CONE MAGIE, 81
Futha Cone Magie, 81, of Cabot, died March 27. He was born Oct. 12, 1924 in England to Albert Hugh and Rose Beauchamp Magie.
He was a member of Cabot United Methodist Church since 1955 and served as a Sunday school teacher, member of the administrative board and on church committees.
His newspaper career began at age eight when he was a carrier for the Arkansas Gazette in England. In high school he edited his school newspaper, The Lion, and swept floors at the England Democrat.
In 1945, Magie married Elizabeth Anne “Betty” Rice of Lonoke. He served aboard the U.S.S. Pocomoke in the Navy during World War II and used his G.I. education benefits to study journalism at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Upon graduation in 1949, he went to work for the Madison County Record in Huntsville, published by Orval Faubus, who later became governor. After a short while, he took a job publishing newsletters for the Arkansas Farm Bureau, then the Iowa Farm Bureau, followed by the American Farm Bureau in Washington.
In 1955, Magie and his wife returned to Arkansas and founded the Cabot Star newspaper in Cabot. Within a few months, the Magies purchased the Cabot Herald and merged the two into the Cabot Star-Herald, which has been published by the Magie family for 50 years.
The Magies added the Lonoke Democrat, the Carlisle Independent, the Jacksonville Patriot and the Sherwood Voice to their family newspaper operation.
Magie worked with State Rep. Bill Foster and local leaders to guide highway officials to extend Hwy. 321 to Hwy. 5.
He loved his home state and proudly served 17 years on the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Commission, during which time, a 1/8-cent sales tax was passed by Arkansas voters that continues to provide money for state park improvements.
He was a delegate in the Arkansas Constitutional Convention in 1979, and was a member of the Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and Cabot Masonic Lodge.
His career highlights include serving as Arkansas Press Associ-ation president, and both he and his wife were named Arkansas Journalists of the Year in 1991. Last year, the Magies were inducted into the Lemke Journalism Alumni Society Hall of Honor at the University of Arkansas.
Magie was preceded in death by his twin sons, Larry Cone and Gary Louis, and a brother, Leland Beauchamp Magie.
Survivors include his wife, Betty, of 61 years; two daughters, Shelly Magie Moran of Siloam Springs, and Connie Magie Buckingham and husband Mike of Van Buren; one son, Mark Magie and wife Susie of Cabot; seven granddaughters, Kelly Terwege and husband Mike of Garland, Texas, Leslie Pacheco and husband Ernie, Elizabeth Buckingham and Meagan Magie of Fayetteville, Sarah Buckingham of Conway, Emily Buckingham of Van Buren, and Mallory Magie of Cabot; two great-grandchildren, Scarlett and Jack Terwege of Garland, Texas; three brothers, Albert Hugh Magie and wife Grace of Heber Springs, Dr. Jimmie John Magie of Conway, and Richard Casey Magie of Winnelli, Australia; and a dedicated newspaper staff.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home. Funeral services are planned for 1 p.m., Thursday at Cabot United Methodist Church followed by interment at Concord Cemetery in Furlow.
Pallbearers will be Magie’s nephews.
Memorials may be made to Alzheimer’s Arkansas, Cabot United Methodist Church, Arkan-sas Newspaper Foundation, or the charity of your choice.
DIANA STEVENS, 48
Diana Lynn Stevens, 48, of Austin passed away March 27 in Searcy. She was born on Dec. 30, 1957 in Jacksonville, to Kenneth and the late Shirley Hamby.
She is survived by her husband, John Stevens Jr. of Austin; father, Kenneth Hamby of Texarkana; daughter, Nina Stevens of Lonoke; sons, John and wife Rebecca Stevens III of Austin and Joey and wife Alicia Stevens of Beebe; sister, Sharron LaBruno of N.C.; brothers, Kenneth Allen Hamby of Little Rock and Charles Hamby of Cabot; grandchildren, Skyla, Jose, Marcus and Katelynn.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Moore’s Jackson-ville Funeral Home Chapel followed by interment in Chapel Hill Me-morial Park.
Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
FRANK AVERETT, 59
Frank Meredith Averett, Jr., 59 of Sherwood died March 27 in North Little Rock. He was born October 18, 1946 in Nashville, Tenn., to the late Frank M. and Margaret Lumsden Averett, Sr. Frank served in the Army and was a member of the Hobby Club.
He is survived by his wife, Pamela K. Averett of Sherwood; foster parents, Buck and Dixie Buchanan of Cabot; two sons, Arthur Cave of Tucson, Ariz., and Orville Cave II of Pensacola, Fla.; daughter, Tamela Cain of Jacksonville; two half-sisters, Annette Simmons and Scarlet Messick and seven grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville.
Visitation is 6 to 8 p.m. Wednes-day at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to cancer research.
Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
DELMER CORBIN, 76
Delmer Lee Corbin, 76, of Cabot, died Tuesday March 28.
She was a homemaker and a member of Bible Missionary Church in Cabot.
She is survived by her three daughters and sons-in-law, Char-lotte and Mark Brown of Cabot, Lydia and Wes Mills of Kensett and Paula Jones-McFadden and husband Mark of Cabot; one sister, Ruby Mickle of Jacksonville; eight grandchildren, Timothy and Mat-thew Brown, Britney Horner, Amber and Ashley Cathey, Madison and Preston Jones and Colton “Pump-kin” McFadden.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Bible Missionary Church in Cabot with the Revs. Ed Manis and Andy Buege officiating.
Burial will be in Wattensaw Cemetery.
Family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8p.m. Thursday at Cabot Funeral Home.
