The following obits appeared in the SW Times today: STILLWATER, Okla. - Ruby LaFave, 83, of Stillwater, Okla., formerly of Stigler, died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2000, in Stillwater. She was the widow of Charles LaFave and a Baptist.Funeral will be 2 p.m. Saturday in Mallory Funeral Home Chapel in Stigler with burial at Garland Cemetery in Stigler.She is survived by two daughters, Ann Helen Hahn of Norman, Okla., and Phyllis Jean Baird of Stillwater; two sons, Charles Leon LaFave III of National City, Calif., and Ronald Jerry LaFave of Stillwater; one sister, Ola Cooper of Sun City, Ariz.; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Myrtle Katherine Beckham, 97, of Van Buren died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2000, in her home. She was a former employee of the original Haven of Rest Nursing Home in Van Buren and a homemaker. She was a member of Antioch Baptist Church and the widow of Lester Lee Beckham.Graveside service will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Hight Cemetery in Franklin County under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Van Buren.She is survived by three daughters, Joyce Fortner of Fort Smith, Irene Gordon of Van Buren and Louise Harvell of Metcalfe, Ga.; two sons, Lester of Van Buren and Dayle of Fort Smith; one sister, Emma Blasingame of Mulberry; one brother, Joe Belt of Van Buren; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren. WALDRON - Atha Mae Starr, 85 of Waldron died Tuesday Aug. 29, 2000, in Blacksburg, Va. She was a homemaker. Funeral will be 10 a.m. Saturday in Martin Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron with burial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Waldron.She is survived by her husband, Baxter; one son, Doyle Wayne Starr of Alexander; one sister, Clarie House of Waldron; three brothers, Arthur, Ralph, and Junior Barnett, all of Waldron; four grandchildren, Jerry Michael and Randy Kopf, both of Blacksburg, Debra Sue McClendon of Hot Springs and Tammy Trout of Marietta, Ga.; and two great-grandchildren. MENA - Jake Felton Mullins, 87, of Mena died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000, in a Fort Smith hospital. He was a Navy veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific. He was a carpenter, a Methodist and the widower of Verla Mills. The body was cremated under the direction of Hall Funeral Service of Mena.He is survived by two daughters, Brenda Lynch of Mena and Jannell Mullins of Montesano, Wash.; one sister-in-law, Celeste Mullins of Houston; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. MENA - Jimmy Houston Smith, 62, of Mena died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2000, at his home. He served in the Army and was retired from Southwest Arkansas Poultry. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Cove.Funeral will be 10 .m. Saturday in Beasley-Wood Funeral Home Chapel with burial at Gann Cemetery in Potter.He is survived by one brother, Bob Smith of Mena; one sister-in-law, Connie Burns of Mena; one nephew, Bobby Smith of Springdale; one niece, Shawna Reed of Anchorage, Alaska; and his step-mother, Bessie Smith of Cove. MULBERRY - Wayne Thomas Weatherl, 84, of Mulberry died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2000, in a local hospital. He was an Army veteran of World War II, retired from Mulberry Lumber Co. and a member of the Pentecostal Church in Mulberry. Funeral will be 2 p.m. Saturday in Ocker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Van Buren with burial at New Cemetery in Mulberry.He is survived by his wife, Myrtle; one daughter, Rose Hopson of Van Buren; three step-daughters, Barbara Carter and Carol Jackson, both of Alma, and Mary Stephens of Mulberry; four sons, Wayne T. Weatherl Jr. and Robert Weatherl, both of Montclair, Calif., James Weatherl of Reno Valley, Calif., and Bill Weatherl of Wilton, Calif.; four step-sons, Albert, Homer, Johnny and Frank Reeves, all of Mulberry; one sister, Gladys Syverson of Washington; two brothers, Harold of Mulberry and Herbert of Washington; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Bill E. Ferguson, 54, of Fort Smith died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000, in Fort Smith. He retired as western sales manager from Baldor Electric Co. after 26 years. He was past president of the Fort Smith Jaycees. He was a member and Sunday school director of Grand Avenue Baptist Church.Funeral will be 10 a.m. Tuesday in Grand Avenue Baptist Church with burial at U.S. National Cemetery in Fort Smith under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home of Fort Smith.He is survived by his wife, Nancy; two daughters, Aimee Ferguson of Fort Smith and Kristen Ferguson of Shawnee, Okla.; two sisters, Sharon Morrison of Uniontown and Selma Mattox of Van Buren; two brothers, Johnny Ferguson of Mulberry and Roy Ferguson Jr. of Van Buren; and one grandson, Kevin White, Jr. of Fort Smith. TOPEKA, Kan. - Robert D. "Whizzo" Blankenship, 51, of Topeka, Kan., died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2000, in Topeka. He was a truck driver, a member of the Teamsters Union of Topeka, and a member of Haven Heights Church in Fort Smith.Graveside service and interment will be 10 a.m. today at Meridan Cemetery under the direction of Davidson Funeral Home in Topeka.He is survived by one daughter, Rachel A. Mercer of Topeka; four sons, Jason, Jirad, Jeffrey and Jamie, all of Alma; one brother, Tom of Maple Hill, Kan.; and four grandsons. SALLISAW - JoAnn Meredith Bates, 66, of Sallisaw died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000, in Sallisaw. She was a homemaker, a truck driver with her husband, and a Methodist. She was the widow of Louis Holland Bates.Graveside service will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Brushy Cemetery, north of Sallisaw, under the direction of Agent Funeral Home of Sallisaw.She is survived by one daughter, Holly Condit of Sallisaw; one son, Dale of Sallisaw; six sisters, Bea and Jeanie, both of Louisiana, Sue and Ruby, both of Mississippi, Margaret of California and Larice of Australia; two brothers, Larry of California and Monroe of California; two grandchildren, Thomas Jeremy Dale Condit of Sallisaw, and Jeffrey B.K. Condit of California; and two great-grandchildren. CHECOTAH, Okla. - Michael Lloyd Frayne, 23, of Checotah, Okla., formerly of Fort Smith, died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000, in Stigler. He was a mobile home mover.Funeral will be 10 a.m. today at First Assembly of God in Panama with burial at Fairview Cemetery in Panama under the direction of Evans and Miller Funeral Home of Poteau.He is survived by his parents, Donald and Tambrey Frayne of Checotah; two sisters, Amie Wilson of Panama and Tamara Frayne of Checotah; two brothers, Gordon and Lloyd, both of Checotah; maternal grandparents, Lloyd and Loretta Hale of Panama; and paternal grandparents, Sandra and Peter Johansen of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Carolyn (Parsons) Smedley angelears@alltel.net "Angelears are EARS that listen....and then hears the person's soul...." ====================== Surnames: CLARK, DEHART, ESLINGER, HERYFORD MINCHER, PARSONS, SMEDLEY, TAYLOR, GOODNIGHT, RICKARD, FRANCISCO. ============================================= Volunteer for Rootsweb, Sebastian Obituaries, Obituary Daily Times. ================================================== http://www.geocities.com/angelears1/ ================================================== =============================================