Roy "Sam" Edmond Spear

Roy "Sam" Edmond Spear, 97, of Bentonville, Arkansas died Monday, April 25, 2016. He was born on February 15, 1919 in Lincoln, Kansas to Roxton Roy and Ida Mae (Hobbs) Spear. Sam married Helen Alice (Holloway) Spear March 24, 1938 in Pineville, Missouri. Shortly after marrying, they moved with other family to Boise, Idaho. There they started a family, beginning with son, Dwight. In 1944 Sam enlisted in the Army. He was assigned to the field artillery mule pack division that would support Merrill's Marauders. One requirement of this division was that you had to be six foot tall; this was an all voluntary division. He was assigned to the India, Burma, China Theater. His job was to dismantle and load 75mm Howitzers on to pack mules. It took seven mules to carry one Howitzer. There were few roads in Burma, so they had to clear the jungle brush with machetes to move the guns. He walked leading mules 400 miles across Burma, sometimes on the Burma Road, until the Japanese were defeated. They were then airlifted over the "Hump" to China were he was assigned until the end of the war. He returned home in January 1946 to his wife and sons, Dwight and David (11months old - born when Sam was in Burma). Sam and Helen had two more sons, Dick and Duane. Sam worked and raised his family in Boise until 1960 when they decided to return to Arkansas. Sam worked for Kiloren for several years until Sam Walton hired him as the first truck loader-unloader at warehouse one. Sam worked several jobs at Walmart until his retirement. Sam and Helen enjoyed retirement for several years. In 2014 he moved to The Gardens of Osage Terrace where he loved the residents and staff and thought of them as family. He was preceded in death by his wife in 2005, parents, one brother, three sisters and one daughter-in-law, Rawlene Spear. He is survived by four sons, Dwight Spear "Betty" of Bella Vista, Arkansas, David Spear "Charlotte" of Bentonville, Arkansas, Dick Spear "Rhonda" of Yukon, Oklahoma, Duane Spear "Janie" of Gravette, Arkansas; two sisters, Lola Howell and Pauline Brown; ten grandchildren, twenty-seven great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews and his family at The Gardens of Osage Terrace. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Thursday, April 28, 2016 at the Bella Vista Funeral Home Chapel, 2258 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Ark. Funeral Service will be Friday, April 29, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Hiwasse Nazarene Church 13560 W Highway 72, Hiwasse, Ark. Burial will follow at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Mount Pleasant Cemetery. On-line condolences may be made at www.funeralmation.com.