Obituaries

DEATHS FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008

Thursday, December 11, 2008 10:00 AM CST

Martha Mitchell

Martha Mitchell, 90, of Pine Bluff died Dec. 3.

She was born at Pine Bluff, a daughter of the late Robert Billingsley Sr. and Euganua Bradley.

Survivors include one brother, Robert Billingsley Jr. of Pine Bluff.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff with the Rev. Norma Gillom officiating. Burial will be in Rest in Peace Cemetery at Hensley.

Visitation will be from 5:30-7 p.m. today at the funeral home.

The family will be at 2422 Ashley Road, Sheridan.

Clemetine Wesley

Clemetine Wesley, 52, of Pine Bluff, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008.

Born June 25, 1956, she was the youngest of five children born to the late Collie and Fannie Wesley.

Ms. Wesley graduated from Watson Chapel High School in 1974 and attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). She was a registered nurse, having received the nursing diploma from the Jefferson School of Nursing. Her medical career spanned more than 25 years, 20 of those years spent at JRMC. She worked in several departments at the hospital, including the post-partum unit, labor and delivery, pediatrics, surgery holding/same day surgery, home health, ICU and CCU.

In 1999 she was appointed by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee to the Arkansas State Nursing Board, and was chair of the education committee. She was also clinical coordinator and instructor of surgical technology at SEARK from 2000 to 2007. Most recently she was employed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Cancer Institute as clinic nurse for the MIRT infusion room.

She was a member of First Trinity Church of God in Christ, where she served as past president of the Nurses Guild and past inspirational choir member.

Survivors include two sons, Dante Wesley (Renetta) of Charlotte, N.C., Dustin Wesley of Pine Bluff; two brothers, George Wesley of Tucson, Ariz., Charlie (Sandra) Wesley of San Antonio, Texas; two sisters, Lorene (Floyd) Proctor of St. Louis, Mo., Jackie Wesley-Thrower of Little Rock; her godmother, Bessie Brown of St. Louis; six grandchildren.

Visitation may be made today 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. First Trinity COGIC, 700 S. Catalpa St.

Funeral services will be held Friday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m., Greater Fellowship Ministries, 2401 S. Main St., Rev. Kerry Price officiating.

Burial will be in Forest Lawn Memorial Garden by Perry Funeral Home.

Raymond Gibbins

HOT SPRINGS — Raymond (Ray) Doyle Gibbins was born in a sharecropper’s farm house, north of Sherrill, Ark., of Cecil Willis and Alma Arletha House Gibbins on September 13, 1942. He married Gloria Taylor in November of 1970.

Ray attended Lakeside Elementary School and Pine Bluff High School. Ray went onto graduate from Arkansas A&M College (now the University of Arkansas at Monticello). He was a member of the school choir, Business Club and Phi Lambda Chi Fraternity. After college, he attended the U.S. Naval Officers Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, as an office, a gentleman and an unrestricted line officer. During his Naval career, Ray attended Naval Officer Communication School and the Naval War College, both in Newport, R.I. He was awarded a master of military science degree at the Naval War college.

Ray’s Navy tours of duty were diversified, from serving on the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) during the Vietnam conflict, to the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations — the Navy’s highest military staff. He returned to Pine Bluff in 1969, after his first Navy tour, but returned to the Navy in 1971 to complete a nearly 26 year career. He retired from the Navy on Oct. 29, 1989, from the staff of the Chief of Naval Reserve. Ray attained communication, manpower management and computer system analyst subspecialties during his career. He earned numerous Navy awards, including the Navy Achievement Medal.

After retiring from the Navy, Ray relocated to the countryside of Hot Springs for his Golden Years. His hobbies included working on old rusty cars, growing the best tomatoes and sharing his love of various types of music with all of his best friends. Also, he was successful through his many efforts in regathering his old admired Phi Lambda Chi fraternity brothers, after nearly forty years apart.

He was a Baptist, a Lion and a Republican.

God blessed Ray with may years of achievement and health. His grave marker will reflect part of his philosophy of life: “Be responsible for your own actions.”

Services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008, at the Davis Smith Funeral Home Chapel, Hot Springs, with the Rev. Allen Blackford officiating. Interment will be 2 p.m. at Mulberry Cemetery near England, Ark., under the direction of Davis-Smith Funeral Home, Hot Springs.

Visitation will be held from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home.

Honorary pallbearers will be Ollie McAllister, Jerry Brantley and all Phi Lambda Chi Gamma Chapter alumni brothers.

Memorials may be made to either the American Heart Association, 909 W. 2nd St., Little Rock, Ark., 72203 (local office) or the American Lung Association, 61 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10006.

Guest registry is at www.davis-smith.com

Pauline Harton

WARREN — Pauline Harton, age 88, of Warren, Ark., died Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Bradley County Medical Center.

She was born April 19, 1920, in Banks, Ark., a daughter of the late George Davidson and Iva Lee Gambill Davidson.

She was a retired employee of Sykes Oak Flooring Company and a member of Faith Freewill Baptist Church.

Surviving are two sons, Thomas Harton and spouse Peggy, Sherwood, Ark., and James Harton and spouse Stella, Little Rock, Ark.; a daughter, Barbara Collier and spouse William Ray, Pine Bluff, Ark.; six grandchildren, Randall Harton, Paul Denton Harton, Greg Harton, Danna Evans, Allison Catlett and Bryan Harton; six great-grandchildren, Denton Harton, Eli Harton, Jett Harton, Madelyn Evans, Collier Evans and Kline Catlett.

Funeral services 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12 at Frazer’s Chapel. Burial in Garrison Cemetery near Warren by Frazer’s Funeral Home.

Visitation 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, Dec. 11, at Frazer’s.

Online guestbook: www.frazerfuneralhome.com

Alvin Scates Sr. of Pine Bluff died Tuesday at his home. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Henson Mortuary.

FORDYCE — Fred Mitchell, 90, of Fordyce died Tuesday. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown-Williams Funeral Home of Fordyce.

Print this story   |   Email this story