Obituaries
DEATHS FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009 11:21 PM CST
Cornelius Pickens
Affectionately called “Tank” by those who knew and loved him, Cornelius Pickens died Monday at his parents’ home at Memphis. He was 34.
A native of Memphis, Pickens joined the staff of Pine Bluff High School as assistant band director in August 2000. After volunteering 1,138 hours with the band during the 1999-2000 school year, he was honored as the Pine Bluff School District VIPS Volunteer Person of the Year.
Carl Lott, director of bands at Pine Bluff High School, said Pickens’ presence in McFadden Gym and Jordan Stadium will indeed be missed.
“He was just an outstanding hard-working, dedicated young man — to Pine Bluff School District, to his church and to God,” Lott said.
Lott said the students are doing well in coping with the loss of Pickens but that they are going to have a tough time getting adjusted to him not being around.
“When we play music that he has written, every now and then we get a tear or two, and when people talk about him some get emotional,” he said.
“The kids really, really cared about him and loved him.”
Pickens was a member of Pine Hill Missionary Baptist Church, where he served as musician for the mass, youth and male choirs. He also coordinated the Extreme For Jesus Gospel Choir and accompanied the Pine Bluff History Club Chorale.
The Rev. Glenn Barnes Sr., pastor of Pine Hill Missionary Baptist Church, said if he could define Pickens in one word, it would be “dedicated.”
“What was rare about him is you don’t normally find a musician that is actually faithful to the church. Most times musicians are just dedicated to playing the piano, but he was dedicated to the church as a whole,” Barnes said.
“He came to Bible study and Sunday school and had recently been promoted to one of the teachers for the Men’s Sunday school class.”
Barnes said one thing that he will always remember about Pickens is that even though he had a handicap, he still continued to serve.
“He was crippled and had an excuse to be slothful, but he still went everywhere I went,” Barnes recalled.
Funeral services for Pickens will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Greater Hope Baptist Church at Memphis. Arrangements are by N.J. Ford & Sons Funeral Home at Memphis.
Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Rushel Harvill
Rushel Lee Harvill, age 84, of Pine Bluff, died Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009.
Born Feb. 19, 1924, at Humphrey, he was a son of the late Robert Lee Harvill and Eva Lou McCarley Harvill. Reared and educated at Altheimer, he also attended Arkansas A&M College, and served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.
His brother, Bob Harvill predeceased him.
A resident of Pine Bluff for over 40 years, he was a former partner in H&M Oil Company of Altheimer. He retired in 1987 as branch manager for Synergy Gas Company. He was a member of Watson Chapel Baptist Church, had taught Sunday school for many years at Olive Street Baptist Church, and was a Mason for over 50 years.
Survivors include his wife, Iona Lynch Harvill, whom he married on March 23, 1946, at Altheimer; two daughters, Beth Holcomb (Tommy) and Annette Morrison (Larry); a sister, Laverne Cowling; four grandsons, Tommy Gene Holcomb (Sommer), Eric Holcomb (Mindy), Jeff Morrison (Karen), Greg Morrison; and four great-grandchildren, Austin Holcomb, Hunter Holcomb, Kylie Holcomb and Noah Morrison.
Funeral services will be Monday, 10 a.m. at Fuller Hale-South Funeral Chapel with Brothers Todd Howard and Steve Monk officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be Sunday from 4-6 p.m. at the funeral home.
Online condolences: www.FullerFunerals.com
Donnell Johnson
Donnell Ray Johnson, 54, of Pine Bluff died Tuesday.
He was born at Pine Bluff, a son of the late Tom and Elizazean Johnson.
Survivors include three brothers, Ronald Johnson, Theoplis Johnson and Jimmy Johnson, all of Pine Bluff; and one sister, Elizabeth “Liz” Robinson of Pine Bluff.
Graveside services were held Friday in Forest Lawn Memorial Garden with the Rev. H.C. Curry Jr. officiating. Arrangements were by Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.
Cleodies Walton
DERMOTT — Cleodies Walton, 71, of Dermott died Sunday at his home.
He was born May 17, 1937, at Jerome, a son of the late Willie Walton and Elnora Bateman.
Survivors: his wife, Juanita Walton; sons, Odessa Cleary and Delta Earl Cleary, both of Dermott; one daughter, Nakia Walton of Houston; two stepdaughters, Thelisa Palmer and Sonia Ellebb of Houston; 14 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. today at Calvary No. 1 Missionary Baptist Church at Dermott with the Rev. Samuel Fells officiating. Burial will be in Cox Cemetery by Davis Strickland Funeral Home at Dermott.
Rosie Murry
GOULD — Rosie Murry, 101, of Gould died Sunday at Delta Memorial Hospital.
She was born Feb. 2, 1908, at Varner, a daughter of the late Zee and Ada Murry.
Survivors include one son, Cleveland Murry of Gould; five daughters, Dorothy Murry, Angela Murry and Leola Lane, all of Gould, Annie B. Williams of Little Rock and Marva L. Wilson of Chicago.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Bethel Pentecostal Church at Gould. Burial will be in Union Cemetery by McKinzie/Wilson Funeral Home of Gould.
Visitation will be from noon until time of service Sunday.
Caleb Johnson
WHITE HALL — Caleb Johnson, age 22, of White Hall, died Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009.
Beloved by his family, he was born March 5, 1986, at Pine Bluff. Caleb attended Trinity Episcopal School, St. Joseph Catholic School, and SEARK College. He loved baseball, excelled at it, and was a pitcher for the Jaycees Little League Baseball team and Bryan Paint. He loved trout fishing on the Little Red River, was a member of White Hall United Methodist Church, and was preceded in death by his grandfather, Franklin Johnson.
Caleb’s survivors include his mother, Deborah Jane “Debbie” Johnson; his grandmother, Glenda “Charlie” Johnson; uncles, Chuck Johnson (Leslie) and Beaver Johnson (Debbie); aunts, Mary Skillen (Jay) and Viki Brown; cousins, Matthew Hart, Trey Johnson, Joshua Skillen, R.D. Johnson, Jordan Skillen, and Thomas Johnson; and his beloved dog, Bugsy.
Memorial services will be Sunday, 2 p.m. at White Hall United Methodist Church with Rev. Therrel Wilson and Rev. Love Loftis officiating. A reception will follow the service in the church fellowship hall. Private family interment will be in White Hall United Methodist Cemetery at a later date. Arrangements are by Fuller Hale-South Funeral Services.
Through organ and tissue donation, Caleb has already helped save more than five lives, gave sight to others, and continues to give a legacy of a lifetime to hundred.
Please make memorials to the Music Department at White Hall United Methodist Church, 300 Church Drive, White Hall, Ark., 71602.
Online condolences: www.FullerFunerals.com
Earnest Beasley Jr.
LA PORTE, Texas — Earnest Milton Beasley Jr., 79, of La Porte, Texas, died Wednesday.
He was born June 22, 1929, at Jackson, Miss., a son of the late Earnest M. Beasley Sr. and Essie Beasley.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Reep Beasley; one son, Earnest M. Beasley III of Cloud Croft, N.M.; one daughter, Terri Totten of St. Louis; one brother, John Beasley of Florida; one sister, Lisa Getz of California; and three grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Enon Cemetery at Rye. Arrangements are by Frazer’s Funeral Home at Warren.
Rev. Dave Watts Jr. of Pine Bluff died Friday at his home. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Henson Mortuary.
FORREST CITY — Paris Munn, 81, of Forrest City died Friday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center at Pine Bluff. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Serenity Gardens Funeral Services at Dumas.
RISON — Syble Taylor Monk, 84, of Rison died Friday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center at Pine Bluff. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Ralph Robinson & Son Funeral Directors at Pine Bluff.
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Wanda Kay Johnson Williams, 49, of Chesapeake, Va., formerly of Altheimer, Ark., died Thursday. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.
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