Wednesday, September 27, 2006

OBITUARIES >> 09-27-06

WALTER F. KEEFE AND LILLIAN KEEFE

Walter F. Keefe, Jr., 77, and Lillian A. Keefe, 76, both of Jacksonville, passed away only days apart, Mr. Keefe on Sept. 20, and Mrs. Keefe on Sept. 22, both of natural causes.

Mr. Keefe was born June 6, 1929, in Brooklyn, N. Y,. to the late Walter F. and Florence Kelley Keefe, Sr. Mrs. Keefe was born January 11, 1930, in the Bronx, N. Y., to the late Godfrey and Lillian McGuire Tabler.

A daughter, Teresa Keefe-Bailey, precedes them in death as well as Mr. Keefe’s brothers, Raymond and Gerard Keefe; and Mrs. Keefe’s brothers, Godfrey “Bud” and Harold Tabler as well as a sister, Elinor Oerding. Walter was a retired senior master sergeant in the Air Force who served in the Second World War, the Korean War and Vietnam. He also retired from the post office after more than 20 years of service.

Lillian was a devout Catholic who lived her life in service to the Lord. She was active in St. Jude Catholic Church, the Holy Family Parish at LRAFB as well as having been a Prayer Warrior.

Survivors include their children, John Keefe and wife Bonnie of Jacksonville; Kathleen Stimson and husband George of Berryville; Linda Tucker and husband Cecil of Jacksonville; Walter Francis Keefe III and wife Dianne of East End; Karen Keefe of Jacksonville; and Kevin Keefe and wife Darlene of Cabot; grandchildren, Lani Mc-Gloflin; Jodi Dress; Kerri Keefe; Jay Purifoy; Donna, James, Jeff and Virginia Stimson; Justin and Devin Drysdale; Benjamin Tucker; Jennifer Burgin; Hollie and Adam Bailey; Carl Williams, and Pete Moore; great-grandchildren, Brit-ney and Katie McGloflin; McKenna Dress; Amberly, Colin and Damien Stimson; and Ashton and Madeline Purifoy. Lillian is also survived by a sister, Dorothy Brown of Norfolk, Virg. Many friends and other family also survive them.

A joint funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27 at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church in Jacksonville with Father Les Farley officiating. Burial will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Park at Jacksonville. In lieu of flowers please make donations to one of the following charities: Mercy Corp International, Heifer Project International or Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.


CONNIE EUBANKS

Connie Eubanks, 41, of North Little Rock passed away on Sept. 20. She was born March 28, 1965 to the late Fred and Georgia Ives.

She was also preceded in death by one sister, Gladys.

Survivors include a daughter, Mary Sue Ives and grandson Matthew Ives, both of North Little Rock; one sister, Barbara Campbell of Ward; and three brothers, David Ives, Bobby and Wendy Wright and Gary Wright, all of North Little Rock.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Sept. 27. At the families request services and interment will be private. Arrangements by Thomas Funeral Service in Cabot.


GARY HILBURN

Gary Hilburn, 59, of Camden died Sept. 21, in Little Rock. He was born Aug. 25, 1947, in Pelam, Ga., to the late Willis and Margaret McDowell Hilburn.

He served in the United States Army, was a truck driver and loved the deer woods. Survivors include his children, Shawn Hilburn of Cabot, Phillip Hilburn of Jacksonville, and Jesse Black of St. Petersburg, Flor.; brother, James Hilburn of Cedar Springs, Ga.; sister, Ginger Schultz of Ocola, Flor.; six grandchildren and three nieces and nephews.

Graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27 at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock. Arrange-ments were under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.


HERB BRILL

Herb Brill, 75, of Ward died Sept. 18. He was born February 14, 1931, at Bethlehem, Pa., to the late William and Maria Graff Brill.

An Army veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, he served his country for twenty-six years. He loved the outdoors and was a very dedicated and loving father and husband.He is survived by his wife, Irene Shaver Brill; four sons, Herbert W. Brill, II of Bakersfield, Calif.; Jonathan M. and Kay Brill of Little Rock; Christopher Q. and Shirley Brill of Greenbrier; and Michael D. and Vanessa Brill of Orlando, Fl.; two daughters, Melanie M. Brill of Orlando and Deborah A. Brill of Cabot; ten grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and one sister, Charlotte Brill of Ward.

Graveside services were held Sept. 22 at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock. Memorials may be made to U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program, 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria, Virg., 22332. Arrangements were by Westbrook Funeral Home of Beebe.


DAVID WHITE

David Stanley White, 58, of Cabot passed away Sept. 23, at his home. He was born on Oct. 24, 1947, to the late William ‘Buster’ and Mae Howerton White in Little Rock.

He was a loving and devoted husband and father. He was the owner and operator of Affordable Custom Weed Control.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon White of Cabot; two daughters, one step daughter, two step sons, one sister, 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services were held Sept. 26 in the chapel at Cabot Funeral Home with the Rev. James Stanley officiating. Burial was in Hicks Cemetery in Cabot. Arrangements were under the direction of Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home.


EDWARD PENKALA

Edward E. Madru Penkala, 29, of Portage, Ind., passed away Sept. 20.

He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, the late Emanuel Penkala and the late Thomas Madru. He was a sales associate at Guitar Center. He enjoyed music as a drummer and he also enjoyed the outdoors.

He is survived by his father, Edward Penkala and his wife Diana of Schererville; mother Rose Madru Penkala; brother Kenneth Reeder and his wife Jennifer of Dyer; grandmother, Antoinette Madru of Jacksonville; grandmother, Maria Penkala of East Chicago; aunts and uncles, Shirley Mark and her husband Ken; Peggy Smith and her husband Jerry; Thomas Madru and his wife Lu; Nancy McClendon and her husband Stan; Theresa Kaminski and her husband Chris; Linda Arnold and her husband John; Phillip Jensen and his wife Michelle; nephew, Ryan Reeder and godchild Hailey Ewing.

Funeral services were Sept. 26 at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.


DOROTHY HOWARD

Dorothy “Dot” Ann Howard, 67, of Jacksonville passed away Sept. 19. She was born July 18, 1939 in Birmingham, England to the late William and Annie Walsh Bolin.

She worked for over 20 years for Maybelline as a quality control inspector. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Norman Howard and a brother, William Bolin.

Survivors include one daughter, Tracey Curtis Rhodes and husband Chris of Ward; three sons, Todd Howard and wife Pam of Cabot; Troy Howard and wife Daniece of Jacksonville; and Tony Howard and wife Rhoda Sullivan of Jacksonville; ten grandchildren, Ciera Curtis, Blake Howard, Angel Howard, Eric Moore, Brandy Howard, Bradley Howard, Alesha Hiner, Jacob Goolsby, Joshua Goolsby and Justin Goolsby. Graveside services were held Sept. 22 at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery.


MELVIN EICHBRECHT

Melvin Charles Wilhelm Eichbrecht, 76 of Ward died Sept. 23 in Jacksonville. He was born July 31, 1930, in Ray Township, Mich. to Ferdinand and Mable Klusendorf Eichbrecht.

On May 25, 1951, he married Theodora Smith in Gulfport, Miss. He served 23 years with the United States Air Force in hospital administration. Following retirement from the USAF, he began a 29-year career as an electrical machine technician for T.R.W. in Little Rock. He retired in 1992. He was a member of Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Searcy.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Maurie Christine Eichbrecht in 1997.

Survivors include his wife, Theodora Eichbrecht of Ward; children, Michael Eichbrecht of Viney Grove, Ken.; Claire Wilkinson of Flagstaff, Ariz.; and Cyd Simmons of Cabot; two sisters, Joyce Eichbrecht and Mary Ann Means, both of Sterling Heights, Mich.; 10 grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, one great-grandson and three step-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were Sept. 26, at Our Shepherd Lutheran Church in Searcy with Pastor Steve Miguet officiating. Burial was in Chapel Hill Memorial Park at Jacksonville. Arrangements were by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.


MARY GOODWIN

Mary Elizabeth Goodwin, 72, of Rose Bud died Sept. 21. She was born Sept. 22, 1933, in Pitt County, N. C., to the late George and Nannie Whitley Wade.

Before retirement, she was a nurse at White County Medical Center. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Susan Dianne Wilson.

She is survived by three sons, Roy Bennett of Billings, Mo.; Michael Fuller and wife Lynn of Hernando, Miss.; and Alan Bennett and wife Tally of Phoenix, Ariz.; one daughter, Donna Babb of Memphis, Tenn.; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and brother, Jim Wade of Sumter, S. C. Funeral services were Sept. 26at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe. Burial was in Apple Hill Cemetery.


LETA ROGERS

Leta Rogers, 78, of McRae died Sept. 24. She was born May 31, 1928, at Alba, Texas, to Garlan and Jessie Wright Sadler.
She was a retired bookkeeper and switchboard operator and a Baptist.

She is survived by her son, Larry Eden of Rosebud; three brothers, Bill Sadler of Winslow, Ariz.; Jerry Sadler of Romance; and Dwain Sadler of Haughton, Louis.; four sisters, Janell Payne of McRae; Marcella Hobbs of Olney, Texas; Gerlene Douglass of Houston, Texas and Linda Swafford of McRae. She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Rogers and one infant son.
Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27 at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 at West-brook Funeral Home with burial in Lebanon Cemetery.