WESTSIDE — LaVerne Morrison

Esther “LaVerne” Morrison, 91, of Sulphur Springs, died Wednesday, August 15, 2012, at Circle of Life Hospice Home at Legacy Village in Bentonville.

She was born Sept. 19, 1920, in Catlin, Ill., to Oscar Keran and Bertha Corley. She married Thomas “Wayne” Morrison on March 11, 1939. She and her family moved to Arkansas in 1958. She worked for several years as a nurse’s aide and ward clerk at the old Gravette Hospital. She was a longstanding member of the Sulphur Springs Seventhday Adventist Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers and a sister; her son, Tommy; and husband, Wayne.

She is survived by seven children, Judi Kimball of Avoca, Tim Morrison of Aurora, Mo., Carol Lustig and Beverlie Wells of Sulphur Springs, Trent Morrison of Gravette and Troy Morrison of Pasco, Wash.; 21 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 2, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Spring Street in Sulphur Springs. Cremation arrangements were handled by Bella Vista Funeral Home and Crematory, Bella Vista.

Thomas Phippen

Thomas Washington Phippen, 91, of Gravette, died July 31, 2012, at Circle of Life Legacy Village in Bentonville.

He was born March 2, 1921, in Audubon County, Iowa, to Thomas Phippen and Dagmar Jensen Phippen. He was raised and educated in Exira, Iowa. He moved to Gravette in 1974. After the death of his wife Violet in 2003, he married Lois Churchman Mann in 2004. He was a carpenter and builder in Bella Vista. He was a founding member and builder of the Northwest Arkansas Christian Center of Gravette (now the “Church On The Hill”).

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers George and Leonard, and sister Florence.

He is survived by his wife Lois of Gravette; two sons, Gary and wife Sherryl of Erie, Colo., Dennis and wife, Connie of Aurora, Colo.; one sister, Evelyn May of Audubon, Iowa; four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and 6 stepchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 25, at The Church On The Hill, Gravette. Arrangements are by the Bella Vista Funeral Home and Crematory, Bella Vista.

News, Pages 4 on 08/22/2012