Obituaries
Jerry Rex Thurlkill, El Dorado
The family will receive visitors from 6-8pm on Wednesday, December 11th at Young’s Funeral Home, 508 Champagnolle Rd, El Dorado. Funeral Thursday, December 12th, at 10am at Mt. Union Baptist Church, 653 Mt Union Rd, El Dorado. Burial will follow at Smyrna Cemetery under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
Born to William PERCY Thurlkill and Janie Elizabeth Thurlkill (nee Paddock) in El Dorado on March 13, 1939. He was the first in his family to graduate high school, and his Mom was so proud that she bought him a 22 speedmaster rifle to commemorate his accomplishment.
Rex married Betty Wike in 1958 and together they raised three children. Rex worked for Arkansas Chemical for many years. He went to welding school at El Dorado Oil Belt Vocational Technical School to learn a new trade when the plant went on strike so he would have a skill to support his family. He was a wonderful provider and his family was the most important thing to him. He graduated with honors from the trade school, having mastered many methods of welding. He later ran Percy’s Grocery and Gas Station on Hwy 7 for a few years, the store his father had started in 1949. In 1977, began his third ‘career’ raising chickens. He built 6 chicken houses, mostly with his own hands, and raised 120,000 chickens every 8 weeks until 2009 when Pilgrim’s Pride ceased operations. In 1993, he took over Percy’s again and ran it until the end of 2021 when his son, Todd, took over the family business.
Rex was known as the ‘Biscuit Man’ all over the area and folks came from far and wide for the most delicious biscuits on earth. He loved this title and took great pride in his secret recipe and would grin from ear to ear when a stranger would declare “You’re THE BISCUIT MAN?? I love your biscuits!!”
In 2022, Rex married Cheryl Cossey (nee Anderson) after a decades long best friendship. They had some wonderful adventures in their short marriage, but he found in Cheryl the most wonderful helpmate he could have imagined.
Preceding Rex in death are his parents, his son Jeffrey Rex, his sister Wanda Webb, his brother William Percy, Jr. SONNY, and his sister Yvonne Smith and several precious pre-born great grandchildren.
Surviving him are his wife, Cheryl, of the home, his first wife, Betty, his daughter, Susan Rhodes (Vergil, Jr BUDDY), his son Todd (Leah), his deceased son’s widow, Sonya Thurlkill, Grandsons Dr. Benjamin Rhodes, Jeffrey Rex (BO) Thurlkill (Anna), Kayla Cannady (Nick), Michael Todd, Jr (aka TJ) Thurlkill (Leslie), Sam Thurlkill (Morgan), Dr. Jacob Thurlkill (Anna). Granddaughters Christina Ritter (Brandon), Stephanie Pruitt (Michael), Beth Nabajar (Marcos), Amanda Brown (Josh). Great Grandchildren Madelyn Rhodes, Greyson Rhodes, Sam Pruitt, Kate Pruitt, Nora Pruitt, Joel Pruitt, Isaac Ritter, Josiah Ritter, Lillie Nabajar, Natalie Nabajar, Kinsley Cannady, Karlie Cannady, twin boys Isaac and Logan Cannady, Wrenleigh Thurlkill, Arabella Thurlkill, Spencer (aka Fred) Thurlkill, and Addi Rae Thurlkill.
Pallbearers are Grandsons Benjamin Rhodes, Bo Thurlkill, TJ Thurlkill, Sam Thurlkill, & Jacob Thurlkill as well as nephews Lex Webb, Gabe Webb, and Trent Thurlkill.
Condolences can be expressed online at www.youngsfuneralhome.com for the Thurlkill family.
Mary Ann Mattern, 70, of El Dorado passed away January 6, 2025, at South Arkansas Regional Hospital. Born October 28, 1954, in New Orleans, LA, she was the daughter of Frederick, Sr. and Olive Shows Lincoln.
Mary was a very passionate person about many things, including a love for cooking as evidenced by the joy she received with Steve in serving customers at MEL’S Seafood until her retirement in 2002.
She was an avid sponsor of Alcoholics Anonymous by encouraging numerous addicts and alcoholics to begin a road to their recovery.
While loving her grandchildren immensely with much pride for their accomplishments she was a true “Who Dat” fan of the New Orleans Saints. Aside from her pride in family she had a love for the finer things that helped her become a true Southern Lady. Mary enjoyed luxurious perfumes, clothing, jewelry and pedicures, always traveling with Coco Chanel Mademoiselle wherever she went.
Mary and Steve spent many hours having coffee on their back porch while watching the hummingbirds during the spring. Since June 21, 2018, the day the love of her life passed away, her zest for life diminished while speaking often of their reunion in Heaven.
Preceding her in death along with her parents were her husband, Steve Mattern, a brother, Frederick Lincoln, Jr. and a niece, Kimberly Lincoln Brouillette.
Survivors include her daughters, Lori Newton (Justin) and Liz Fairris (Cai) all of El Dorado. Also surviving are two brothers, Joe Lincoln (Cathy) of Slidell, LA and Jerry Lincoln (Cyndie) of Jackson, MS and a sister-in-law, Trudy Lincoln of Bay St. Louis, MS. Surviving grandchildren include, Kade Newton (Hannah), Jillian Newton, Layla Maza, Caila Fairris and Trenton Fairris. She is also survived by nine nephews and five nieces.
Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday, January 16, 2025, followed by a memorial service at 5:00 p.m. in Young’s Chapel.
A private interment will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 17, 2025, at the Arkansas State Veteran’s Cemetery in North Little Rock, AR where Mary will be laid to rest alongside her late husband. All services are under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.
The family would like to acknowledge their sincere appreciation to SARH, ICU nurses, Madeline, Mary Ann, April, Tiffany and Jennifer along with Step-Down nurses, Michelle, Logan, Karen and Casey. The compassion and love shown for our mother during her final days was beyond incredible.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to New Haven Recovery Lodge, 2301 Champagnolle, Wings to Recover, 445 Industrial Road, or Magdalene House, 525 N. Madison, all of El Dorado, AR.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.
Roy Garland Pumphrey, age 77 of Smackover, AR passed away Sunday, January 5, 2025 at his home. Roy was born on November 10, 1947 in El Dorado to the late Opal Frances Greer Pumphrey and John Lawrence Pumphrey Sr. He attended Junction City High School and was a star football player. He was a retired welder, having worked for Ensco for 25 years, before his retirement. Roy was a member of Wings of Love Church, was a prayer warrior and an avid Bible Reader.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Infant daughter, Elizabeth, five brothers, Jesse Pumphrey, John Lawrence Pumphrey Jr., Kenneth Pumphrey, Allen Pumphrey Sr., and Dale Pumphrey.
Survivors include; his wife, Ruth Thompson Pumphrey of Smackover, three daughters, Rhonda Brown and husband Billy of Louann, Melissa Pumphrey of Mer Rouge, LA, and Belinda Golden and husband John of Louann; three stepsons, Joseph Burch and wife Brandy of El Dorado, Luke Burch and wife Barbie of Rocky Branch, LA, and Wesley Burch and wife Rachelle of Mt. Holly; thirteen grandchildren; three great grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at Bailey Funeral Home in El Dorado. A private family interment will take place at a later date.
Cremation services provided by Bailey Funeral Home of El Dorado
She was born to Arthur and Bernie Thomason on August 22, 1931 in Hampton, Arkansas. Dorothy was the last surviving sibling of the 10 children. Her siblings, Boyce, Travis, Jack, Cliff, JC, Harold, Ionie, Izola, and Ethel, preceded her in death and are surely awaiting her arrival in Heaven, ready to catch up on all the family news. She was also predeceased by AJ Shirey, her husband of 64 years, in 2013 and one daughter, Jan Shirey (Brewer) Woods, who passed in 2023. We know that Dorothy is at peace now that she is reunited with so much of her beloved family.
Dorothy, raised on a farm, was proud of her family and where she came from. She was a spirited and humorous storyteller, and she would often regale her children and grandchildren with tales of picking cotton and sibling squabbles from her childhood. Her stories were often interrupted by her own laughter at the memory–regardless of how often she had recounted it. If you knew Dorothy for more than a few minutes, you were likely treated to such a tale.
Throughout her life, Dorothy found great joy in fishing and gardening. She could catch a catfish with the best of them and when you visited you were sure to enjoy a meal of fried catfish. In later years she enjoyed square dancing and traveling with AJ, her constant companion through life.
Dorothy was a long-time and devoted member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in El Dorado, where she relished her role as a Sunday School teacher and active congregant. She never missed a Sunday! She loved God, and she loved to remind others that He loved them, as well.
As a good southern lady, Dorothy put a lot of pride in her appearance and was never seen without her make-up and her hair done. As a go-getter, she put her passion for make-up to use by starting a successful Avon business–her charisma and beauty a winning combination for such a job.
But her love in life was young children, her own and others’, and so, after having four children, she went to college and graduated with a BS in Education and a minor in Library Science from Southern State College in 1969. She later received her Master’s degree from the University of Arkansas in 1977–all while still raising kids at home. Dorothy was nothing if not determined.
She was a natural teacher and leader. Dorothy worked in the El Dorado School system for 25 years, where she was the Principal at Murmil Heights Elementary School the last 15 years and Principal of the Year for the district in 1989. She did not limit her teaching to the classroom but took every opportunity she could to teach – even sending her grandchildren math problems by mail. In her golden years, it was not uncommon for people to approach Dorothy–decades after she taught them as children–to greet and thank Mrs. Shirey.
She is survived by two sons, Thomason Jay Shirey (Robin) of Axle, TX and Phillip Gregory Shirey (Lisa Tessier) of Nixa, MO; one son-in-law, Bryan Woods of Salado, TX; and one daughter, Tonya Lynne Lambert (Robert) of Pagosa Springs, CO.
Dot, as her grandchildren called her, was immensely proud of her 15 grandchildren: Brooke MacKay (Brent) of Mission Viejo, CA; Megan Ord (Peter) of San Clements, CA; Gabe Shirey (Mindi) of Las Vegas,
NV; Dylan Shirey (Erin) of Harvest, AL; Emma Shirey of NY, NY; Jackson Shirey of Platte City, MO; Isabel Shirey of St. Louis, MO; Ryan Brewer (Lindsey) of San Antonio, TX; Kyle Brewer (Randi) of Austin, TX; Paul Brewer of Houston, TX; Amy Lambert Robertson (Josh) of Alamosa, CO; Emily Lambert Moon (Evan) of Colorado Springs, CO; William Lambert (Wendy) of Rochester, MN; Joseph Lambert of Colorado Springs, CO and Eleanor Lambert of Colorado Springs, CO.
She leaves behind two sisters-in-law: Alene (Shirey) Melton of Shreveport, LA and Nello Thomason of Hot Springs, AR and two brothers-in-law: Charles Shirey (Susan) of Greenbrier, AR and Bob Sherman of El Dorado, AR.
Finally, she is survived by her 21 beloved great grandchildren and the many nieces and nephews whom she cherished, helped raise, and taught with characteristic devotion!
She was a force of nature. She will be missed.
Visitation will be held from 5pm-7pm on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 at Young’s Funeral Home in El Dorado, Arkansas.
Services will be held on Friday, January 10 at 11:00 am at the First Presbyterian Church in El Dorado with burial at Means Cemetery in Hampton following.
Donations can be made in Dorothy’s name to organizations addressing Alzheimer’s or a charity of your choice.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.youngsfuneralhome.com.
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