Epting Funeral Home of Gravette

04/23/2026

Dixie Marie Lee passed away peacefully on April 8, 2026, in Gravette, Arkansas. Born on December 29, 1947, in Mitchell, South Dakota, Dixie lived a life defined by her devotion to her family and her vibrant curiosity for the world around her.

While she spent some time working at a jewelry store—a job she truly loved—Dixie found her greatest joy as a stay-at-home mother. As her family grew, she dedicated much of her time to her grandchildren, creating lasting memories with them. She was a woman of many passions; she found peace in her garden and joy in crafting. An avid collector, Dixie took great pride in her diverse collections of records, baseball memorabilia, stamps, and seashells.

Dixie is survived by her children: son Jonathan Roberts, daughter Susan Kurvin, and son David Roberts. She is also survived by her brothers, Butch Lee and his wife Donna Lee, and Mike Lee; her sisters, Sheila Ramos and her husband Bob, Patsy Witzel and her husband Allen, and Sonia Lee.

Her legacy continues through her grandchildren: Ariella Gibson, Ashley Bianco, Joshua Gibson, Brayden Kurvin, Dillon Roberts, and Elliot Roberts; her great-grandchildren Griffin Sullivan, Logan, and Lydia Roberts; and many beloved aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Celebration of Life:
A picnic to celebrate Dixie’s life will be held on Friday, April 24th, starting at 12:00 p.m. Family and friends are invited to gather, share memories, and honor a life well-lived and much Loved.

04/14/2026

James (Jim) Darryl Whitten of Gentry, age 82, passed away on Thursday, April 9 th , 2026 at his home. He was born Thursday, August 19 th , 1943 in Miami, Oklahoma to John Lindsey and Elma Jean Whitten (Smalley).

Jim grew up in Gravette and graduated from Gravette High School. He went on to become a trim carpenter by trade and made beautiful furniture which not only filled his home but those of his family and friends. He was a life time member of the Masonic Lodge and enjoyed fishing and his grandkids.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Elma; two brothers, John David and Gary Whitten; and one grandson, Tristen Whitten.

Jim is survived by his wife of 60 years, Virginia Whitten; three children, Brandy Kavanaugh of Bella Vista, Aaron Whitten (Desireen) of Gravette, Jacob Whitten (Courtney) of Centerton; two sisters, Cheryl Emery (Brian) of Maumelle, and Nancy Hardman (John) of Arkadelphia; seven grandchildren, Keghan Kavanaugh, Legend Kavanaugh, Brendan Whitten, Tyler Loless, Hayden Loless, Jaxon Whitten, and Skyla Whitten; and three great-grandchildren.

Jim will be laid to rest at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Gravette, Arkansas Saturday, April 25th at 3:30pm with A Celebration of Life to be held following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Masonic Lodge in his honor, to fund scholarships - you can Venmo -Lewis-1103

03/26/2026

William Argus Faddis Jr., age 80, passed away on March 24, 2026 at Mercy Hospital in Rogers, Arkansas. William was born on September 24, 1945, in Newton County, Arkansas, to William Argus Faddis Sr. and Dorothy Friend Faddis. He lived a life defined by compassion, kindness, and a genuine love for people. He never met a stranger and had a special gift for turning every person he met into a lifelong friend. Relationships meant everything to him and he treasured each one dearly. He had a way of making everyone feel welcome and valued.

He was a devoted husband, a proud and loving father, a caring brother, and a loyal friend. As a brother, he was steady and dependable. As a friend, he was generous and giving, always willing to lend a hand. As a father, he was supportive, hardworking, and deeply loved by his children.

William was a man of faith who believed in the Lord and lived his life guided by those values. He was a member of the Decatur Sale Barn Church, the VFW in Decatur, and the Masonic Lodge. He also proudly served his country as a Vietnam veteran.

He had a passion for fishing and music, both of which brought him great joy throughout his life. He attended school to become a machinist and went on to enjoy a long and fulfilling career as a welder with NTA and the Boilermaker Union in Kansas City, where he took pride in his work and the life he built for his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his grandparents.

He is survived by his loving wife, Linda Faddis of the home; his five children, Heather Derra of Nixa, Missouri; Jennifer Vaughn and husband Rick of Springfield, Missouri; Sara Khakhayev and husband Mikel of Nixa, Missouri; Casey Faddis of Thailand; and Travis White Faddis of Joplin, Missouri. He is also survived by 2 step children, Shana Elsea of Decatur and Brian Elsea of Gravette. He also was loved by 6 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

William is further survived by his siblings: Wanda Faddis of Decatur, Arkansas; Wilma and Bob of Decatur, Arkansas; Andra and Darrell Hecht of Decatur, Arkansas; Frankie Stephens of Gravette, Arkansas; Terry Faddis of Decatur, Arkansas; and Tommy and Tess Faddis of Pineville, Missouri.

William’s legacy of kindness, generosity, faith, and love will live on in all who knew him. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

A celebration of William’s life will be at 2:00 pm on Saturday, April 11 at The Decatur Sale Barn Church. Burial will follow at Falling Springs Cemetery in Decatur.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;” - 2 Timothy 4:7

03/10/2026

Hansel Dale Hill, age 73, of Siloam Springs, Arkansas died Saturday, March 7, 2026 at his residence. He was born May 10, 1952 in Fayetteville, Arkansas the son of Susie Kathleen Cook and Hugh Hollis Hill.

He was a brick mason for many years. He loved fishing, and spending quality time with his family especially with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by: his parents, four brothers; Donnie Hill, Hollis Hill, Douglas Hill, Leon Hill, and three sisters; Yvonne Brown, Gail Boyd, and Beverly Hill.

Hansel is survived by: two sons; Michael Hill and his wife Trista, of Evansville, Arkansas, James Vanover, of Cincinnati, Arkansas, one daughter; Crystal Morris, of Cincinnati, Arkansas, one brother; Rawleigh Hill and his wife Jean, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, one sister; Sue Doss, of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, six grandchildren; Mckell Lyons and husband Trenton of Colcord Oklahoma, Dara Long and husband RJ of Westville Oklahoma, Emily Morris of Westville Oklahoma, Tristan Sylvester and wife Jessica of Evansville Arkansas, Caleb Hill and wife Victoria of Farmington Arkansas, and Nicole Hill of Fayetteville Arkansas and nine great-grandchildren; Sadie and Eden Lyons of Colcord Oklahoma, Huxley and Hendrix Long of Westville Oklahoma, Morgan, William, Taylor, and Emma Sylvester of Evansville Arkansas and Madison Hill of Farmington Arkansas.

Graveside service will be Friday, March 13, 2026 at 11am at Mt. Comfort Cemetery located in Fayetteville with Pastor Danny Beard officiating.

03/09/2026

James R. (Jim) Jarvis, age 85 of Gravette Arkansas passed away March 7th 2026 at the Highlands Nursing Home. Jim was born December 25th 1940 in Garden City, Kansas to Clarence and Maxine Jarvis.

The family moved to Hiwasse Arkansas when Jim was 12 years old. He went to grade school in Hiwasse and finished school in Gravette. December 23rd 1960 Jim married his high school sweetheart Earlene Terhune.

Jim was a wonderful dad. He coached their children’s baseball, softball and basketball teams until they were old enough to play on the school teams. Jim also taught them to be responsible and work hard. He wanted his children to take pride in what they did and do it right.

Jim Loved Elk hunting. He and his brother Kenny started elk hunting in 1979. Eventually Jim’s sons joined the annual hunting trip and it was the highlight of the year through 1998.

Jim took pride in growing high quality Bermuda grass for the Benton County forage program which extended into a national competition. In 2005 Jim was awarded Rookie of the Year Bermuda grower. In 2007 Jim won third place overall in the American Forage and Grassland national competition. Jim loved crappie fishing, gardening, morel mushroom hunting and looking for arrowheads.
Jim was a farmer and raised chickens for 29 years. Jim and his brother Kenny Jarvis owned a construction company for many years until Kenny’s death in 2013. Jim enjoyed working for Ron Duncan for several years until he suffered a stroke.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents Clarence and Maxine Jarvis, his brother Kenny Jarvis and Kenny’s daughter-in-law Lisa Jarvis.

Jim is survived by his wife of 65 years Earlene Jarvis, daughter Susan Sherman (Bob) of Bentonville, Son Jimmy Jarvis (Rhonda) of Hiwasse, Son Ron Jarvis of Gravette and Son Mike Jarvis (Dusty) of Sulphur Springs. 7 Grandchildren: Jeris Jarvis (Becky) of Hiwasse, Taylor Jarvis of Gravette, Tyler Jarvis (Michelle) of Gravette, Christi Cozzaglio (Michael) of Centerton, Kenny Sherman of Centerton, Mikya and Temple Terhune of Gravette. 7 Great Grandchildren: Berkley, Braylee, Wyatt, Raylan, Luke, Hailey and Madison.

A celebration of Jim’s life will be Saturday March 14th, 2026 at the First Assembly of God church in Gravette, Arkansas with Pastor Jack Deaton officiating. Visitation will be from 10am-11am with the funeral immediately following. In memory of Jim Jarvis, floral tributes may be delivered to First Assembly of God church in Gravette, Arkansas Friday March 13th from 1PM-5PM and Saturday March 14th from 8AM-9AM.

He will be missed by all who knew him!

02/15/2026

Leslie L Bark, Age 59 of Gravette AR, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 at Mercy Hospital in Rogers AR due to a long battle with multiple illnesses and complications from surgery. She was so brave and fought hard like a warrior until she was called home.

She was born January 13th, 1967 in Nowata, OK, a daughter of the late Eva Lou (Steele) Shepherd and Conner Howard Shepherd.

Leslie worked for many years helping people through the process of getting health insurance through the health insurance marketplace. She also took the brave plunge of going back to school after many years to be a Medical Assistant and worked in the Gravette Clinic for a while as part of the program.

She loved going on family adventures with her late husband Bobby L Bark and their 2 sons to thrift stores, flea markets, and yard sales as well as vacations, long summer days at the creek, and other activities to get out of the house. Leslie also loved collecting pretty knick-knacks that she could display at home and loved crafting foil art and sun catchers. Music as well as movies and TV shows were also a deep love of hers. Leslie was a member of the First Baptist Church in Gravette and loved her church family and serving the Lord.

No matter where Leslie would be, whether it was at her workplace, or with friends and family, she had the ability to make everything around her feel warm and bright, even at the worst of times. Her warm, beautiful smile, her sense of humor, and the deep caring love she had for those around her left a lasting impact that will never be forgotten.

In addition to her parents and her husband, Leslie was also preceded in death by her 2 sisters, Sue Cooper and Marie Patteson and her brother Johnny Shepherd.

Leslie is survived by her two sons, David, E Haley, and Jared L Bark of Gravette AR. She is also survived by her brother David H Shepherd and wife Melanie of Sand Springs, OK along with many other close family and friends who will miss her very much.

A memorial service celebrating Leslie’s life will be held Saturday, February 21st, at 11 am at the First Baptist Church in Gravette AR and the burial service will follow at Euwasha Cemetery in Kenwood OK at 1:30 pm.

02/10/2026

Jeffery Travis Hubbard, 48, of Decatur passed away February 6 in his home. He was born August 8, 1977 in Fayetteville to James Frank Hubbard and Joyce Pike Hubbard.

Jeffery was a lifelong resident of Northwest Arkansas and enjoyed anything to do with the outdoors, including his landscaping business and fishing. He was also a great mechanic and loved working on cars. One of his greatest pleasures was spending time with his dog, Julie.

Jeffery was preceded in death by his mother and his grandparents.

Survivors include his wife of 9 years, Tonya Jean Hubbard of Decatur; four children: Marcus Adams (Kenzie), Chasity Riebesel, Kurtis Hubbard, and Aubrey Bartlett; one brother, James Frank Hubbard (Sheila); and four grandchildren: Poppy Adams, Meadow Adams, Kamden Adams, and Opal Hobbs.

01/02/2026

Sharon Kay Elsea of Gravette, Arkansas passed away peacefully at her home on December 23, 2025.

She was born on November 19, 1958, in Upland, California to Bonnie (Barker) Bone and Leo “Bob” Barker. She moved to Arkansas at an early age and lived in the Gravette area most of her life. She graduated from Gravette High School in 1977 and Northeast Tech in 1999. She began work at Gravette Hospital in 1975 and worked there, in multiple capacities, for 40 years; the last 20 years as an LPN. She retired from nursing in 2019 to stay home and care for her great-granddaughters.

Sharon enjoyed strumming her guitar, animals of any kind, gardening, crocheting, a good paranormal book, but most of all spending time with the loved ones she held so dear.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Rick Elsea, both parents, and her sister, Rhonda Roy.

Sharon is survived by her daughter, Melissa and husband Scott Bradley of Gravette, and son, Kane Elsea of Gravette; seven grandchildren, Taylor, Tiffany, Tory, Keeley, Pierce, Baylor, and A***n; three great-grandchildren, Charlotte (Charli), Lynnix (Lynni), and Opal; two brothers, Joe Barker and Ray Barker; many nieces and nephews; and countless friends.

A memorial service to celebrate the life Sharon will be held Saturday, January 3, 2026, at 11am in the event center at Ozarks Community Hospital in Gravette. She will be laid to rest at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

To send a condolence to the family, please fill out the online form provided at the bottom of this page. We will ensure the family receives your sympathies. To see all obituaries submitted to the local newspaper, use the following links. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

12/18/2025

Johnny Lee Tucker, age 73, Of Gravette died Monday, December 15, 2025 at his residence. He was born December 11, 1952 in Maysville, Arkansas the son of Billie Lou Marsh and Roy Lee Tucker.

He served in the U.S. Air Force where he earned an Honorable Discharge. He was an auto mechanic, and was a multi-generational farmer and loved working his farm. He enjoyed fishing and spending quality time with his family.

Johnny was preceded in death by: his parents, his two brothers; Courtney Tucker, his three year old brother Ronald Tucker, and his wife Mary Tucker.

He is survived by: three sons; Andy Tucker and his wife Shannon, of Bella Vista, Arkansas, Mike Tucker and his wife Kristi, of Fayetteville, Levi Tucker and his wife Jennifer, of Sherwood, Arkansas, two brothers; Donnie Tucker, of Maysville, Arkansas, Eric Tucker and his wife Shanna, of Maysville, Arkansas, 8 grandchildren, one great-son, and two more great-grandchildren that are twins coming soon.

A graveside service was at National Cemetery located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Full military honors were provided by Northwest Arkansas Honor Guard of Rogers.

A celebration of Johnny’s life will be, Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 10am at the Maysville Community Center located in Maysville, Arkansas.

Memorials may be sent to: the Maysville Community Center.

12/18/2025

It is with great sorrow that the Tyson family announces the passing of Chance Lee Tyson of Decatur, Arkansas. He was born on March 14, 1992 and passing much too soon at the age of 33 on December 16, 2025 in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

He is preceded in death by his father Bradley R. Tyson , one brother Bradley R. Tyson Jr., his two uncles; Chris Tyson and Scotty Tyson, his grandfather; Leroy Tyson, and his maternal grandmother; Barbara Dowdle.

He is survived by: his loving soulmate; Shanna Nichole Tyson, three sons; Treyden R. Tyson, of Sulphur, Oklahoma, Tony I. Tyson; of Decatur, Arkansas, Landyn C. Tyson, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, his mother Jannie L. Mann, of Decatur, two brother; Bryson R. Tyson, of Sulphur, Oklahoma, Jessie R. Tyson, of Decatur, Arkansas, four sisters; Misty Miller, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Candice M. Tyson, of Sulphur, Oklahoma, Mary Tyson, of Decatur, Arkansas, Kalyn Tyson, of Sulphur, Oklahoma, and 14 nieces and nephews.
Chance will be remembered fondly for his fun loving spirit and bold sarcasm. He was a loving and devoted soulmate, father, son, uncle, and brother. He had a free spirit a gift for playing pranks on friends and family and a deep compassion for all those he considered family. He came from a family of 12 and enjoyed spending time reaching out to each of them to let them know they were important to him. Chance struggled with addiction for 10 years and was baptized while going through the CAAIR Program https://caair.org/ in Jay, Oklahoma. He strongly believed that if he could turn his life around, anyone could. “We will carry you with us in our hearts forever and always.”

Viewing will be at DeArman’s Funeral Home in Sulphur, Oklahoma on Sunday, December 21, 2025 from 2-4pm.

A Celebration of Chance’s life will be Monday, December 22, 2025 in Mill Creek Pentecostal Church located in Mill Creek, Oklahoma.

11/26/2025