WILLIAM B. SNYDER
“He was my sounding board,” Katie Jackson, mother of William B. Snyder, said about her son who died Sept. 26 in a tragic one-vehicle accident on Hwy. 70 near Hot Springs in Garland County.
The night before the accident Katie said Snyder had gone to Hot Springs to comfort his girlfriend whose grandmother had suffered a massive heart attack.
“He was coming home from consoling someone else,” Katie said. “And this just happened. I will always remember him for his big heart, his willingness to do things for others. He also had a great sense of humor. He never let things get him down.”
Snyder, 20, of Jacksonville, was a 2004 honor graduate of North Pulaski High School. He was a youth sponsor at New Life Assembly of God in Sherwood, and wished that all of his family and friends would be saved.
Lee Jackson, step-father of William, said he had a tremendous faith in God that he wanted others to share. “We raised him that God gives us this life and you make the best of it,” Lee said. “He learned that early and because of that was a hard worker. I remember him going on many mission trips and things with the church and he always worked to pay his way. He would mow yards, paint fences or rake yards to get money. Other parents would come up to me and say ‘This is just unheard of out of children these days.’ He was just a great young man.”
“He never drank or never smoked,” his mother said. “He learned how to laugh at himself at an early age too. He just never let anything get him down and when others would make fun of him he just turned it around to humor. He just believed in God’s ways.”
William’s father Kendell Snyder, said he had a “real strong faith in Christ. He was worried about other people and was always trying to make people happy and take care of others.”
His mother said he would go above and beyond to help others. “I remember one night him dropping everything to go out and get ice cream for a pregnant lady he knew,” she said. “He had a lot of respect for girls. He wouldn’t even leave a parking lot if there were girls there by themselves.”
Jeremy Echart, youth pastor at New Life Assembly of God in Sherwood, also knew of William’s heart for God.
“Will knew what he had experienced in God and had to share it with others,” Eckart said. “He was very aware that he had a call in life and would be involved in something within the church.”
William was the director of mission giving at the church.
Allison Nichols, who knew William through church, described him as a man after God’s own heart. “He was so strong and adamant in his faith,” Nichols said. “He was amazing; nothing ever got him down when it came to his faith.”
He attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on an academic scholarship and was studying to become a history teacher. Lee said he wasn’t satisfied with just being a teacher though.
“His dream was to end up a professor at some college,” Lee said. “He was so very smart. In school he was an A/B honor roll student. He was in advance class courses and his school had to excel him because he was so far ahead of others.”
Caring for others is what everyone remembers most about William.
“He reached out to everybody and would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need,” Nichols said.
“He had a heart for students and people,” Eckart said. “He was always available to listen and would do anything he could to help.”
Described as faithful, loyal and dedicated, Eckart said he could always depend on Will to get things done with the youth. “Will wasn’t too proud to stack chairs, and wasn’t scared to take on big projects,” Eckart said. “Whatever I asked, he would do.”
He is preceded in death by his grandmothers, Thelma Williams and Ruth Snyder, and his grandfather, Burton Snyder.
He is survived by his parents, Kendell and wife Rhonda Snyder and Katie and husband Lee Jackson, all of Jacksonville; two sisters, Sarah Jackson of Jacksonville and Tammy Jackson of Kountz, Texas; four brothers, Bryan Jackson of Little Rock, Randy Jackson of North Little Rock, Kendell Snyder Jr. of Jacksonville and John Darius of Ft. Drum, New York; grandfather, Billy G. Williams of Beebe and a host of aunt’s, uncle’s, cousins and friends.
Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Sept. 30, at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Funeral Home, 7724 Landers Road, North Little Rock. Burial will be in Rest Hills Memorial Park.
Memorials may be made to New Life Youth, P.O. Box 8095, Jacksonville, Ark., 72078.
Nanette Branham
Nanette Ann Branham, 40, of Jacksonville went to be with the Lord, Sept. 26, in Little Rock.
She was born March 21, 1966 in Sacramento, Calif., to Rose Rogers and the late Albert Provost. She was a member of New Life Church.
Survivors include her husband, John Branham; parents, Steve and Rose Rogers; two sons, Travis and Austin Branham; daughter, Stevie Branham; a sister, Suzette; brother, Chris and his wife Angie Ferguson; uncle, Vernon T. Jackson and three nieces.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Sept. 30 at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville. Burial will follow in Chapel Hill Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.
John Walter
John M. Walter, 42, of North Little Rock passed away Sept. 26 at his residence. He was born Sept. 1, 1964 in Oceanside, Calif. John was preceded in death by his brother Jamey Walter.
Survivors include his mother, Joyce Lybrand and her husband Jim of Sherwood; three sisters, Telela Grissom and husband Jerry of Conway, Rhonda Walter-Myers of North Little Rock and Melissa Long, and husband Charles of Cabot; four nephews; four nieces; three great nieces and one great nephew as well as several other cousins, friends and family.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Sept. 30 at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home with Rev. Norman Powel officiating.
Interment will follow at Sumner Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Wesley Davis
Wesley Donald Davis, 42, of Austin passed away Sept. 28.
He was born on Sept. 9, 1964, in Oklahoma City, Okla., the son of Ronnie Davis and Janet Sallstrom Davis.
He was an avid Razorback fan. He was a member of First Cabot Church of Christ.
He was a dedicated associate of Garver Engineers for sixteen and a half years.
He was a member of ASHRAE, Society of Fire Protection Engine-ers, International code Council, and Friends of the Carousel Restoration in Little Rock.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Earl Davis, Johnnie Sue Deweese and W.H. Deweese.
He is survived by his wife of seven-and-a-half-years, Melissa Davis; one son, Ethan Robson; two daughters, Jesse Marie Davis and Emily Robson, all of Austin; one sister, Melissa Thomas and husband Kerry of Bella Vista; one brother, Dylan Davis of Paris; his grandmother, Era Gene Davis of Paris; his parents, Janet Hill and husband Ken of Allen, Texas, and Ronnie Davis of Paris.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Sept. 30 at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Funeral Home in North Little Rock. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. Sept. 30 at Baxley Cemetery in Paris.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a college fund for Wes’ children, First National Bank of Paris, P.O. Box 31, Paris, Ark., 72855.
Grace Taylor
Grace Beatrice Taylor, 94, of Jacksonville died Sept. 25.
She was born Aug. 21, 1912 in Paris, Texas, to the late John and Callie Mae Prince Taylor.
She worked in the food service as a school cook.
She was a member of the JOY group of Landmark Missionary Baptist Church where she was a member.
She was also preceded in death by her husband, Lushion Houston Taylor; a son, Edward Gammert; sisters, Ola Mae King and Mildred Head; and a brother, James R. Taylor. Survivors include children, Nola Gardner and her husband Gene of Jacksonville, David Gammert of Quarts Hill, Calif., Phyllis Joan Lopshire and her husband Dale of Sierra Vista, Ariz., and Marilyn Louise Cavanaugh of Sand Point, Ind., 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were Sept. 29 at Landmark Baptist Church in Jacksonville with Bro. Tim Carter officiating. Burial was in Bear Creek Cemetery in Cleveland, Okla.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Landmark Mis-sionary Baptist Church Building fund.
Funeral arrangements were under direction of Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home.
Drinon Smith
Drinon Irene Wright Smith, 86, of Beebe, died Sept. 25.
She was born May 27, 1920, at Sidney, to Tom and Dora Ford Wright.
At age 16, she married Phillip Glen Smith who passed away in 1998.
In 1955, her family moved to Washington State where she re-sided until 1992, and then moved to Beebe where she resided until her death.
She was a member of First Baptist Church of Beebe.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; daughter, Glennadean Smith; one grandson, Steven Smith; brothers, Ewell and Tommy Wright; sisters, Faye Garner, Mona Qualls, Mae Mc-Guffie and Johnnie Smith.
She is survived by two daughters, Teddie L. Sandifer of Beebe and Gayra Smith of Missouri; one son, Mike Smith of Morrilton; 10 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; one brother, George Wright of Cave City; three sisters, Lottie Ryder and Odessa Simmons, both of Kansas, and Jewell Durham of Georgia.
Funeral was held Sept. 28 at Westbrook Funeral Home with burial at Mt. Carmel Cemetery at Sidney.
Elmer France
Elmer France, 86, of Jacksonville, died Sept. 21.
He was born in Middleboro, Ken., the son of the late Jon France. He served in the Marines in the South Pacific during World War II.
In 1963, he opened an auto parts store and machine shop called Standard Auto Parts of Jackson-ville, which he sold in 1995.
He was a member of Episcopal Church in Jacksonville.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary Bettie France; one son, Jon and wife Justine France of Jacksonville; three grandchildren, David M. France, Sarah J. France, both of Dallas, Texas and Joseph and wife Jennifer France of North Little Rock; one great-grandchild, Jesse S. France and a host of relatives and friends.
Graveside services were held Sept. 25 at Rest Hills Memorial Park in North Little Rock.
Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 320 Executive Court, Suite 104, Little Rock, Ark., 72205.
Lois Miller
Lois Miller, 85, of Jacksonville died Sept. 20.
She was born March 25, 1921, in Quitman, the daughter of the late John Sims and Ethel Edward Sims. She was a loving mother and grandmother and was a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Miller and brother, Dois Sims.
She is survived by one son, Jerry and wife Phyllis Miller of Cabot; two daughters, Linda and husband Jim O’Connell of Oakridge, N.J., and Jane Miller of Jacksonville; two sisters, Geneva Gotherman and Edna and husband J.D. Bunch, all of North Little Rock; two brothers, Roy and wife Jeanette of North Little Rock and J.D. and wife Dorothy Sims of Lonoke; two grandchildren, Glen David Miller of Calif., and Dalin and wife Connie Kinman of Beebe, and a host of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were Sept. 25 at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Chapel in North Little Rock with Marck Gibson officiating. Burial was in Rest Hills Memorial Park.
Memorials may be made to Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation, 904 Autumn Road, Little Rock, Ark. 72211.
Perry Wright
Perry M. Wright, 74, of Jacksonville passed away on Sept. 29.
He was born Jan. 7, 1932. He was retired from Davis Rubber Company after 40 years.
He is survived by two nieces, Dana Kohrs of Cabot, Mary Kilpatrick of Ward, one nephew, Coy Wright of New York, a sister-in-law, Sadie Wright of Cabot, two special cousins, Edna Brockinton of Cabot and A.C. Carmical of Spring, Texas. The family wishes to extend a special thanks to the staff at Woodland Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for their loving care.
A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m., Monday at Harmony Cemetery, Hwy. 89 in Faulkner County with Rev. Melburn Hill officiating.
Arrangements by North Little Rock Funeral Home.
