Obituaries

DEATHS FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:50 AM CDT

Esther Peoples

Mrs. Esther M. Peoples, 75, of Pine Bluff died Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008.

Born in Pine Bluff to the late Jessie and Molly Langel.

Her survivors include husband, Nathan Peoples Sr. of Pine Bluff; sons, Nathan Peoples Jr. of Chicago, Michael Peoples of Erie, Pa., Donald Peoples of Atlanta, Ga., and Gregory Peoples; daughters, Lynette Peoples and Beverly Peoples, all of Pine Bluff, Paulettte German of Bellwood, Ill., and Sheree Peoples of Chicago; sister, Dorothy Williams of Pine Bluff; 19 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Her services will be Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008, at Rose Hill Baptist Church by Rev. G.L. Ford at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Mount Olive Cemetery.

Visitation is today from 5-7:30 p.m. with a family hour from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.

The body will lie in state at the church from 10:15 a.m. until time of service.

The family will be at 3700 S. Holly St., Pine Bluff, Ark.

Michael Sears

Michael Edmund Sears, 69, of Pine Bluff, died Saturday Oct. 25, 2008.

Born May 18, 1939 in Burlington, Vt., he was a son of the late Vernon Edmund Sears and Mary Irene Sears.

He attended the Cathedral Catholic School in Burlington, where he sang in the choir for 12 years.

He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1956 at Winooski, Vt., and retired after 20 years of service.

A member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mike was also predeceased by his wife, Betty Sears; a son, Michael Sears, Jr.; a sister, Beverly Wells; and his companion of 18 years, Syble Appling.

Survivors include his children, Michelle Sears and Barry Glisson; siblings, Andrew Sears and Charlotte Lacey; nine step-children; and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Funeral services: Thursday 2 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Father Warren Harvey officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery with full military honors.

Vigil and Visitation: today 6:30 p.m. at Fuller Hale-South Chapel.

Beloved Dad, your family and I love you very much. You’re gone, but will never be forgotten. You have touched our hearts in so many ways, and in our hearts is where you will live for the rest of our lives. Until we meet again …

Online condolences: www.FullerHaleSouth.com

June Jennings

LITTLE ROCK — On Sunday, Oct. 26, June Mary Jennings passed away in Little Rock, Ark., after a long and fruitful life of 88 years.

June was named for the month of her birth, on June 2, 1920, in Winslow, Ariz., as the daughter of Daniel Edgar Skeen and Myrtle Agnes Jamison. Mr. Skeen was an Aide-de-Camp to General John Pershing and had gone to Arizona for tuberculosis treatment when his daughter was born.

He later passed away in 1927 and June came to reside with her mother and grandmother, Minnie Jamison, in Roslyn, N.Y., on Long Island from the age of 3 to 16 for most of her school years.

She then moved to Pine Bluff, Ark., to join her mother, Myrtle, who worked at the local Murray-Hart drugstore as cosmetics manager for many years, with second husband, William Dunn, brakeman for the Cotton Belt railroad, whose last name she legally took after she arrived in 1936.

June attended two years and graduated from Pine Bluff High School in May of 1938.

June attended Arkansas State Teacher’s College in Conway for two years, earning an associate degree, studying elementary education and art, where she met her husband Elias Swafford (E.S.) Jennings from Conway, eventually marrying April 26, 1941.

After E.S.’s enlistment with the Army in 1942 and the birth of her first son, William, June continued to reside in Pine Bluff with her family through the extent of World War II.

After E.S. returned, the family moved to Ashdown, Ark., where E.S was hired as an elementary principal and the family expanded with second and third sons, Kirk and Randall.

Before and after Randall’s birth year, June worked for two years as an art teacher, 1948-49 and 1950-51 school years.

The family then moved to Oklahoma in 1951, where June was a housewife for several years, adding two more sons, Joseph and Jeff, residing in Oklahoma City up to 1963.

After one year in Stillwater, Okla., the family returned to Pine Bluff from 1965-67.

With E.S. taking a new position as principal of Whitten Elementary in Marianna, June returned to teaching at Strong Elementary School as an art teacher, the only Caucasian teacher in the still segregated African-American populated school, from the fall of 1967 to 1970, when she returned to Conway to eventually earn her B.S.E. degree in May of 1972.

In September of 1972, June Jennings commenced her career as an elementary teacher in the Pine Bluff School District, for several years at First Ward Elementary near the original family home.

In May of 1982, she earned her master’s of education degree from the University of Arkansas.

Later she would work at Southwood Elementary and finally at 34th St. Elementary, concluding her career in May of 1989 just before her 69th birthday.

Along the way she earned prestigious teaching awards, (1) the Valley Forge Teacher Medal of Excellence from the Freedom Foundation, and (2) Teacher Award for Elementary Education from the Calvin K. Kazanjian Economic Foundation.

She was a longtime member of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society.

June Jennings was a devoted mother and teacher throughout her life, a Christian believer who exemplified the compassion and humility of Christ in her service to others, and has gone to join her Lord and Savior who was, as she would say, “always on her shoulder” guiding her way through the difficult times of her life, which conversion to faith followed the major tragedy of losing her only daughter, Elizabeth Shaun, to heart complications after 15 days from her giving birth in 1954.

She is survived by her five adult sons, Bill, Kirk, Randall, Joseph, and Jeff Jennings, all of Little Rock, as well as 13 grandchildren and at last count, eight great-grandchildren.

She was deeply loved and will be deeply missed by all.

The family will receive friends Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Robinson’s.

Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 31, 2008, at 2 p.m., in the Chapel of Ralph Robinson & Son. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in memoriam would be made to either of the following, referencing Mrs. Jennings: Arkansas Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 2222, Little Rock, Ark., 72203 or The Greg Foundation, P.O. Box 1044, Greenbrier, Ark., 72058.

Robert McEntire

STAR CITY — Robert Lee McEntire, 73, of Star City died Saturday.

He was born May 15, 1935, in Lincoln County, a son of the late Caril D. McEntire Sr. and Miram Gladys Young.

He was a retired engineer for Loughney Dewatering.

Survivors include two sons, Chris McEntire and Andy McEntire; two brothers, Caril D. McEntire Jr. and Kenneth McEntire; three sisters, Ileen Roberts, Annie Owen and Lillie Earnest; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today at Griffin Funeral Home Service at Star City with Adam Hughes officiating. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery at Yorktown.

Hilda Johnson

TILLAR — Hilda F. Johnson, 69, of Tillar died Sunday.

She retired as manager in the fabric department at Wal-Mart. She was also a homemaker and member of Amos Bayou Assembly of God Church.

Survivors include five sons, Don Smith, Stan Smith, Doug Smith, Scott Johnson and Maurice Johnson; two sisters, Brenda Barnes and Joyce Johnson; 12 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today at Griffin Funeral Home at Dumas. Burial will be in Jefferson Cemetery.

DEWITT — Jimmie Leslie Davis “J.D.”, 52, of DeWitt died Tuesday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center at Pine Bluff. Funeral arrangements will be announced by McKinzie/Wilson Funeral Home of Gould.

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