April 30, 2013
Dear Family and Friends,
First and foremost, we would like to thank each of you for your generous contributions to Walnut Grove Cemetery. We could not maintain our beautiful grounds without your continued support. As we begin our fund drive for the maintenance of the cemetery, we ask that you join us in this endeavor. Please make your donation to the Walnut Grove Cemetery Association, c/o Janice Mitchell, 1464 Welcome Home Rd, Hector, AR 72843 or to any other board member listed on the back of this letter.
Your donations have made the following improvements possible during the past year: (1) We are enjoying the beautiful Memorial Bridge which now displays 36 memorial plaques. We continue to offer memorial plaques for a $100 donation. We have also added landscaping around the Memorial Bridge. (2) We have widened the entrance to the sections on the hill for easier access. (3) We have covered the second cattle guard at the South East entrance to allow better walking access between sections. (4) We have a new drainage system at the South West entrance with an added cattle guard donated by Gary Rowlands. (5) We have had several trees trimmed on cemetery grounds. (6) We have added a designated parking area that is centrally located. (7) We have started cleanup work in the South East corner of the cemetery for future development. (8) We have purchased US Flags to honor our veterans. These flags will be placed on their graves each Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day. (9) We are in the process of placing a new cemetery sign on Walnut Grove Road near the cemetery entrance. This should be in place by Memorial Day. Thanks for making these improvements possible!
We appreciate all of you who have placed markers on your reserved plots in the cemetery. We continue to ask that all reserved plots be marked according to our guidelines. .
The James Coffman crew continues to mow the cemetery grounds and weed around the gravestones during the growing season. Thanks to our families who keep the gravestones looking good and the actual graves clean and decorated. We appreciate those who helped us remove flowers and other items from the graves to make the crew’s job easier.
We would like for you to check out our website at www.walnutgrovecemeteryofhector.org. Randal Crouch has done an excellent job of maintaining our website. There you can find a grave by name or by cemetery section and also see a picture of the headstone. On our website you can find our guidelines, many interesting facts about the cemetery and pictures of cemetery visitors. There is contact information for you to submit notes and information about your family history. It is an awesome website! We are also on face book.
The cemetery workday is scheduled for May 18 and the Decoration will be on May 26. The program begins at 1:30 with special singing, family talks, a devotional speaker, and a short business meeting. This year we will honor members of the Story family and hear about their contributions to this community. Among the speakers will be Aaron Duvall, Shelia Churchill, Mary Jane Tontz and Rachel Swekosky who will share stories about Melvin Story, Odie T. Story, Elbert Story and others. Our devotional speaker will be another member of the Story family, Rev. Darwin Barnhouse.
Our Maintenance Fund balance from April 15, 2012 was $3,313.04 and our Maintenance Fund balance as of April 15, 2013 is $5,143.73. A detailed financial report and a copy of our cemetery guidelines will be available upon request at the Decoration. A full disclosure of outstanding debts in excess of 6 months old can be found on the back of this letter.
Thanks again for helping us keep Walnut Grove Cemetery a beautiful resting place for our loved ones. The names of those buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery from May 30, 2012—April 30, 2013 are found on the back of this letter along with a list of the officers of Walnut Grove Cemetery Association. Please feel free to contact any of our board members with your concerns or comments.
WALNUT GROVE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
WGC May 30, 2012 to April 15, 2013
IN MEMORY OF
Glen Dale Hays August 7, 1936—July 4, 2012
Ervin Webb June 15, 1956—July 8, 2012
Martha Louella (Helton) Parton July 20, 1913—July 18, 2012
Angela Lauraine (Laymon) Harshburger Davis October 6, 1976—August 13, 2012
John Thomas Dare November 8, 1932—August 20, 2012
Dolen R. Renfro December 15, 1919—September 8, 2012
Colleen Fay (Smith) Price February 24, 1939—September 16, 2012
Salene (Yancey) Teague Hollabaugh September 1, 1961—September 18, 2012
Braxton Lee Huffman September 26, 2012—September 26, 2012
Ricky Roland Latham November 24, 1953—November 12, 2012
Troy L. Kimbrell January 17, 1919—January 16, 2013
Bobby Eugene Arthur February 9, 1934—January 30, 2013
Erma Hazel (Pack) Walker March 18, 1911—February 10, 2013
Blanch Christine (Smart) Hamilton December 22, 1930—March 5, 2013
Amanda Leigh (Parrish) White June 7, 1967—April 3, 2013
Disclosure of Outstanding Debts in excess of 6 months old
3-15-11 Cemetery fee for Anna Maude Tripp $200
c/o Shirley Hollabaugh
5-22-11 Reserved plots Nelda Owens $850
2-28-12 Cemetery fee for Judy Paxton $200
c/o Kathleen Paxton
9-9-12 Cemetery fee for Dolen Renfro $200
c/o David Renfro
9-26-12 Cemetery fee for Braxton Huffman $100
c/o Matt Huffman
WALNUT GROVE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
BOARD MEMBERS
Randell Williams Rickey Pruitt Brenda (Coffman) Housley
Chairman Vice Chairman/Treas Secretary
235 Billy Gray Road 38 Oak Street 4123 Pine Street
Atkins, AR 72823 Hector, AR 72843 Hector, AR 72843
PH: 479 284 2238 PH: 479 284 4221 PH: 479 284 3833
479 858 8232 479 223 1120 479 858 1291
Jamie Churchill Janice (Coffman) Mitchell Randal Crouch
60 Lorna Lane 1464 Welcome Home Rd 615 Gloria Lane
Dover, AR 72837 Hector, AR 72843 Clarksville, AR 72830
PH: 479 970 7244 479 284 3084 479 747 7058
479 223 0516
What’s been going on at Walnut Grove?
We are enjoying the beautifully landscaped
Memorial Bridge which now displays 38 plaques.
Additional plaques are available for $100
donation.
The entrance to the sections on the hill has been
widened for easier access.
The 2nd cattle guard at the SE entrance has been
covered for easier walking between sections.
A new drainage system is in place at the SW
entrance with an added cattle guard donated
by Gary Rowlands.
Several trees have been trimmed on the cemetery
grounds.
A centrally located parking area has been added.
Clean up work has begun on the SE corner for
future development.
Flags have been purchased to place on all veteran
graves each Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
The arched Walnut Grove Cemetery sign at the
main entrance has been refurbished.
A new cemetery sign has been placed on Walnut
Grove Road near the cemetery entrances.
Program
Welcome and Prayer
Opening song “I’ll Fly Away”
Special tribute to STORY families
Just to name a few: Melvin Story, O.T. Story, Henry Story-operated Peterman tower, Elbert Story-teacher and former Walnut Grove Cemetery board member, and Olus Story-great fiddle player and Forest Service surveyor. We will hear from some of these families later in the program. All Story relatives-Stand.
Song by Jessie and Edra Coffman Cossey
Introduction of Board Members
Cemetery improvements and Reminders
Song by the Hill Family (related to Story family)
Family Talks: Melvin Story-Aaron Duvall
O.T. Story-Shelia Churchill
Elbert Story-Mary Jane Tontz
Euel Story-Rachel Swekosky
Speaker: Darwin Barnhouse (Story family)
Memorials and Business-Randell Williams
“Beulah Land” by Rick Pruitt
SPEAKERS:
Aaron Duvall
Parents: Floyd Duvall and Inez Story
Grandparents: Walter Duvall and Cordie Venable
O.T. Story and Hautie Hill
Great Grandparents: Melvin Story and Martha Clant
Aaron lives in Russellville and he is the Pope County Sheriff.
Aaron will speak mainly about Melvin Story.
Shelia Churchill
Parents: R. L. Churchill and Oweita Taylor
Grandparents:John Jefferson Churchill & Josephine Coffman
Ulas Taylor and Ayleen Story
Great Grandparents: O.T. Story and Hautie Hill
Shelia lives in Ozark and teaches at Coal Hill High School.
Shelia will speak mainly about O.T. Story.
Mary Jane Epperson Tontz
Parents: Loy Henderson Epperson and Gladys Story
Grandparents: C. Elbert Story and Eliza Jane Churchill
Great Grandparents: John Story and Margaret Webb
Mary Jane lives in Guthrie, Oklahoma. She will speak
mainly about Gladys Story Epperson and Elbert Story.
Rachel Story Swekosky
Parents: Euel Littleton Story and Maud Smith
Grandparents: C. Elbert Story and Eliza Jane Churchill
Great Grandparents: John Story and Margaret Webb
Rachel lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Rachel will speak mainly about Euel Story, C.Elbert Story and John Story.
Rev. Darwin Barnhouse
Parents: Royce Herbert Barnhouse and Jabonia Tate
Grandparents: Loren Barnhouse and Ethel Pack
Virgil Otto Tate and Roxie Verta Mae Story
Great Grandparents: O.T. Story and Beulah Leach
Darwin lives in Appleton and is pastor at Evans Mountain.
Darwin will give the devotional message.
