Virginia Ballard
Virginia Carol Ballard, 69, of Cabot passed away March 6 in Searcy.
She was born May 22, 1937 to the late Charles McMillan and Vida Wetherington McMillan in Barlow, Fla.
Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Charles D. Ballard; a daughter, Karen C. Ballard; and a brother, Bobby McMillan.
Survivors include her sons, Charles D. Ballard and wife Donna of Cabot, Mark Ballard and wife Annie of Jacksonville, Fl., and Eric Ballard of Cabot; daughter, Wanda Callahan and husband David of Cabot; sister, Sandy “Cricket” Hardgrove of Florida; brother, Michael Bryan of Florida; and eight grandchildren, Michael Ballard and wife Jennifer, Raymond Ballard, Daniel Patterson, Robert Victor Callahan, Kristen Amber Callahan, Debra Ballard, Bryan Ballard and Shae Ballard, as well as her faithful companion and pet, “Bookie”.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10 in the chapel of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 12:30 until service time the day of the service.
Helen Starkey
Helen Virginia Starkey, 70, of Jacksonville passed away at her home March 5.
She was born in Clarendon Nov. 17, 1936 to the late Lee and Alice Wilkerson.
She was also preceded in death by her husband, Harold ‘Tex’ Watts and a sister, Lottie Smith.
Survivors include her children; Margaret and husband Wesley Perkins of Ypsilanpi, Mich., Brenda and husband Tom McElmurry of Ward, Bill ‘Bubba’ Watts of Jacksonville and Cheryl Watts and husband Mike Burns of Jacksonville; brother, Gene Wilkerson and his wife Judy of Clarendon; sisters, Betty and husband Bill of Caldwell, La., and Judy Mitchell of North Little Rock; 16 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Sat-urday, March 10 at Moore’s Funeral Home Chapel in Jacksonville.
June Henderson
June Rebecca Henderson, 90, of Carlisle passed away at her home March 4.
June was born June 5, 1916 at Cripple Creek, Col.
She was the daughter of Perry Monroe Smith and Violet Walter Smith.
She graduated from Stuttgart High School and later attended Arkansas State University at Beebe and was a lifelong member of the Methodist church.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 67 years, A.L. “Toad” Henderson; her parents; and her brothers, Perry Smith and Bill Smith.
June enjoyed gardening and being outdoors. She grew pecan trees and was an avid bird watcher.
Music was an important part of her life. June especially enjoyed going places in her truck. She loved her family, neighbors and many friends.
June was active in many clubs and organizations. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Marson EH Club, the Builders Class of the Carlisle Methodist Church and she was also a member of the Eastern Star.
She was dedicated to the farming community and served on many committees to ensure the continuance and betterment of agriculture.
Survivors include three sons, Leslie and his wife Donna of Berryville; Bill and his wife Jill of Adamstown, Penn., and Bob and his wife Faye of Pine Bluff; five grandchildren, Ryan and Rachel Henderson of Berryville, John Henderson of Pine Bluff, and Jordon and Tyler Henderson of Adamstown, Penn.; one brother, Kenneth Smith of Tichnor, and several nieces, nephews, and a host of friends.
Visitation will be held from 1:15 to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10 at Carlisle United Methodist Church in Carlisle. A celebration of her life will follow at the church at 2 p.m. with burial at Carlisle Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church of Carlisle or to Carlisle Cemetery.
Herbert Beard
Herbert Cecil Beard, Jr., 79, of Jacksonville passed away March 8. He was a member of First Pentecostal Church of North Little Rock.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert and Bertha Beard; one sister, Hoy Lee Beard; and two brothers, Troy and Thomas Beard.
He is survived by his wife, Alice Tucker Beard; three sons, Bruce Beard, Sr., Jessie Beard and wife Delaine, and Jack Beard and wife Louise, all of Jacksonville; 16 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Johnny Beard of North Little Rock and William Floyd Beard, of Vilonia; six sisters, Marie Dodson of Little Rock, Inez Quattlebaum of Greenbrier, Lena Davis of Corsicana, Texas, Mary Ann Robinson of North Little Rock, Wanda Sue Yarberry of North Little Rock and Linda Dillon of Jacksonville.
Memorials may be made to First Pentecostal Church Building Fund, 1401 Calvary, North Little Rock, Ark., 72116.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 13 at First Pentecostal Church. Burial will be in Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery.
Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, March 12 at North Little Rock Funeral Home Chapel.
Dixie Talley
Dixie Talley, 83, of Cabot died March 5.
She was born April 9, 1923, at Beebe, to John and Annie Burnett Fields.
She was a member of Cabot First Baptist Church, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to her husband of 68 years, Edward Talley; her son, Lynn Talley and wife JoAnna of Williston, Tenn.; her daughter, Doris Ann McCarter and husband Ronald of Olive Branch, Miss.; her brothers, Charles Fields of Louisiana and J. E. Fields of Alexander; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were March 8, at Westbrook Funeral Home with burial in Sylvania Cemetery.
Margaret Benafield
Margaret Beggs Benafield, 80, passed away March 6.
She is the widow of Lonoke County Judge Charles H. Benafield of Lonoke.
She was born April 19, 1926 in Carlisle, a daughter of Jim and Ada Cook Beggs. She was a member of Lonoke First United Methodist Church and was retired from Lonoke County and state government, and was a devoted mother, grandmother and volunteer.
She was preceded in death by a son, Julius D Benafield; brother, James Beggs; and sister, Frances Moore.
Margaret was a former Sunday school teacher, American Cancer Society board member, member of AARP, Extension Homemaker Club, Lonoke County Historical Society, Arkansas Genealogical Society and a charter member of the Lonoke Lioness Club.
She is survived by two sons, Larry Holler of Little Rock and Danny and wife Iretta Benafield of North Little Rock; four daughters, Nita and husband Johnie Ray Wilson, Gayle and husband Ronnie Hill of Lonoke, Rita and husband Randy Henard and Lynda Kinsey of Little Rock; 14 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren.
Also brothers, Dan Beggs of Hughes and Lewis Beggs of Lonoke; two sisters Sandra Anderson and Joyce Butler of Lonoke.
Funeral services were March 9 at First United Methodist Church in Lonoke with burial in Lonoke Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lonoke First United Methodist Church, S. Center and Pine Streets, Lonoke, Ark. 72086; Arkansas Hospice, Inc., 5600 W 12th St., Little Rock, Ark. 72204, or www.arkansashospice.org; American Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.
