Bonnie J. Dyer

Bonnie J. Dyer, age 73, of Alma died Friday, December 21, 2012. She was born November 1, 1939, in Umpire, Arkansas, the daughter of the late James and Mattie Davis. She is survived by her son, Charles B. (Chuck) Dyer Jr., his wife Stacie, six grandchildren, Kyle, his wife, Laura, Charles B. (Trey) Dyer III, Darian, Garrett England (Ged), Martin Davis, and Daniel Jackson, and one great-grandchild, Jayson James Reinhart. Bonnie Dyer was the wife for 53 years of the late Charles B. Dyer, longtime Superintendent of Schools in Alma. Mrs. Dyer was a graduate of Henderson State Teachers College, also receiving the Master of Education and Educational Specialist degrees from the University of Arkansas. Prior to coming to Alma, she taught in Copperas Cove, Texas, for five years. She began teaching English and business education at Alma High School in 1966 and soon became a guidance counselor at Alma High School, a position that she held until her death. Mrs. Dyer was active in many professional organizations, including Kappa Kappa Iota Education Service Organization, the Arkansas School Counselors Association, of which she was chosen as Arkansas Counselor of the year in 2010, and the Arkansas Association of Psychological Examiners. She was also an active member of several local civic organizations, including the Alma Friends of the Library and the Crawford County Library Board, the Women's Community League of Alma of which she was a founding member, and the Miss Arkansas River Pageant, for which she served as Assistant Director and through which she became qualified as a one star judge in the Miss America system. She was very active in the First United Methodist Church of Alma, for which she served as church treasurer for over 20 years. Memorial service will be Thursday, December 27 at 11 a.m. at the Alma Performing Arts Center, under the direction of Ocker Funeral Home of Alma. Private interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Alma preceding the service. The family will receive visitors at the Alma Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, December 26, 2011, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Pallbearers are Jay Flenor, Stan Flenor, Mike McSpadden, Ed Thicksten, Wayne Thompson, and David Woolly. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that memorials be made to The Charles and Bonnie Dyer Education Endowment, c/o The Alma Education and Arts Foundation, P.O. Box 2359, Alma, Ark. 72921.