Willie Lee Birks

Willie Lee Birks was born March 26, 1941, in Haynes to the late Leroy Swanigan and the late Mae Willie Tolbert Swanigan. He was a factory worker and was of the Jehovah’s Witness faith. Mr. Birks passed away on May 1, 2019, at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville at the age of 78.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Leroy Swanigan and Mae Willie Tolbert Swanigan; one son, Willie Tucker; one daughter, Candy Shaw; and a brother, Leroy Swanigan.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Bell Birks of Blytheville; three sons, John (LaJuana) Burks of Memphis, Tenn., Derrick Anderson and Andrew Anderson, both of Blytheville; two stepsons, Eugene Williams and Steve Troop both of Blytheville; four daughters, Joyce (Dewey) Houston, Willie Mae Birks-Echols, Brenda (Jabez) Williams and Carolyn (Robert) Davis, all of Blytheville; two stepdaughters, Takara Nettles and Tiffany Nettles, both of Blytheville; six brothers, Johnny (Liz) Swanigan of Blytheville, Nathan (Deloris) Swanigan of Hughes, Jesse (Becky ) Swanigan, Eddie (Sandra) Swanigan, Jimmy (Cassandra) Swanigan and Herman (Crystal) Swanigan, all of St. Louis, Mo.; one sister, Mae Lee (Willie) Phillips of Forrest City; 30 grandchildren and a host of great- and great-great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Blytheville.