Obituaries

William Harrel Herring

Photo of William Harrel Herring
WILLIAM HARREL HERRING, 82, of Maumelle, Ark., went to be with his Lord on April 16, 2018, surrounded by his family, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's. Harrel was born October 8, 1935 in Quitman, to the late Ernest Thurlow Herring and Mary Cordelia (Langston) Herring. Harrel devoted his life to sharing the Gospel message with everyone he could. He truly cared for people, and wanted to make sure they had the opportunity to know Jesus as their Savior personally. This legacy of faithful service is carried on by his loving wife of 46 years, Kathy (Stacy) Herring of Maumelle; twin sons, Jeff (Kristin) Herring of Maumelle and John (Alisha) Herring of Nixa, Mo.; five grandchildren, Abigail, Autumn and Austin Herring of Maumelle, and Dalton and Macey Herring of Nixa, Mo. He is also survived by three sisters, Mary Lois Clark of Conway, Willie Mae Karber of North Little Rock, Ernestine Mauldin of Quitman; and two brothers, Carrol (Joan) Herring of Quitman, and Burton (Judy) Herring of Shorter, Ala.; as well as a host of cousins, nieces and nephews, and friends. Harrel was preceded in death by a grandchild, and four sisters, Lola Elizabeth Kennedy, Helen Clestine Goodwin, Nina Bess Hoggard, and Menta Fay Skinner. In 1953, Harrel began college as a part of the second class at Central Baptist College, and then moved onto Arkansas State Teacher's College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in education and a Master's in counseling. He also earned a Master's in administration from the University of Arkansas. His career was multi-faceted. He served as a teacher in Illinois for two years, before accepting a position with the Pulaski County Special School District, where he served for over 25 years as principal, teacher and counselor. After retiring from PCSSD, he drove a bus for special needs students whom he loved, and they loved him. He also served as a Captain in the Army National Guard, piloting helicopters and airplanes, where he retired after 20 years of service. On September 3, 1968, Harrel was licensed to the gospel ministry by Park View Baptist Church in North Little Rock. He was ordained to the ministry on November 21, 1970. He became a bi-vocational pastor in the central Arkansas area, including: Beacon Baptist, Little Rock (1970-1972); Sand Springs Baptist, Quitman (1972-1974); New Bethany Baptist, Quitman (1974-1975); Old Euseba Baptist, Quitman (1975-1979); Highway Baptist, Judsonia (1982-1987); and New Hope Baptist, Beebe (1987-1992). He also served as Outreach Minister at Park View Baptist, North Little Rock, beginning in 1995. Throughout his life, Harrel was passionate about reaching people for Christ. Whether it was fellow guardsmen, students and colleagues at school, or a young child at church camp, he loved to share the good news of Jesus to those that needed to hear it. This passion led him and a few other pastors to begin the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) Youth Camp in 1976, in order to provide a place to minister to students where they could hear the Gospel clearly. He served faithfully for over 35 years in various positions, including as camp director for many of those years. This camp ministry continues today, and children are still hearing the Gospel because of the faithfulness of men like him. As a direct result of his involvement with camp ministries, Harrel wrote the book, Starting My Life with Christ. His desire was that this small book would bring honor and glory to God and help new believers develop a firm foundation for their Christian life. It has been used in camp ministries since its first printing in 1982, and has been translated into three languages, used in Ukraine, Africa, the Philippines, and Spanish-speaking countries, as well as prison ministries, the radio ministry of Lifeword, and the BMA of Arkansas missions. A celebration of life will be held at Park View Baptist Church on Friday, April 20, at 10 a.m. Visitation will be at Roller-McNutt Funeral home in Conway, from 6-8 p.m. on April 19. Interment will be at Old Texas Cemetery in Quitman. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to Park View Baptist Church, 900 Donovan Briley Blvd, North Little Rock, Ark. 72118.

Published April 18, 2018

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