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A music major, she was in Harding’s first graduating class in 1925 and played piano for 90 years. She was also a charter member of the Pulaski Heights church, now called Pleasant Valley.

She persuaded her children and grandchildren to pursue a Christian education which resulted in three generations attending Harding.

She is survived by a son, Robert; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren, all of Little Rock. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert.

Clarence E. Eckman
Clarence Eckman, age 81, died April 26, in England.

He was the Spanish-speaking minister for the 77th and Ave. H church, Houston, for 19 years prior to moving to Belfast, Ireland. He returned to minister to the Jacinto City church, and later went to Lubbock, Texas to work with the Sunset School of Preaching. He and his wife moved to England in 1992.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Josie; four children: Beryl, Bob, and Cheryl, England, and Jim, Lubbock; and six grandchildren.

Henry T. Hogg
Henry Hogg died April 12 in El Dorado, Ark. He was born April 25, 1905.

A graduate of Abilene Christian and Peabody-Vanderbilt, he received a Battle Star in World War II.

He was a principal of many Arkansas schools and was El Dorado’s postmaster for 15 years. He was president of the Lions Club and county chairman of the American Red Cross.

The last of eight original members of the El Dorado church, begun in 1928, he helped construct the first building and was a charter member of the College Avenue church where he was an elder for 23 years.

He is survived by his wife, Marguerete; a daughter, Ouida Boyd; a son, David; 15 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

James Hollums
James Hollums died March 8, in Victoria, Texas.

He served many churches in south Texas, was a deacon at the Arlington Heights church then worked with the Portland church. Upon retirement he served the Goliad church as an elder for 15 years. Later he moved to Victoria where he was appointed an elder just a few weeks before his death.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Frances; three children; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Roy R. (Bill) McCown
Roy McCown died March 29.

He preached for 55 years in Calif., La., Mo., Pa., and Texas. He was the first misisonary to Turkey in 1960 but was expelled two years later. He established the Valley Road church, Warrington, Pa., was involved in World Bible School and traveled to Nigeria. He preached in Guatemala for eight years, and for 12 years at the Travis Peak church, Marble Falls, Texas. He retired in 1993.

He is survived by his wife, Billie; a daughter, Janet Cress, and a son, Roger, all of Austin; a son, Layton, Hudson, Ohio; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

James Lee Willett
James Willett died April 15, in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was born Jan. 9, 1926, in Mesilla, N.M.

He graduated from Harding and combined public school-teaching and preaching for several years in Texas, Missouri, New Mexico and Arizona. He spent 22 years working with Western Christian College, Weyburn, where he taught and served in various administrative roles in addition to coaching and directing the chorus. He considered those years “some of the best.”

He is survived by his wife, Nina; sons Jim, Dwight, and Edward; a foster son, William; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

A Tribute to JAMES WILLETT by Dan Wieb:

Our loss is Heaven’s gain. Nobody I have know or know now had a deeper faith and was more active in His declaration of that faith than my brother in Christ, James Willett. For 35 years, I have been as close to James as to any person outside my immediate family. As a co-worker in Christian Education and in the church, I found James to be trustworthy, loyal and always supportive. Last Sunday, the day before his sudden death, James preached for the struggling church in Williston, N.D. a task he loved and looked forward to each month. That evening, I sat beside him as he did what he loved to do, sang hymns and spiritual songs. My wife and I were there at his passing with Nina, his wife of 56 years, whom he loved dearly. He was one of my favorite people, a brother in Christ and a true friend. Along with his family and all of his friends, I will miss him- a lot!

Others may tell of his accomplishments, which are many. He had a special way of relating to young people, especially through his work with choruses and the basketball teams he coached. Many here today are mourning him because he has touched their lives through these avenues. Others may speak of his special talents which were many. He loved music and used his special talent in the service of His Lord as he led singing and conducted singing schools over the years. I will speak of that which was first and foremost in James’ life, his absolute confidence in the Word of God and his faith in God through Jesus Christ.

James believed that which the writer of Hebrews declared. “God has spoken…” If you were to go into James and Nina’s home you would find it characterized by the Bible. Most of the space on his computer is taken up with Bible programs and related topics. He was a student of the Word and his heart’s desire was that others would come to know Christ through that Word. He was also dedicated to the church. He longed for its success and worked for its purity. His zeal for the Word and the church sometimes created stress in his relationships with others but it was impossible to gainsay his motives or his sincerity.

Many, many times in the past few years, James and I had discussed death and the hope we have of life eternal. He was not afraid to die. Like most of us, he feared a lingering debilitating illness that would cause him to be a burden to Nina and his family. He was spared that even though he struggled for years to stay active with an ever-failing heart.

Now, our beloved brother is at peace. The passage of Scripture that first came to my mind Monday morning after the doctor said that James was gone is Romans 6:1-5.
Two great hymns have been filtering through mind.

Does Jesus Care when I’ve said goodbye to the dearest on earth to me
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks-Is it aught to Him
Does He see?

O yes, He cares, I know he cares, His heart is filled with my grief
When the days are weary, the long night dreary, I know my Saviour cares.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives all care is gone
Because I know, he holds the future and life is worth the living just because
He lives.

In the days ahead, after the trauma of these past few days is over and life takes on some semblance of normality, we will begin to remember James as he used to be. We will laugh and sometimes cry together as we remember him but most of all, we will remember his faith and we will look forward to that great day when we will join him in the presence of God. As Paul says, “We sorrow not as those who have no hope. “ 1 Thess4:13-18

Nina, Jim, Dwight, Edward, Willy and all of your families, James is okay now. He has fought the good fight, finished the course, kept the faith and we can be certain that he will be raised in the resurrection to bask in the glory of the light of the Heavenly Father for all eternity. “And so shall he ever be with the Lord.” Cherish his memory, heed his teaching and, above all, love one another.