Obituaries
DEATHS FOR THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 11:27 PM CDT
Mamie Forte
Mamie Casali Forte, 86, of Pine Bluff, died Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at Trinity Village Medical Center.
She was born Jan. 25, 1923, in Lake Village, daughter of Fermo and Olga Olivi Casali.
Mamie Casali married Joseph Forte Sept. 27, 1944, in Greenville, Miss., and they moved to Pine Bluff shortly afterwards.
She worked as the personnel director for Sears for 35 years, retiring in 1987.
Mrs. Forte was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, where she served on the Eucharistic Ministry and was a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas and Altar Society.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, two brothers, Louis Casali and John Casali; and three sisters, Martha Portwood, Bea Fakouri and Dolly Wells.
Survivors include her daughter, Leslie Forte Cartwright of Dallas, Texas; brother, Frank Casali and wife, Catherine, of Lake Village; sister, Lucille Spencer and husband, T.H., of Ruleville, Miss.; sister-in-law, Judy Casali of Pine Bluff; two grandchildren, Stephen Joseph Turner of North Richland Hills, Texas, and William Scott Turner of Denton, Texas; two great-grandchildren, Ryan Douglas Turner and Joannie Elizabeth Turner; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held 1 p.m., Saturday, May 16, 2009, at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Father L. Warren Harvey officiating. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Lake Village at 4 p.m. with Father Theophilus Okparra officiating.
A vigil service will be 6 p.m. Friday evening at Ralph Robinson & Son Funeral Directors in Pine Bluff.
Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, 412 W. Sixth Ave., Pine Bluff, Ark., 71601. Online register: www.ralphrobinsonandson.com
Armenis Perkins
Mrs. Armenis McCoy Perkins, 93, of Pine Bluff died Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
She was born Jan. 6, 1916, to the late Pee Dee and Lennie McCoy in Fordyce.
She was a retired teacher.
Survivors include sons, Charles Perkins of Pine Bluff, Lawrence Perkins of West Memphis and Willie Perkins Jr. of Hot Springs; daughters, Jean Steverson of Riverside, Calif., and Rubie Hairston of Pine Bluff; 16 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.
Her services will be Friday, May 15, 2009, at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church by Judge Marion Humphrey at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Cedar Grove Section of Graceland Cemetery.
Visitation will be today from 5-7 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 4200 S. Tennessee St., Pine Bluff, Ark.
Hazel Vittitow
Hazel Hall Vittitow, 79, of Pine Bluff, died Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at Hospice Homecare Inpatient, at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.
She was born Aug. 30, 1929, in Cleveland County, to Cooper and Mamie Barnett Hall.
She was reared and educated in Cleveland County, graduating from Kingsland High School in 1948. She moved to Pine Bluff during the same year, where she married William F. “Jack” Vittitow on July 3, 1948.
Mrs. Vittitow was a homemaker. She was a longtime member of South Side Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, where she was past president, secretary and treasurer for her Sunday School Class. She later returned to her childhood church home of Mount Elba Baptist Church in New Edinburg.
She found time to be a security officer for Eden Park Country Club in her younger years, a member of the American Business Women Association, American Legion Auxiliary, Jefferson County Museum Society, Pine Bluff Community Concert Association and held several offices within the Ladies Auxiliary Lodge No. 481 United Transportation Union. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents and her stepfather, Victor Marks.
Survivors include her son, James Fredrick (Carolyn) Vittitow of Fairfield Bay; three daughters, Shonnee (Joe) Conery of Sun City Center, Fla., Susanne (Joe) Clark of Rison, Lynnette (Bill) Wallace of Fort Wayne, Ind.; a brother, Billy Jack Marks of Hobbs, N.M.; two sisters, Elizabeth Barner of Clinton, Janette Whited of Troupe, Texas; three grandchildren, Jaki Clark, Allen Clark, Jennifer Holloway; and five great-grandchildren.
Services by Ralph Robinson & Son will be 2 p.m. today, May 14, 2009, at Mount Elba Baptist Church.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until start of service. Burial will follow in Graves Cemetery near New Edinburg. Online register at www.ralphrobinsonandson.com
Pallbearers are Joe Conery, Bill Wallace, Allen Clark, Terry Brown, Jerry Brown and Joe Clark.
Nelson Wooldridge Jr.
Nelson Eugene Wooldridge Jr., 31, a resident of Pine Bluff, passed away Sunday, May 10, 2009, at his home.
Born July 23, 1977, in Tallulah, La., he was the only son of Nelson Eugene Wooldridge Sr. and Brenda Kaye Young Wooldridge.
He was reared and received his early education in Pine Bluff. He was a 1995 graduate of Watson Chapel High School. He also attended Southeast Arkansas College in Pine Bluff.
At the time of his death, he was an engineer for Union Pacific Railroad. His job and his trains were his pride and joy. He was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting and fishing. He attended Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church. He enjoyed so many things in life and is lovingly remembered and will be truly missed.
He was preceded in death by his great-grandmother, Velma Lee Wooldridge; paternal grandfather, Burnis Eugene Wooldridge; maternal grandparents, Annie Ruth and Dow Shelton Young, Sr.; and a niece Brooklyn Daniella Lawrence.
He is survived by his parents, Nelson Wooldridge Sr. and Brenda Wooldridge, both of Pine Bluff; his paternal grandparents, Norma Lee Elizabeth and Robert Stover of Pine Bluff; his sisters, Annie Ruth Elizabeth Lawrence of Pine Bluff and Charlotte Marie Johnson of Woodlawn; three nieces and two nephews, Mercedes Lynn Johnson, Destiny Danielle Lawrence, Megan Elizabeth Lawrence, Ryan Tyler Lawrence, and Gannon Brody Johnson; and a host of loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Funeral service will be held 3 p.m., Friday, May 15, 2009, in the chapel of Ralph Robinson & Son with Rev. Roger Armstrong officiating. Burial will follow in Davis Cemetery at Grapevine.
The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today at Robinson’s.
Friends may sign the online register at www.ralphrobinsonandson.com.
Lola Gray
KERRVILLE, Texas — Mrs. Lola Gray of Kerrville, Texas, passed from this life on May 11, 2009, in her home at the age of 81 years.
Mrs. Gray had been a resident of Kerrville since August 2007 when she moved from her home in Pine Bluff, Ark.
Lola Torres was born April 28, 1928, in Pine Bluff, Ark., to the late Teresa “Mary” Rangel Torres and Trinidad Zaragoza Torres. She received her early education at the Annunciation Academy (now known as St. Joseph Catholic School) in Pine Bluff, completed junior high school in 1943, and she graduated from Pine Bluff High School in 1946. She later married and raised three children.
She was a lifetime member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Pine Bluff and attended Notre Dame Catholic Church while in residence at Kerrville.
Mrs. Gray was a vested employee of the F.W. Woolworth store until March 28, 1981, when the Pine Bluff store was closed. She worked at Wal-Mart in Pine Bluff for more than 15 years and retired in 1998. She was a life member of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, John and Roy Horn Post 4455, where she held positions as the Ladies Auxiliary President, Senior Vice, Junior Vice, Patriotic Instructor, and Guard. She also served as the District 12 president.
Survivors include a son, Mike Gray, and spouse Lisa, of Fort Smith, Ark.; daughter, Janet Persons of San Antonio, Texas, formerly of Knoxville, Tenn.; daughter, Joyce Trotter, and spouse Ron, of Hunt, Texas; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
She is also survived by brothers, James J. Torres, Joseph I. Torres, and Raymond J. Torres, all of Pine Bluff, and Robert Torres of Little Rock, Ark.;
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Tomacita Cortez; a brother, William Torres; and infant daughter, Michele Gray.
Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2009, at 9 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 412 W. Sixth Ave., Pine Bluff, Ark., with Father Warren Harvey officiating.
A reception/visitation for family and friends will take place immediately following the service. Burial will be at Graceland Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to Ave Maria Hospice, 12078 South Hwy 16, Fredericksburg, Texas 78624.
The family invites you to leave a message or memory at www.kerrvillefuneralhome.com by selecting Obituaries.
Select “Sign Guestbook” at the bottom of the individual memorial.
Arrangements are under the direction and personal care of Kerrville Funeral Home, (830) 895-5111.
Dr. Linda Lane
DECATUR, Ga. — Dr. Linda Rochell Lane, 53, of Decatur, Ga., formerly of Star City, Ark., died May 7.
She was born May 25, 1955, at Star City, a daughter of Viola Green Rochell and the late I. C. Rochell.
Other survivors: her husband, Willie L. Lane; a son, Kareem Lane; a daughter, Rebecca Lane Standridge; six brothers and three sisters.
Funeral services: 1 p.m. Saturday at Star City High School Auditorium with the Rev. Marvin Harrison officiating. Burial: St. Ollie Cemetery by Griffin Funeral Service at Star City.
Visitation: 6-8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Elaine Rankin of Pine Bluff died Tuesday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Funeral arrangements will be announced by P.K. Miller Mortuary.
ALTHEIMER — Imie Hall of Altheimer died Tuesday at Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Funeral arrangements will be announced by P.K. Miller Mortuary at Pine Bluff.
DUMAS — Elizabeth Williams , 81, of Dumas died Tuesday at Delta Memorial Hospital at Dumas. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown Funeral Home of Dumas.
HOT SPRINGS — Bill Fuller , 74, of Hot Springs, formerly of Pine Bluff, died Wednesday. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Fuller Hale-South Funeral Services of Pine Bluff.
RISON — Rhonda Faye Harmon-Martindill , 53, of Rison died Wednesday at her home. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Buie Funeral Home of Rison.
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