Melvin J. "Pete" Towell; Elvia Carlene "Tootsie" Towell; Mathew Thomas Towell - Monette

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Joint funeral services for Mr. and Mrs. Melvin J. "Pete" Towell and their grandson, Mathew Thomas Towell, all of Monette, were held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Leachville First Baptist Church. Rev. Roger Haney officiated and burial was in Macey Cemetery under the direction of Howard Funeral service of Leachville. The three died from injuries from an automobile accident near Monette on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

Melvin J. "Pete" Towell

Mr. Towell, 67, of Monette died Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005, at The Regional Medical Center in Memphis. Born at Heber Springs, he was the son of the late Lorie and Ella Dill Towell and was a lifelong Leachville-Monette area. He was a retired farmer and member of the Leachville First Baptist Church.

He is survived by a son, Jeff Towell of Monette; a daughter, Sandra Towell Clark of Monette; four brothers, Earl Towell of Leachville, Bennie Towell of Monette, Ronnie Towell of Paragould and Calvin Towell of Warms Springs; a sister, Jeanette Lechner of St. Louis; five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Mr. Towell was preceded in death by his grandson, T.J. Mathis.

Elvie Carlene "Tootsie" Towell

Mrs. Towell, 66, of Monette, was born at Leachville, the daughter of the late Filo Thomas. She was a lifelong Leachville-Monette resident. She was retired from Buffalo Island Schools and was a member of the Leachville First Baptist Church.

She is survived by a son, Jeff Towell of Monette; a daughter, Sandra Towell Clark of Monette: her mother, Cordie Dow, and stepfather, Burl Dow of Leachville; 11 brothers, Jack Thomas of Mountain Home, Shot Thomas, Pewee Thomas, Jeep Thomas and Johnny Thomas, all of Leachville, Bo Thomas of Oxford, Bill Thomas, Danny Thomas, Dean Thomas and Harvey Thomas, all of Shirley, Tony Thomas of Concord; five sisters, Mary Ervin of Catron, Mo., Sara "Bug" Woodard of Alma, Linda Pendergrass of Monette, Debby Pemberton and Joanie Cantrell, both of Leachville; five grandchildren; a great-grandchild; a stepbrother, Albert Dow of Berryville; and two stepsisters, Mary Masters of Heartsville, N.C., and Marylon Sevier of Clinton.

Mrs. Towell was preceded in death by a grandson, T.J. Mathis.

Mathew Thomas Towell

Mathew Thomas Towell, 14, of Monette was born at Jonesboro. He was a former Carlisle resident and had lived in Monette for the past six months. He was an eighth grade student at Buffalo Island Central Junior High School and was a member of the Leachville First Baptist Church.

He is survived by his father, Jeff Towell of Monette; mother, Sheri Towell of Hot Springs; a brother, Nick Towell of Monette; sister, Elizabeth Simerley of Carlisle; maternal grandparents, Robert and Erselle Hiemstra of Hot Springs; aunt Roxanne Couch of Hot Springs, and nephew Dane Simerley of Carlisle.