Grand marshals serve

PEA RIDGE — Grand marshals for the 60th anniversary of the Pea Ridge Community Fair have served the community for decades.

Stanley and Dorothy Williams and Jackie and Freida Crabtree were selected grand marshals of this year’s parade.

The Williams, of Garfield farm land in Pea Ridge. Stanley attended Glade School and graduated Rogers High School in 1954. Dorothy attended Garfield School and graduated Rogers High School in 1955 then earned a bachelor of science from Arkansas Tech University.

She taught physical education, kindergarten and third through sixth grades at Garfield and Northside elementary schools from 1960 to 1981.

Stanley worked for Kennametal before retiring in 1986.

A charter member of the Beta Alpha Sorority which sponsors the fair, Dorothy said she began the club in the early 1960s and the club took over sponsoring the fair in the early 1970s.

“We thought it was important to the people of Pea Ridge. It brings the community together,” she said. “There’s a lot of visiting going on. We try to have the music every night.”

Both Dorothy and Stanley believe in giving to their community and volunteer with the Garfield School. He is retired fromNortheast Benton County Volunteer Fire Department. She served on the Volunteer Ambulance Service of Northeast Benton County board of directors.

“We enjoy our community and like to support them. I think everybody ought to support their community. I’ve enjoyed working with Beta Alpha all these years,” Dorothy said, adding that Beta Alpha is recruiting new members.

Mayor Jackie Crabtree has served Pea Ridge as mayor for 16 years.

He and his wife Freida have been married for 37 years. He is originally from Bentonville and she is from Anderson, Mo., but they have lived in Pea Ridge for 34 years.

The family atmosphere is what Crabtree enjoys most about the fair.

“It’s like a big family reunion,” he said. “I like to go out there and visit and take some time to reconnect with acquaintances.”

Crabtree said the 60th anniversary of the fair really shows tradition the Pea Ridge community celebrates.

The Crabtrees have one son, Eric. He and wife Shelly of Springdale have two children, Mahala, 6, and Kaylea, 4.

“We go to the carnival, especially now with having grandkids we do more at the carnival,” he said, adding that once when the carnival broke down Mahala said if Jackie went to get his tools, she bet they could get it going again.