Elsie Marie Frownfelter Hargrove

Elsie Marie Frownfelter Hargrove passed away on Wednesday, August 25, 2010. She was the widow of the late State Senator W.N. "Bill" Hargrove and a life-long resident of Arkansas County. She was born to Edward B. and Rosa Knapp Frownfelter, one of Arkansas County's pioneer families, on June 11, 1915, in the New Providence Community. Since 1950, she and her family farmed Hargrove Farm south of Stuttgart. She was a charter member of Lodge Corner Methodist Church and taught Sunday school there for many years. Her exemplary expertise in flower arranging and decorations were utilized at the church and for many other functions. She was president of the WSCS and a lay delegate to the Little Rock Annual Conference. Elsie Marie helped organize and attended Children's Lab School camps at Camp Tanako during the 15 years she was Pine Bluff District Director of Children's work. Elsie Marie was an organizing member of the Stilwell Extension Homemakers Club, originally known as Stilwell Home Demonstration Club, and she remained involved throughout its 50-year history. Active in many other civic affairs, she was an organizing member of the GFWC Amici Club in 1947 and a force behind the construction and expansion of the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie, an Amici Club project. She served as president of the Amici Club in 1964-1966. She was also a past president of the Riceland Garden Club. An avid genealogist, Elsie Marie traveled extensively with her sister Bennie, discovering new relatives across many states. She was an organizing member of Arkansas Post Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution and served as the chapter regent 1986-1988. Her other society memberships include the Grand Prairie Historical Society, Grand Prairie Chapter, DAR, John Eliot Chapter, Colonial Dames 17th Century, Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims, Daughters of Colonial Wars, Magna Carta Dames and Barons, United Daughters of 1812, National Huguenot Society of Arkansas, Diamond Colony, New England Women, Women Descendants of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery, Colonial Governors, and several other organizations. Elsie Marie's outstanding hospitality was unsurpassed. She shared her home and her lakeside house, "Thistle Dew" with the Amici Club, the Home Demonstration Club and Lodge Corner church groups, on many occasions' producing picnics and events fondly remembered by her grandchildren and all participants. Elsie Marie and Bill loved to travel and along with their granddaughters visited World Fairs, relatives and National Parks all over the country. In addition to her husband of 56 years and her parents, Elsie Marie was preceded in death by two sisters, Lucille Jones Ragland and Bennie Frownfelter Burkett; two brothers, Harold Jones and Murrel Jones; and one daughter, Linda Sue Roberson. She is survived by a son, Nicky Hargrove, and his wife Rosella Becker Hargrove. Other survivors include granddaughters and families, Dana Harkey and her husband, Jack, and their children, William Blake Harkey, Amanda Kalescky and her husband Robert, all of Dallas, Rita Clinton and her husband, Cleve and their children, Charlotte and Cameron Clinton, also of Dallas, Lori Dabbs and her husband Terry and their children, Lauren Walton Scherm and her husband Eric, Lindsey Walton, Trent Dabbs and his wife Kristian, Stacey Dabbs Reeves and her husband Brian and daughter Cadence all of Stuttgart and Tiffany Dabbs of Little Rock. She is also survived by her special great-great-granddaughter, Mykayla Ann, and her nephew, Jerry Burkett and his wife Robin and their daughters, Caroline and Laura. Her caregivers of many years, Louise Grady and Freida Ross, were greatly appreciated by the family. Visitation will be at Turpin Funeral Home on Friday, August 27, from 5-7 p.m. Graveside services at Lone Tree Cemetery will be Saturday, August 28, at 10:30 a.m. with a celebration of her life at Lodge Corner United Methodist Church at 2 p.m. that afternoon. Memorials may be made to the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie or Lodge Corner United Methodist Church. Please go to www.turpinco.com to sign the online guestbook.