OBITUARIES

PEA RIDGE — Flossie Mae Branscum

Mae Branscum, 89, died Nov. 22. She was a longtime resident of Bentonville,Ark. She was born June 5, 1921, in Alco, Ark., to Dessie Fletcher Passmore and Andrew Passmore.

She has eight siblings whom she helped raise.

In her youth, she had a job delivering the mail by horseback. Over the years, she worked hard at several companies. She was a homemaker, mostly a devoted loving mother and wife. She was an excellent cook - especially her hot buttermilk biscuits and cocoa. She enjoyed quilting and sewing. She loved working in her garden.

She was an excellent deer hunter.

She loved to sing while her husband, Earl, picked his guitar. She was a loving and giving woman.

She was a 50-year member of the Eastern Star. She served for many years at the Benton County Fair.

She was a devoted Razorback fan. She was an early member of First Baptist Church, Bentonville, and was active for many years.

She was a present member of Bethel Baptist, Bentonville.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Earl Branscum; a sister, Walsie Ward; brothers, Carroll, Ben, Grover and Jessie Passmore; and granddaughter, Tandee Michelle Mather.

Survivors include her sister, Pauline Tomlinson and her husband, Jim, of Pekin, Illinois; brothers, Lindsey Passmore and his wife, Louise, of Brady, Texas, and Lester Passmore and his wife, Delpha, of Onid, Ark.; a son, Cleveland Earl Branscum and his wife, Barbara, of Belleair, Fla.; a daughter, Emma “Ellen” Mather of Pea Ridge, Ark.; two grandchildren, Gegatie Dale Mather and Jan Mather Hutson and her husband, Dale Hutson, of Pea Ridge, Ark.; three great-grandchildren, Tandel Griesenauer and her husband, Sean, and Keiffer and Bailee Hutson; a greatgreatgrandson, Maddux Griesenauer; and many nieces and nephews ..

The family thanks the wonderful, caring staff at the Bradford House, who took excellent care of “their Mae-Mae.”

Visitation was from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26 at Rollins Chapel.

Funeral services were at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, at Bethel Baptist Church with brother Mike McEuen officiating.

Interment followed at Benton County MemorialPark in Rogers, Ark.

Arrangements were under the care and direction of Rollins Funeral Home John Lee England

John Lee England, 50, of Pea Ridge, died Wednesday, Nov. 24, at his home.

He was born Sept.

7, 1960, at Claremore, Okla., to John England and Jewel Stevenson England.

He was employed for many years as an operations manager for Ro-Tech Medical Supply in Springdale. He enjoyed watching football and basketball and being with his grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his father and two grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret England, of the home; his mother, Jewel England, of Springdale; two daughters, Amanda Watson and her husband, Steven, of Huntsville, and Theresa Blocker and her husband, Dan, of Springdale; three brothers, Robert Lemons of Lowell, Larry Briggs of Springdale and Martin Lemons of California; and five grandchildren.

Cremation arrangements were by Sisco Funeral Home of Pea Ridge.

A memorial service is set for 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, at First Baptist Church in Pea Ridge with associate pastor Michael Smith officiating.

A reception will follow at the church.

Online condolences may be made at siscofuneralhome.net Lawrence L. (L.L.) Parsons

Lawrence L. (L.L.) Parsons, 87, of Pea Ridge, died Wednesday, Nov. 24 at hishome. He was born Sept. 26, 1923, at Sylvester, Texas, to George Mervin Parsons and KrystaBrown Parsons.

He married Zelma Jones on Aug. 1, 1944, in Sweetwater, Texas, while serving in the Army Air Force during WWII. He had been stationed in England. After leaving the service, he farmed and worked at the Cosden plant in Hawley, Texas, before moving to Odessa in 1958 to work for El Paso Products as a lab supervisor were he retired in 1983.

He moved to Pea Ridge in 2004 from Odessa, where he lived for 46 years. He was a Christian and a member of Sherwood Baptist Church in Odessa until moving to Arkansas wherehe joined First Baptist Church in Pea Ridge.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, C.G. and L.E.

Parsons, and two sisters, Syble Brown and Nyta Ree Bagwell.

Survivors include his wife, Zelma of the home;

three daughters, Judy Schmid of Sugar Land, Texas , Kittye and Stan Krempin of Austin, Texas and Annette and Charlie Long of Bentonville; six grandchildren, Melissa Trout, Jason and Jon Schmid, Marcus Krempin, Krysta and Loren Long; and eight great-grandchildren.

Service is set for 11 a.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 1 at Starbuck Funeral Home in Merkel, Texas, with the Rev. T.C. Melton officiating.

Burial will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Merkel.

Local arrangements are by Sisco Funeral Home in Pea Ridge.

The family thanks Jessie Gieselman and the staff at Circle of Life Hospice for their care and support.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The National WWII Museum 945, Magazine Street, New Orleans, La. 70130.

Online condolences may be made at siscofuneralhome .net.

Jo Ann Sorrell

Jo Ann Sorrell, 72, of Pea Ridge, died Sunday, Nov.

28, at her home. She wasborn July 28, 1938, at Charleston, Illinois, to Hubert Lloyd Tinsman and Julia Belle Walker Tinsman.

She married Leon Sorrell, April 4, 1958, at Farmland, Indiana, and moved to Pea Ridge in July of 1980 to make her home. She retired from Tyson Foods where she was a Health and Death Insurance Benefits Coordinator.

She was a member of the Pea Ridge High School Scholarship Committee for 18 years, and a member of the Pea Ridge Booster Club. She attended the Church of God. She enjoyed reading, knitting, crocheting, cooking, and her family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Bob Tinsman;

one sister, Beverly Atnip;

and two granddaughters, Angela Denise Sorrell and Jennifer Sorrell.

Survivors include her husband, Leon Sorrel of the home; five sons, Darrell Sorrell and Tammy of Modoc, Indiana, Randy Sorrell and Tammy, Ben Sorrell and Jeanie all of Galena, Mo., Kern Sorrell and Sherri of Neosho, Mo., Rusty Sorrell and Melody of Pea Ridge; two daughters, Donna Whitted andErbie of Pea Ridge, and Julia Ferguson and Steven of Garfield; four brothers, Jerry Tinsman, John Tinsman and Joseph Tinsman all of Farmland, Indiana, Hubert Tinsman Jr. of Venezula; 25 grandchildren; and 11 greatgrandchildren.

Visitation is set for 5 - 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, at First Baptist Church in Pea Ridge.

Graveside service is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Pea Ridge Cemetery under the direction of Sisco Funeral Home of Pea Ridge.

Online condolences may be made at siscofuneralhome.net Barbara Jean Sterling

Barbara Jean (Wade) Sterling, 75, died Monday, Nov. 22, in her home inBixby, Okla. She was born May 15, 1935, in Bentonville, Ark., to Ralph and Ruth Townzen Wade.

She moved to Bixby, Okla., from Rogers in January 2007. She worked for several banks in the Rogers and Springdale area in Mortgage Financing for 30 years. She was known to many as “Momma Mortgage.”

She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Bill Wade; and her husband Dr. J. E. (Joe) Sterling.

They were married Jan.

19, 1974, and he passed away April 28, 1999.

She will be missed by the ones who knew her as a boss, a friend, a wife, a mother, a sister, a grandmother and “Gigi” to her great-grandchildren.

Survivors include herchildren, John Cotrill and his wife, Terry, of Broken Arrow, Okla.; Vickie Marshall and her husband, John, and Pam Camper and her husband, John, all of Rogers; her siblings, Hilda Coffelt of Centerton; Russ Wade and his wife, Julia, of Pea Ridge; Deanna Dial and her husband, Mike, of Rogers; Ted Wade and his wife, Kathy, of Fayetteville;

grandchildren Michael Cotrill, Kari Rock, Greg Mills, Joey and Jonathan Marshall; five great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The memorial service was at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov.

30, 2010, with David Hadsell offciating.

Visitation followed at Benton County Funeral Home, 306 N. 4th, Rogers, AR 72756.

Private interment was in the Rogers Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in honor of her grandson Joey Marshall to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or Arkansas Children’s Hospital c/o funeral home.

Online condolences may be made at www.bentoncountyfuneralhome.com.

Harlan Dale Van Heel

Harlan Dale Van Heel, of Bentonville, Ark., died Friday, Nov. 26, 2010, at Circle of Life Hospice in Legacy Village.

He was born Aug. 10, 1936, in Maynard, Minn., to Herbert Van Heel and Hattie GaykenVan Heel.

He retired from the Minnesota Department of Transportation after 35 years of service. He graduated from Metropolitan State University and served 26 1 /2 years in the Army National Guard.

He loved to play golf and travel, and he sang with a barbershop quartet for more than 20 years.

Survivors include his wife, Janice Van Heel of Bentonville, Ark.; one son, David Van Heel of Somerset, Wis.; one daughter, Christine Sparks of Andover, Minn.; two stepsons, Michael Andreasen of Garfield, Ark., and David Andreasen of Boston, Mass.; one brother, Michael Van Heel;

one grandchild, Jennifer Van Heel; and one stepgrandson, Egan Andreasen.

Visitation was held from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Nov.

29, 2010, at the Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory, 2258 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista.

Burial will be held at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010, at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minn.

Memorials may be made to Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter, 7702 SW Regional Airport Dr., Bentonville, AR 72712 or Children’s Advocacy Group, 2113 Little Flock Drive, Rogers, AR 72756.

Online condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.