Mary Stephanie Carr

Mary Stephanie Killgore Carr, 93, a Christian, died April 16, 2015 in Searcy, Arkansas. She was born in Samson, Alabama, on June 19, 1921, to Phonso and Ruth Jordan Killgore. She was a resident of Searcy for more than four decades. She graduated from Samson High School in 1938. She graduated from David Lipscomb College in 1940 and went on to attend Birmingham Southern College. World War II interrupted her studies in 1942 when she moved to Washington D.C. to work for the War Department supervising 50 clerks. She was among the first to work in the Pentagon when it was dedicated in 1943. After the war, she attended Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University, graduating in 1946 with a baccalaureate degree in English and receiving the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award as the outstanding graduate of her class. While attending Peabody she met James F. Carr Jr., and the couple was married in 1946. The couple lived for 25 years in Tallahassee, Florida, where the State University System of Florida employed her husband. They raised three sons while living in Florida. She was an active participant in the PTA, a den mother for the Cub Scouts, and a Sunday school teacher for her church. In 1970 the family moved to Searcy when her husband became assistant to the president of Harding University. During her years in Searcy she was the sponsor of the Ju Go Ju social club on the Harding campus, taught Sunday school classes at the College Church of Christ, was an active member of the Associated Women for Harding, was a longtime volunteer at White County Memorial Hospital, and was a member of the President's Council at Harding University. She was a resident of Harding Place Retirement Center during her latter years. Her parents; her husband of 63 years; and a sister, Sammie Killgore Burden, preceded her in death. She is survived by a sister, Jean Killgore Ross of Sparta, Tennessee; sons, James W. Carr and Thomas D. Carr — both of Searcy — and John T. Carr of Springhill, Tennessee; and grandchildren, John Taylor Carr Jr., Jesse Thomas Carr, Lauren Ashley Carr, Betsey Carr Ganus, Chelsea Carr Taylor, Lance Ryan Carr, James Dabney Carr, Mary Jordan Carr and Anna Ruth Carr. Her five great-grandchildren also survive her: Lucia Carr, Alban Carr, Bridget Carr, Lucy Ganus and Grace Taylor. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, April 20, at the College Church of Christ in Searcy. Visitation with the family will immediately follow the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to IHCF African Christian Hospitals, 102 N. Locust Street, Searcy or The Carr Nursing Scholarship Fund at Harding University in Searcy. Arrangements by Powell Funeral Home of Searcy. www.powellfuneralhome.net.