PHILLIP SAYLES
Specialist Phillip Nicholas “Nick” Sayles, 26, of Jacksonville, died May 28 in Iraq. He was born May 2, 1979, in Little Rock, to Charles and Pearl Sayles, who survive him.
Nick was the oldest of three children. He was the grandson of the late Earl and Lois Sayles and J. P. and Lucille Lentz.
He was preceded in death by his uncles, Tom Sayles, Jim Sayles, and Tom Barnes.
Nick is also survived by his brothers, Joseph Aaron Sayles of Crocker, Mo., and Wesley Patrick Sayles of Jacksonville; aunts, Don-na Lentz of Cabot, Helen Barnes of Crocker, Mo., Carol Sayles and Teri Sayles, both of Little Rock, and Mildred Sayles of Hensley; uncles, John Lentz and Joe Lentz, both of Cabot, and Don Sayles of Hensley; great aunts, Mildred Hammons of Jacksonville, Emma Jean Purtle, and Ruby Finch of North Little Rock. Nicholas had many loving cousins, including Tyler and Travis Barnes of Crocker, Mo., Joshua Lentz of Cabot, Gabe and Israel Lentz of Beebe, Tracy Slobig of Cabot, Dana Wiggins of Danville, and Tammy Rees of Jonesboro.
Nick attended North Pulaski High School and was enrolled in ROTC classes at Jacksonville High School for three years where he excelled in leadership, which he brought to the program.
He was known by his superiors and comrades for his dependability. Nick earned several awards while serving in ROTC and graduated in 1997 from Cabot High School.
Nick began his military career in May 2002, as an infantryman and earned the rank of specialist. Nick was assigned to 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division in Fort Lewis, Wash., where he took computer training and then taught others.
He trained and became a sniper before his deployment to Mosul, Iraq. While in Mosul, Nick worked in the operations section of the 1st Battalion 24th Infantry Headquarters, drove, and operated computers for the battalion commander. He then moved to a job out on the line with Bravo Company.
Nick was a member of First Assembly of God in Jacksonville. Nick was an exceptional person.
He demonstrated outstanding performance as a soldier and as an individual while employed in numerous capacities in the military and civilian life, earning the confidence of his leadership and peers. He was the epitome of an infantryman, earning numerous awards and badges, including the Bronze Star and Purple Heart awarded posthumously, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (Iraq), the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (Iraq), Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge and Sniper Distinction.
Funeral services were held Monday at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Cabot with Rev. Terry Fortner, Pastor Royce Lowe and Nick’s former youth pastor Dale Dahl officiating. Interment will be in Sumner Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, make memorials to the Nick Sayles R.O.T.C. Scholarship Fund at Twin City Bank or Community Bank.
RUTH WILSON
Ruth Nixon Wilson, 86, of Jacksonville passed away Sunday, June 5 at her home.
She was born Feb. 25, 1919 in Little Rock to Hugh and Cora Mae McNair Nixon.
After graduating from Little Rock High School in 1937, she attended Southwestern (now Rhodes) College in Memphis.
She transferred to the Univer-sity of Arkansas where she graduated in 1941 with a degree in romance languages.
She was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. She was elected to the honorary academic fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa.
In February of 1942, she married Pat Wilson and soon began her career as a loving housewife and mother.
Mrs. Wilson was a faithful member of First Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville where she served over 30 years as the church organist. Over the years, she contributed her time and talents to the school PTA’s, various church committees and “circle” groups and Little Rock Air Force Base Officers Wives Club. Mrs. Wilson was a charter member of the Rebsamen Hospital Auxiliary.
During the 1960’s, Mrs. Wilson and several of her friends began an informal needlepoint and cross stitch group referred to as the “Needlenuts.”
They traveled nationally and internationally together, met for lunch, swapped recipes, and created many beautiful cross stitch pieces that they shared with family and friends. Mrs. Wilson was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Pat Wilson, on January 2, 2002; her parents; a brother, Dr. Ewing Nixon and a sister, Mae Kathryn Nixon.
She is survived by her three children, Mike Wilson of Jacksonville, Kathy Roberts of Little Rock, Larry Wilson of Jacksonville; nine grandchildren, Kenneth Wilson, Jan Williams, Liza Wilson, Mary Kathryn Williams, Scott Williams, Patrick Wilson, Matt Wilson, Corrie Gladstein and Mark Wilson; five great-grandchildren, Sullivan Williams, Jack and Emily Wilson, Caroline and Joe Gladstein.
Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church with Dr. David Dyer officiating. Interment will follow at Bayou Meto Cemetery in Jacksonville.
Her grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the First Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, the Esther DeWitt Nixon Library in Jacksonville or a charity of the choice of the donor.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
THURMAN GARNER
Thurman L. “Dub” Garner, 77, of Jacksonville passed away on Sunday, June 5. He was a cowboy and a Mason.
He is survived by three sons, Bobby L. Garner and his wife Cheryl of North Little Rock, Michael T. Garner of Jacksonville, and Joel C. Garner of Cabot; one brother, Bobby R. Garner of Jacksonville; one sister, Fae Jones of Jacksonville; four grandchildren, Jason C., Zeblin, and Justin Garner and Jodi Haggard; and two great-grandchildren, Bry-son and Zoe Garner. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, A.O. Garner, and his wife, Rachel Garner.
Funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at North Little Rock Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Rest Hills Memorial Park.
Family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at North Little Rock Funeral Home.
Lawrence Henry
LAWRENCE HENRY
Lawrence Gerald Henry, 17, of Romance, passed away May 26.
He was born April 11, 1988 in Little Rock to Glen and Brenda Carol Morgan Honey. He attended Cabot schools where he played baseball and football in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades. He loved to hunt, fish and cook.
He was preceded in death by his great-grandparents, Joseph and Jewell Higgins and Charles and Ethel Morgan. Lawrence is survived by his parents, a sister, Brittany Henry of Ward and a half-brother, Aaron Henry of Cabot.
His grandparents, Diana and Billy Ray Ashley of Jacksonville and Roy and Velta Morgan of Quitman survive him as well as an aunt, Patricia Lockridge; cousins Erica McDermont of Kansas, Monica Jenson of Jacksonville and J.J. Lockridge of Jacksonville and a special friend, Rachael Herrin.
Funeral services were held May 31 at Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home chapel with interment in H&H Family Cemetery in Romance.
Arrangements by Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home.
JAMES RAMBO
James Curtis Rambo, 54, of Lonoke, died Saturday, June 4.
Survivors are his children, Curtis Edward Rambo and Tiffany Nicole Rambo of Pine Bluff, Cristi Dulaney of Florida; sisters, Janice and husband Grant Goff of Beebe, Diane Williamson and Mary and husband Chris Vines of Lonoke. He was preceded in death by parents, Mary V. and Curtis L. Rambo and grandparents, Ollie L. and J.D. Shackael. Cremation arrangements are by Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe.
Arrangements were made through Huson Funeral Home in Sherwood.
