Obituaries

DEATHS FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008

Friday, December 5, 2008 9:57 AM CST

Robert Browning

Robert Allen Browning, 68, of Pine Bluff, died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008, at Select Specialty Hospital at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Little Rock.

He was born July 1, 1940, in Pine Bluff, son of Allen and Mary Nell Bruce Browning.

Robert was reared and received his early education in Pine Bluff, graduating from Pine Bluff High School. He attended Arkansas Tech University, where he played baseball.

He was an insurance adjuster for State Farm in Texas and in Pine Bluff for a few years before deciding to take over his family business. He owned and operated Browning’s Package Store for many years.

Robert loved coaching baseball. Mr. Browning coached Babe Ruth and American Legion baseball for over 20 years. He also officiated high school and college football for many years.

Mr. Browning was preceded in death by his wife, Dianne Free Browning, whom he married May 25, 1963, in Dumas; his parents and stepmother, Marie Browning.

Survivors include three sons, Jeffrey Allen Browning and his wife, Stacy of Pine Bluff, Kyle Browning and his wife, Leigh of White Hall and Stephen Browning and his wife, Tammy of Hot Springs; and six grandchildren, Blaine, Brooklyn, Jess, Lucy, Grace Ann and Beau Browning.

Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008, in the chapel of Ralph Robinson & Son with Pastor Jon Beyer officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be Friday evening at Robinson’s from 5-7 p.m.

Memorials may be made to Trinity Episcopal School 708 W. Second Ave., Pine Bluff, Ark., 71601.

Online register: www.ralphrobinsonandson.com

Ed Dean Jr.

Ed Dean Jr., 82, of Pine Bluff, Ark., passed away Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, at Baptist Health Medical Center.

Ed was born May 3, 1926, in Tarry, Ark., to Ed Dean Sr. and O’netha Dean.

He was a graduate of Crossroads School at Moscow and furthered his education as a graduate of Arkansas AM&N College. He proudly services his country in World War II and received an honorable discharge from the Army of the United States of America. He retired from Joseph E. Seagram & Sons in Memphis, Tenn. He was a member of Belmont Missionary Baptist Church, where he served on the usher board for several years.

Ed was preceded in death by his father, Ed Dean Sr.; his mother, O’netha Dean; his stepmother, Lovie Dean; his brothers, Sam Dean, Matthew Dean and Jesse Wright; his sisters, Scottie Mae Shelton, Bernice Jones and Pearlie Mae Slack; and his daughter, Georgia Ann Walker.

Survivors include his wife, Semolia Dean, whom he married on Jan. 19, 1951, in Moscow, Ark.; his sons, James Dean of Pine Bluff, Ark., Michael Dean Sr. (Connie) of Grady, Ark.; his daughters, Joyce Dean of Knoxville, Tenn., Barbara Reese (Larry) of Monticello, Ark., Sarah Austin and her son, Keelan Dean Sr. of Pine Bluff, Ark.; 16 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008, at Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. G.L. Ford officiating. Burial will be held Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, at the Veterans National Cemetery in North Little Rock, Ark.

Visitation will be held Friday, Dec. 5, 2008, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the P.K. Miller Mortuary.

Joe Hoke

Joe Lee Hoke, 67, of Pine Bluff, formerly of Monticello, died Saturday.

He was born May 24, 1941, in Drew County.

Joe attended Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock and attended church at an early age at Ebeneezer AME Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Hoke and Ometa Jordan Hoke Davis; a stepfather, Duffie Davis; and one brother, Leonard Charles Hoke.

Survivors include one brother, Roy Lamar Hoke of Monticello; a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Mount Pleasant AME Church with Rev. Thomas Jordan Jr. officiating. Burial in Mount Pleasant Cemetery by Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home.

Visitation will be 5-6 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Talmage Ladd

Talmage Ladd, age 76, of Pine Bluff, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008.

Born March 5, 1932, at Sheridan, he was a son of the late Hosea and Mable Salle Ladd.

For 45 years, he was the owner and operator of Ladd Appliance Service in Pine Bluff. He retired in 2002 and was a member of Centennial Fellowship Church.

A Gideon and well-known vocalist in gospel music circles, Talmage had a beautiful bass voice. He sang with the Over the Hill Gang, was an original member of the Mid-South Boys Quartet, and had sung at the Men’s Prayer Breakfast at First United Methodist Church for many years. His trademark song was “This Old House.”

A son, Bob McAllister-Ladd; and three brothers, Glen Ladd, Eamil Ladd, and Amos Ladd, all predeceased him.

Survivors include his wife of over 44 years, Margie Hood Ladd, whom he married on April 11, 1964, at Pine Bluff; sons, Steve Ladd of Hot Springs, Allen Ladd, Scott Ladd, and Sean McAllister-Ladd, all of Pine Bluff; daughters, Talma Ladd of Maumelle and Bonnie Marta Ladd of Houston, Texas; brother, Harold Ladd of Sheridan; sisters, Fairy Taylor and Sue Hamilton, both of Sheridan, and Chrystal Barnes of Greenbrier; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Saturday, 10 a.m. at Fuller Hale-South Funeral Chapel with Dennis Owens officiating. The graveside service will be at 2 p.m. at Center Grove Cemetery on Highway 270 in Grant County.

There will be a time of food and fellowship between the services at Centennial Fellowship Church.

Visitation will be today from 6-8 p.m. at Fuller Hale-South.

Talmage’s children will serve as honorary pallbearers as he carried them throughout their lives.

Online condolences: www.FullerHaleSouth.com

Melvin Savage Sr.

Melvin Lee Savage Sr., 59, of Pine Bluff died Sunday.

He was born Feb. 17, 1949, at Pine Bluff, a son of the late Marshall Savage and Iona Savage.

Survivors: wife, Lee Nora Savage; sons, Melvin Savage II, Keith Savage, Christopher Savage and Rowland Willis, all of Pine Bluff; daughters, Stacy Rogers of Milwaukee, Veronica King of Charlotte, N.C., and Sandra McGill of Pine Bluff; brothers, Theodis Savage of Crossett, Curtis L. Savage Sr., Freddie Savage, Mack M. Savage and Bennie R. Savage, all of Pine Bluff, and Roy L. Savage of Little Rock; sisters, Ruby J. Taylor and Bessie L. Vaughn, both of Pine Bluff, Alberta Shivers and Dorothy Savage, both of Los Angeles, and Margie Pleasant of St. Louis; 21 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services: 11 a.m. Saturday at Greater Fellowship Ministries with the Rev. Ronald Fort/ officiating. Burial: Mount Olive Cemetery by Henson Mortuary.

Visitation: today from 5-7 p.m. at the mortuary.

Loyd Bell Jr.

ALLPORT — Loyd Bell Jr., 50, of Allport died Monday at Stuttgart Regional Medical Center.

He was born June 28, 1958, a son of the late Loyd Bell Sr. and Easter Bell.

Survivors include one son, Loyd Bell III; two brothers, Eddie Bell and Kevin Bell; and three sisters, Brenda Clingman, Paulette Bell and Amanda Holley.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Allport Community Fellowship Church. Burial will be in Gumwood Cemetery at Humnoke by Serenity Gardens Funeral Services of Dumas.

Byron Shaw

MCGEHEE — Byron Franklin Shaw, 76, of McGehee, died Wednesday at Little Rock.

Survivors include four sons, Douglas Wayne Shaw, Byron Shaw Jr., Hubert Shaw, and Johnny Shaw; one daughter, Rebecca Jean Shaw Reaves; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in the chapel of Griffin Funeral Service at McGehee. Burial will be in McGehee Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Vonita Cecil

STAR CITY — Vonita Mayers Cecil, 78, of Star City, formerly of Texas, died Wednesday.

She was born Aug. 6, 1930, at Ladelle, a daughter of the late Albert Mayers and Lela Garrett Mayers.

She was a retired teacher.

Survivors include three brothers, Bernard Mayers of Star City, Ray Donald Mayers of Wilmar and Terry Wayne Mayers of Plattsville, Neb.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Griffin Funeral Service at Star City with Dwayne Roper officiating. Burial will be in Drake Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Charles Gorman

WARREN — Charles Anthony “Charlie” Gorman, 50, of Warren died Wednesday at home.

He was born Oct. 4, 1958, at Warren, a son of the late Charlie Austin Gorman and Neta Ross Gorman.

Survivors: wife, Shirley Reed Gorman; sons, Michael Cooper and Daniel Cooper; daughters, Angela Gorman, Krystal Gorman Kirkpatrick and Tiffany Gorman; brother, Roger Gorman; sisters, Lynda Gorman Johnson, Wanda Gorman Reep and Beverly Gorman Latimer; and five grandchildren.

Funeral services: 10 a.m. Saturday at Frazer’s Funeral Home at Warren with the Rev. Bill Gardner officiating. Burial: Holly Springs Cemetery.

Visitation: 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Mozell Carpenter

MARIETTA, Ga. — Mozell Ramsey Carpenter, 88, of Marietta, Ga., formerly of Pine Bluff, died Sunday.

She was a daughter of the late Oscar Ramsey and Rosie Louis.

Survivors include sons, Curtis Jackson, Nathaniel Carpenter, Andrew Carpenter, Eli Carpenter, Riley Carpenter and Elijah Carpenter Jr.; daughters, Elizabeth Yarbrough, Roseine Ficklin, Josephine Watson, Emma Burr, Elisa West, Bernice Daniels, Mattie Craig and Loraine Green; and one sister, Marie Carter.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Faith-in-Action Ministry Church at Pine Bluff with the Rev. Elijah Carpenter Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Mount Olive Cemetery by Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.

Willie Davenport, 91, of Pine Bluff died Wednesday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Perry Funeral Home.

Ella M. Loyd, 86, of Pine Bluff died Thursday at Davis Life Care Center. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.

Martha Mitchell, 90, of Pine Bluff died Wednesday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.

Clementine Wesley, 52, of Pine Bluff died Wednesday at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center at Little Rock. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Perry Funeral Home.

Michael Felix Whiley, 42, of Pine Bluff died Thursday. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Fuller Hale-South Funeral Services.

ALMYRA — Lula Dunn, 90, of Almyra died Wednesday at DeWitt Nursing Home. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.

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