Stories from Tuesday, July 21, 2020

During Monday’s COVID-19 press conference, Blytheville Fire Chief Mike Carney announced that a member of the department tested positive for COVID-19. “I recently had a member of our department test positive for the virus. As a result of that I have seven others in quarantine awaiting their test results,” said Carney...

Bertha R. Boyd of Kennett, Mo., was born July 7, 1967, to Venice Thomas Johnson and Bertha Lee Halliburton in Hayti, Mo. She departed this life on Thursday, July 17, 2020, at Pemiscot Memorial Hospital in Hayti, Mo., at the age of 53. A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, July 24, at Wolfe Brothers Funeral Home and Cremation at 634 W. Main Street Blytheville...

Mamie Lou Herron, 58, of Luxora, died July 16, 2020 at her home. She was a homemaker. Ms. Herron was born July 1, 1962 in Luxora to Robert and Kitty Stultz Smith. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Christopher Herron. She is survived by two daughters, Olivia (David) Dees and Silvia Herron of Luxora; five brothers, Lucky Smith of Wilson, Rusty Smith of Bernie, Mo., Roger Smith of Osceola, Eddie Jones of Luxora and Billy Smith, Jr. ...

Dorothy Ann Hosley was born April 01, 1944, in Wilson to the late Thomas Branch and Scott Anna Branch. She departed this life on Friday, July 17, 2020, at NEA Hospital in Jonesboro at the age of 76. She was preceded in death by her parents. She leaves to cherish her memories three daughters, Annette Yankaway of Osceola, Lucy Bird of Blytheville and Stephanie Perkins of Pine Bluff; two sons, Phillip Yankaway of Las Vegas, Nev., and Isaac L. ...

John Franz Kaulfurst, 83, of Blytheville, passed away Thursday, July 16, 2020, surrounded by love ones at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro. John was born in Manistique, Mich., to Joseph and Eliza Dorin Kaulfuerst. He served his country with honor for 23 years in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. ...

Rachel “Doe” Poulson of Bay departed this life Thursday, July 16, 2020, at Lakeside Nursing Center in Lake City at the age of 80 years, 7 months and 5 days. She was born Monday, Dec. 11, 1939, in Carthage, Mo., and lived in the Bay area for several years and was formerly of Ceres, Calif. ...

Ella “Louise” Coleman Real was born Oct. 3, 1929, in Blytheville to the late Richard Coleman and Annie Merriweather. She was a retired environmental service worker and a member of God’s Holy Temple & Churches. Mrs. Louise passed away on July 13, 2020, at Baptist Memorial Hospital - DeSoto in Southaven, Miss...

Terrence Torrell Spinks was born April 13, 1985, in Blytheville to the late Danny Johnson Sr. and Jamie Spinks Brown. He departed his life on Saturday, July 18, 2020, at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., at the age of 35. He was preceded in death by his parents, Danny Johnson Sr. and Jamie Spinks Brown; his grandmother, Aretha Kimble; and two brothers, Tristen Johnson and Deandre Love...

Kenneth Leon Thompson, 85, of Manila, passed from this life Thursday, July 16, 2020, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. Born in Leachville, he was the son of the late Rev. Lester and Brilla Croom Thompson and had been a Manila resident since 1982. ...

Thresa Ann Bennett Gill of West Memphis passed peacefully into Heaven at the age of 85 on July 10, 2020. She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Robert Earl Gill of the home; daughter, Valorie Gill Wilson (husband Rick) of Munford, Tenn.; son, Robert Earl Gill II (wife Marie) of Bartlett, Tenn.; grandson, Robert Earl Gill III, of West Memphis; granddaughters Sonja Maria Wilson of Brentwood, Tenn., and Stella Marie Gill of Bartlett, Tenn.; sister, Evalene Bennett Tarlton of Jonesboro; a host of beloved cousins, nieces and nephews and an honorary family member, Mats Liljestam of Hollviken, Sweden. ...

Charles Steven Williams Sr. was born May 10, 1968, in Blytheville to Charles Williams and Frankie Williams. He departed this life on Sunday, July 19, 2020, at his home in Blytheville at the age of 52. He was preceded in death by his father. Charles leaves to cherish his memories, his fiancee, Keyaun Robinson-Williams of Blytheville; his mother, Frankie Williams of Blytheville; six sons, Conrad Jackson and Terrick, Lewis both of Osceola, Dominic Claybrooks and Charles Williams Jr., both of Jonesboro, Antonio Dunbar Johnson of Dallas, Texas, and Scaraydreon Hopkins of Blytheville; six daughters, Bianca Willis, Skadazah Hopkins, Lexus Moses, Macaijah Williams and Nakyjah Robinson, all of Blytheville, and O’Shanique Banister of Dallas, Texas; two sisters, Shalonda Williams of Jonesboro and Jennifer Williams of Blytheville; three brothers, Isaac Williams of Blytheville, Cornelius Williams of Phoenix, Ariz., and Rod Spencer of Georgia; and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.. ...

Terry Lynn Ballard, M.D., 84, of Brevard, N.C., formerly of Manila, passed from this life Saturday, July 18, 2020, at his home. Born in Manila, he was the son of the late Perry Gilford "Pete" and Maude Dudley Ballard. Terry's lifetime of grace and service extended well beyond the Orlando, Fla., operating rooms where as a trauma surgeon he saved countless lives and repaired others. Grateful patients without means were permitted payment plans of just a few dollars a month, while the true costs were written off as losses. Oftentimes those dollars were offered with handmade gifts that Terry brought home to show his children as lessons in the value of effort, dignity and appreciation. Terry's years of service to Native American hospitals throughout the Southwest as a volunteer physician resulted in a life-long passion for tribal history and culture; personal gifts of traditional handcrafted weavings and dreamcatchers that hang on the walls of his Connestee Falls home; and an adored dog gifted by the Sioux, "Lakota."  As his final act of service, Terry bravely enrolled in a research program at Duke University to treat the cancer that he battled for 24 years. While complications proved too much to overcome, Terry died cancer-free and his experience will help refine the treatment for others.. ...