Obituaries

William Carter Hargis Jr.

Photo of William  Carter Hargis Jr. Photo of William  Carter Hargis Jr.
On May 22, 2011, William Carter Hargis, Jr., 90, of Warren, Ark., joined his beloved wife, Betty Jean Callaway Hargis, in heaven. Betty and Bill were married more than 67 years when she died on March 20, 2011. Bill Hargis, one of the greatest of "The Greatest Generation", was also predeceased by his parents, Will Hargis and Maude Cunningham Hargis; his brother, James Hargis and his sister, Elizabeth Hargis Wisener. He is survived by his son, William Hargis, III and his wife, Laurel of Katy, Texas; daughter, Carol Isom and husband, Gary of Little Rock and daughter, Gretchen Peacock and husband Gary of Sharpsburg, Georgia. Additionally, he had two granddaughters, Christa Gibson and Erin Huff and four grandsons: Matthew Twyford, Caleb, Joshua and Benjamin Peacock and several nieces and nephews. Bill was born April 24, 1921 in Warren. He was a true athlete and played football for the Warren Lumberjacks and the Ouachita Baptist Tigers. He was also a strong campus leader, serving as Student Body President while at Ouachita. He was a three year letterman at OBC and was Captain of his Sr. Championship Team. He was strong, competitive and disciplined in his football career which gave him much success on the field and throughout his life. He was inducted into the Lumberjack Hall of Fame in 2010. Upon graduation from Ouachita, Bill married Betty Jean Callaway and then served his country in World War II. He was with the 4th Division of the Army as they stormed the beaches of Normandy. Wounded by a German sniper resulted in Bill being awarded the Purple Heart. He later received the Medal de la France Liberee. When he returned home from the war in 1946, he brought his bride back to Warren and joined his father in car sales at Hargis Brothers Sales and Service, one of the oldest automobile dealerships west of the Mississippi River. Bill immediately adapted to the car business. His ability to trade, his love of people and his strong sense of fairness made him a staple of the Bradley County corporate community for many years. Bill accepted Jesus Christ as his savior when he was 11 years old at First Baptist Church, Warren. From that day on, his faith and that church were very important to him. He served in almost every lay capacity in the church. He was a devoted deacon and witness to his Lord and for the church. Bill loved working with livestock and spent many happy hours on the farm. He served as President of the Saline and Ouachita Valley Livestock Association, the South Arkansas Fair and Marketing Association, and the Bradley County Cattlemen's Association all for many years. He was on the Warren YMCA Board for 53 years, and was a Paul Harris Fellow in the Warren Rotary Club. He was one of the early organizers of the Bradley County Tomato Festival and a valued member of the Warren City Council and Chamber of Commerce. He was a long time member of the Board of Ouachita Baptist College, now OBU. Bill's exuberance for life was shown in his highly competitive YMCA volleyball games, his devotion to his Lord and First Baptist Church, his enthusiastic involvement in the community of Warren, and his love of trade. But the greatest love of his life and the one thing he talked about more than anything was Betty Jean. He would tell anyone about how he met her on a blind date and that she was the most beautiful girl at Henderson. He could not bear to live without her. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Tuesday May 24, at First Baptist Church in Warren, Ark. Burial with military honors will be in Oakland Cemetery by Frazer's Funeral Home. Visitation 1 p.m. until service time Tuesday, May 24, at First Baptist Church. Online guest register www.frazerfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to Warren First Baptist Church, Bradley County Veteran's Museum or Warren YMCA. The family would like to pay special thanks to the staff at Stonehaven Assisted Living for caring so lovingly for Betty and Bill during the last 7 months of their lives.

Published May 24, 2011

Upcoming Events