Stories from Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Billy Ray Webster, 82, of Manila, passed away Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Billy was born in Blytheville to Joe and Carmen Mosley Webster and was a retired pilot and factory worker. He enjoyed playing his guitar and shooting pool...

Joe Roy Harrell, 83, of Douglassville, Pa., passed away Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, at the Sanatoga Rehabilitation Center, in Pottstown, Pa. He passed away after a three-year fight with lung cancer and had his family by his side. Joe was born Sept. 11, 1939, in the Buck Donic Community, near Cardwell, Mo. ...

La’Darius Heard of Bono was born Jan. 12, 2001, in Blytheville to Terrance Heard and Lakesha Newbern Wiley. La’Darius departed this life Dec. 28, 2022, in Bono at the age of 21. La’Darius leaves to cherish his memories his mother, Lakesha (Lonnell) Wiley of Bono; father, Terrance (Erica) Heard; grandmothers, Louise Heard and Mayre Hackett; grandfather, Sylvester Heard, all of Blytheville; one sister, Bourna’e Cook of Bono; three brothers, Jaylen Heard of Jonesboro, Zecharius Wiley and Donnell Wiley, both of Bono; and a host of aunts, uncle, cousins, other family members and friends.. ...

Larry Higginbotham Jr., 52, of Tyronza, passed away Dec. 30, 2022, at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro. Mr. Higginbotham worked for NEATS out of Jonesboro and was of the Baptist faith. He was born July 7, 1970, in Forrest City to Larry Higginbotham Sr. and Janie Null Austin. He was preceded in death by his parents...

James Walter Lauderdale was born April 3, 1968, to the late James Henry Lauderdale and Olean Carter-Stewart in Osceola. James, 54, passed away Dec. 25, 2022, at his home. He was a retired security guard and a member of the Baptist faith. He was preceded in death by his parents, James Lauderdale and Olean Stewart; and one sister, Leslie Coleman...

Jerry Lee Marshall Sr. was born on April 21, 1958, to the late John D. Marshall and Mary Brittmon-Marshall in Osceola. He passed away Dec. 24, 2022, at Phil and Flo Hospice in Jonesboro. Mr. Marshall was a maintenance man at EOC in Blytheville. He was preceded in death by his parents, John D. Marshall and Mary Brittmon-Marshall; one brother, Lamont Marshall; two sisters, Senta Henry and Johnie Blossom...

James Arnold Platz, 73, of Lake City, passed from this life Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, at Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. Born in Lake City, he was the son of the late Ivan W. and Eva Osborne Platz and had been a lifelong resident of Lake City. ...

Gertrude Lynn Pugh, 60, passed away Dec. 25, 2022, at St. Bernards Hospital in Jonesboro. Gertrude was born Oct. 23, 1962, to the late Henderson Hamilton and Earline Dye in Earle. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her parents, Henderson Hamilton and Earline Dye; her husband, Charles Pugh; one son, Kenneth Reed...

Barbara Walker of Blytheville was born July 19, 1949, in Blytheville to the late Luther Taylor and Ethel Sanders. Barbara departed this life Dec. 27, 2022, her home at the age of 73. She was preceded in death by her parents. Barbara leaves to cherish her memories two sons, Rodney Walker of San Diego, Calif., and Prince Walker of Blytheville; eight sisters, Ann Marie Wheeler of Blytheville, Mary Catherine Dixon of Gosnell, Ora Lee Taylor of Memphis, Tenn., Alma Taylor and Kim Taylor, both Decatur, Ill., Kim Fluker of Detroit, Mich., Emma Stafford of Rancho, Cucamonga, Calif., and Marie Butler of Carbondale, Ill., one brother, Floyd Taylor of Decatur, Ill.; 16 grandchildren; a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.. ...

Barbara Mae Moore, 76, of Manila, passed from this life Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, at The Springs of Jonesboro. Born April 6, 1946, in Manila, she was the youngest of five children born to the late Jess and Opal Nelson Moore. Barbara was a 1964 graduate of Manila High School and was a retired employee of Milwaukee Tool Manufacturing Company in Blytheville and longtime member of Westside Baptist Church in Manila. ...

By Marcus McClain NEA TOWN COURIER The Blytheville city council will be entering the new year with a vacancy in Ward I. On Jan. 2, councilman John Mayberry shared his letter of resignation with the mayor’s office and fellow council members. “Blytheville is still home, I’ll still be around and I still love the people.” Mayberry told the Courier. “But as far as my political career goes, that will be it.”...

By SANDRA BRAND NEA Town Courier Editor Blytheville veteran Mayor James Sanders has been chosen as the recipient of the NEA Town Courier Headliner of the Year Award for the second time since its inception in 2008. Upon his retirement from official public service, the Town Courier honors Sanders for making more positive headlines this past year than any other citizen...