Norris Walthall

Norris Maron Walthall, 96, of North Little Rock, Arkansas passed from this world into the next on Sunday, March 11, 2012. He was born in Lafayette County, Arkansas, to Jess Walthall and Allie Mae Shurtleff Walthall on September 21, 1915, the third of ten children. On November 27, 1937, Norris married Mildred Tubb of Antioch Community (west of Magnolia, AR), and they had six children. They were married for fifty-eight years before her death in 1995. Norris attended Mt. Vernon community schools through the ninth grade, then walked five miles to complete his high school education at Buckner, Arkansas, where he played varsity basketball and refereed junior varsity and girls' games. He attended Magnolia A&M (now Southern State University), studying agriculture, but soon decided that he could not make a living at farming during the depression. He began work at Pelt's General Store in Buckner, Arkansas, in 1937, working there full-time for six years and part-time for another five years after going to work for Arkansas Power and Light Company (now Entergy) in 1943. He helped start up the Harvey Couch Plant in Stamps, the first steam power plant in Arkansas. He began at the lowest position as an oiler and after three years of hard work had risen to the position of plant operator. He continued his education by taking courses in power plant engineering through International Correspondence School. In 1951 he moved into management and was transferred to Pine Bluff, as Superintendent of the Old City Power Plant. Eleven months later he went to Lynch Power Plant in North Little Rock as Assistant Superintendent. In1960 he was transferred to the Hamilton Moses Plant in Forrest City as Superintendent. He served there for five years before returning to Lynch Plant as Superintendent, retiring in 1978. He noted with satisfaction that many of the people he hired and helped train went on to manage other power plants within the AP&L system. After retirement Norris started a lawn and odd jobs business with his fifteen-year-old son, keeping 30 lawns, installing sprinkler systems and ceiling fans, and doing all sorts of repair work for nineteen years, before retiring a second time in his mid-eighties. Norris often said, "I never had a job I didn't like; I always looked forward to going to work." Norris was a member of Park Hill Baptist Church, serving as a deacon (ordained at Calvary Baptist Church, Rose City, in 1954), a Sunday School teacher, and, in the 1980's chairman of the building committee and supervisor of construction for the activities building, adult education building, and the remodeling of the children's department. His greatest joys in church work were teaching two-year-olds for 32 years and visiting members and prospective members. In 1954 Norris joined the Lions Club, where he held most club and state offices, including District Governor in 1976-77, and had near perfect attendance for 56 years. He was a 32nd degree Mason and had served on the board of Lions World Service of the Blind. Norris was a beekeeper all of his life, had a small cattle farm in Buckner from 1948-1957, and grew a large garden until 2010. In later life his favorite activities included going to an orchard to pick peaches and picking up pecans on halves. He then spent late fall and winter picking out pecans and sharing them with family and friends. Norris was a devoted husband and father, always concerned to provide a good home for his family and education for his children. He is survived by his six children: Marilyn Russell (Robert) of Columbia, Missouri; Rachel McDaniel (Albert) of Farmington, Maine; Cheryl Ratliff of North Little Rock, Arkansas; Debbra White (Mark) of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina; Donna Ward of North Little Rock, Arkansas; and Chris Walthall (Leslie) of North Little Rock, Arkansas. He is also survived by five grandchildren: Lorna Smilek (Michael) of Farmington, Maine; Rebekah Farrabaugh (Jeff) of Livonia, Michigan; John Russell of Springfield, Missouri; Jesse McDaniel (Shalini) of Auckland, New Zealand, and London, England; and Bethany Morris (Jeff) of Benton, Arkansas; and three great-grandchildren: Broc Crook of Farmington Hills, Michigan; Finley Grace Russell of Springfield, Missouri; and Brayden Morris of Benton, Arkansas. He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; sisters Lillian Walthall and Victoria Osborne; brothers, Horace, Melburne, Dalton, Ronald Earl "Pete", and O.C. "Johnny". He is survived by brothers, Henry Jason "Sonny" of Waldo, Arkansas and Edward Allen "Buddy" of Camden, Arkansas. Funeral services will be held at Park Hill Baptist Church at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, March 15th with Dr. Bob Harper and Norris' son-in-law Reverend Robert Russell officiating. Members of the North Little Rock Lions Club will serve as honorary pallbearers. Visitation will follow the service. Interment will be at Waldo Cemetery at Waldo, Arkansas on Friday, March 16, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials gifts may be made to the North Little Rock Lions Club in care of Jim Bullard, 12 Dove Creek Circle, North Little Rock, Arkansas 72116; Arkansas Hospice North Little Rock, 14 Parkstone Circle, North Little Rock, Arkansas 72116; or Park Hill Baptist Church, 201 East C Street, North Little Rock, Arkansas 72116. Arrangements by North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main St., 758-1170. Online obituary and guest registry at www.nlrfh.com.

Norris Walthall

March 11, 1916 - March 11, 2012