Darling Store Fixtures. Mrs. Nelson attended Liberty Church of Christ...

Madeline Virginia Lack Bell (09/24/03)
Madeline Virginia Lack Bell, 82, of Piggott died Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003, at Auburn Hills Nursing Home in Mountain Home, Ark., after suffering a stroke two years ago. She was an active member of the First General Baptist Church in Piggott as long as her health permitted...

Lloyd Edward Besserman (09/24/03)
Lloyd Edward Besserman, 32, of Piggott died Saturday, Sept. 20, 2003, at his home in Piggott. He was born Aug. 31, 1971, in Kennett, the son of Stephen M. and Mildred Dees Besserman. He was united in marriage to Katie Latimer on Oct. 23, 1999. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Steve Edward and Helen Hatala Besserman; maternal grandfather, Lloyd Dees; and one sister, Lola Besserman...

Sheila Kay Pounds (09/24/03)
Sheila Kay Pounds, 57, of Piggott died Thursday, Sept. 18, 2003, in the Three Rivers Health Care North in Poplar Bluff. She was born Aug. 15, 1946, in Poplar Bluff, the daughter of R.C. and Fayeon Hill Pounds. She was preceded in death by her father, R.C. Pounds in 1991; and a nephew, Ryan Pounds in 1993...

Tullin Melton (09/17/03)
Tullin Melton, 69, of Marmaduke, died Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003, in the Green Acres Nursing Home in Paragould. She was born June 6, 1934, in Pollard. The daughter of the late Vernie and Verna Morris Parrish. She was united in marriage to Don Thurman Melton on June 28, 1954. To this union one daughter was born...

Beth A. Staggs McDonald (09/17/03)
Beth A. Staggs McDonald, 85, of Wichita, Ks., died Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2003. Mrs. McDonald was born Feb. 5, 1920, to Elbert and Hollie Irwin Staggs in McDougal. She married Hoyt McDonald on Nov. 12, 1976, in Wichita, Ks. Mrs. McDonald was a former Bank IV credit collections office clerk. She was a member of the Wichita Business and Professional Women's Club...

Verdie Qualls Cossey (09/17/03)
Verdie Qualls Cossey, 87, of Piggott died Monday Sept. 14, 2003, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould Born on Oct. 8, 1915, in Savannah, Tenn., to the late Oscar Ford and Roxie Jane (Smith) Ford, she was a homemaker and had lived in the community for 46 years. She was also a member of Pine Grove Apostolic Pentecost Church...

Ora Hosey Worthington Sowell Blair (09/17/03)
Ora Hosey Worthington Sowell Blair, 91, died Monday, Sept. 8, 2003, in Orem, Utah. Born on July 7, 1912, in Coldwater, Miss., she was the last of the seven children of Dr. N.R. Hosey and Rose Lightfoot Hosey to die. A longtime former resident of Piggott and Joiner, Ark., she spent the last 18 months living with her son, Dr. Madison U. Sowell, in Provo, Utah...

Ruth Arlena Pope (09/17/03)
Ruth Arlena Pope, 85, of Lovington, New Mexico, formerly of Piggott, died Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2003, at her home in Lovington. She was born May 1, 1918, in Piggott. She was united in marriage to Bryant Carlton Pope on Oct. 20, 1945, in Piggott. Mrs. Pope was a member of Trinity Baptist Church...

Owen "Sonny" Harmon (09/17/03)
Owen "Sonny" Harmon, 69, of Kennett died Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003, at his home in Kennett. He was born Apr. 16, 1934, in Rector, the son of the late Ezra "Doc" and Nettie Elizabeth Clark Harmon. He was united in marriage to Louise Book on May 5, 1955. To this union five children were born...

Amy Lee Nelson Foster (09/17/03)
Amy Lee Nelson Foster, 91, died Aug. 21, 2003, in Piggott. She was born Jan. 2, 1912, in Piggott, the daughter of Ollie Nelson and Laura Bell Duncan Nelson Wade. On Dec. 14, 1930, she married Claud T. Foster in Piggott. He preceded her in death on Sept. 6, 1989. She spent her married life in Campbell, where she was a wife, mother and homemaker...

Bennie R. Burdin (09/03/03)
Bennie R. Burdin, 93, of Piggott, formerly of Rector, died Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2003, at the Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott. He was born Sept. 21, 1909, in Butler County, Ky., the son of the late John T. and Artilla Aldridge Burdin. He was united in marriage to Lena Lee Berry on Sept. 9, 1928. She preceded him in death on Aug. 23, 1989...

Argel Vyrdane Morrow (09/03/03)
Argel Vyrdane Morrow of McDougal died Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2003, in the Regional Medical Center of Northeast Arkansas in Jonesboro. He was born Dec. 13, 1939, in McDougal, the son of the late Homer and Jewell Green Morrow. He was united in marriage to Patricia Ann Read on Sept. 17, 1960. To this union four children were born...

Arvel "Dick" Neely (09/03/03)
Arvel "Dick" Neely, 95, of Greenway died Sunday, Aug. 31, 2003, at Rector HealthCare. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003, in the Hoggard and Sons Chapel with George Haygood officiating. Visitation will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday (today), Sept. 3...

Edgar Tisdal (09/03/03)
Edgar Tisdal, 62, of Piggott died Saturday, Aug. 30, 2003, at his home in Piggott. He was born Apr. 10, 1941, in Hickoria, the son of Edgar Lee and Fannie Satterfield Dobbins Tisdal. He was united in marriage to Carolyn Sue Busby on Apr. 17, 1958. Mr. Tisdal was retired from L.A. Darling Company, where he worked as a forklift driver...

Tommy Ray White (09/10/03)
Tommy Ray White, 47, of DeSoto, Mo., died Aug. 20, 2003, at his residence. Mr. White was a retired sheet metal worker for Custom Guttering in DeSoto. He was a member of Life Christian Church in DeSoto. He was born Apr. 23, 1956, in St. Louis, the son of Luther and Patricia A. (Gray) White of DeSoto...

Arvel "Dick" Neely (09/10/03)
Arvel "Dick" Neely, 95, of Greenway died Sunday, Aug. 31, 2003, in the Rector Health Care in Rector. He was born June 28, 1908, in Rector, the son of the late Robert and Minnie Cheatham Neely. He was united in marriage to Myra Aladine Watson on Feb. 15, 1931. To this union three children were born...

Geneva "Ginny" Mariann Langley Brady (09/10/03)
Geneva "Ginny" Mariann Langley Brady, 83, of Union, Ore., formerly of Piggott, died July 26 at Grande Ronde Hospital following a short illness. She was born Nov. 28, 1919, in Piggott, the daughter of Eugene and Elizabeth Langley. She was the youngest of seven children...

Gerdean "Gerry" Bess Williams (09/10/03)
Gerdean "Gerry" Bess Williams, 83, of Piggott died Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003, at her home in Piggott. She was born Oct. 23, 1919, in Piggott, the daughter of the late Dr. John Harvey Bess and Josie Lettie Crawford Bess. She was united in marriage to Carlus Williams on April 8, 1939. To this union four daughters were born...

Steven Ray Taylor (09/03/03)
Steven Ray Taylor, 46, of Rector died Friday, Aug. 22, 2003, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was born Sept. 1, 1956, in Kennett, the son of Edward and Ozella Bowman Taylor. He was united in marriage to Alice Darlene Johnson on Apr. 7, 1978, in Piggott...