Inez Fendley

Inez Fendley, 103, Harrison, was born July 2, 1910, at Leslie, Ark., and went to be with her Lord April 5, 2014. She was the daughter of Love and Mary Susan (Arnold) Hensley; the granddaughter of Benjamin W. Hensley, the first tax assessor and sheriff of Searcy County. Paternal and maternal grandparents were among the earliest settlers of Searcy County who homesteaded land on the Buffalo River, as early as 1837. Mrs. Fendley was preceded in death by her husband, John Franklin Fendley; parents; brother, John Arnold Hensley; sisters, Sarah Marie Livingston and Modest Mae Rockwood. Inez is survived by daughter, Sara Jo Fendley; four nieces and one nephew. A member of the Methodist Church since childhood, Inez served as church pianist and for 12 years as a member of the Official Board. She attended Galloway College for Women at Searcy, (a Methodist Girls School which later merged with Hendrix College, the Methodist Boys school); the University of Arkansas, where she was a member of Tri-Delta Sorority and received a degree in Home Economics Education from Arkansas State Teachers College (UCA). She taught school for 20 years, 18 years as a home economics teacher at Leslie, Timbo, and Marshall and two years at 3rd & 4th grade levels. She worked as home supervisor of Farm Security Administration in Van Buren County following the Great Depression and after retiring from her teaching career, coordinated the Searcy and Stone County Head Start Programs. A dedicated civic leader, Inez served as president of the Leslie B&PW, the Searcy County Farm Bureau Board, Searcy County Republican Women's Club, chaired the MORE (mobilization of Rockefeller Effort) in 1964, and was named in 1965 to the Who's Who in Arkansas Lives. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1999, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Leslie High School and the Boone County Woman Farmer of the Year Award by Boone County Farm Bureau. She was partnered with her daughter in the cattle business up until her death. They were pioneer breeders of Registered Simmental Cattle, introducing the breed locally in 1971, and also raised and bred registered Polled Hereford and Red Angus Cattle. An avid duplicate bridge player, she was a member of the Tuesday Bridge Club since moving to Harrison in 1970. Funeral service 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at First United Methodist Church; Rev. David Williams officiating. Interment in East Lawn Cemetery, Marshall, Arkansas. Pallbearers are Albert Dixon, Ben Dixon, Zane Green, Travis Woodell, Tim Moore and Sheriff Mike Moore. Honorary pallbearers are Mitchell Archer, Mitchell Woods, Eddie Cole, Cameron Rogers, Matt Beard, Clay Creager, Dr. Rob Wilkinson, Gerald Ragland, Dr. Claude E. Fendley, Gordon Fendley, Dr. Herbert Fendley, Dr. Jack Fendley, Fred Fendley, Dr. Jerry Cash, Dr. Jerry Taylor and the Tuesday Bridge Club. Memorials: Genealogy Department of Searcy County Library, 202 East Main Street, Marshall, Ark. 72650, or charity of choice. Online Guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/harrison.