Pauline Peace Sessions

Pauline Peace Sessions, Mrs. Hal R Sessions Jr., passed on Sept. 4, 2010 surrounded by her family. She was married to Hal Rucks Sessions Jr. on Christmas Day in 1948, and their 62 year marriage was blessed with four children, 11 grandchildren, and one great granddaughter. She is survived by her husband, Chaplain Hal R. Sessions Jr. of Memphis, Tenn. and originally Lake Village, Ark., now residing in Ovilla, Texas. Following her graduation from Texas State College for Women with a family- first BS degree, Pauline served the war effort in the chemistry lab at an ammunition factory in Dallas, Texas. Hal had spent WWII in the US Navy swimming away from the sinking aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) at Guadalcanal and surviving multiple kamikaze attacks on the USS Chandeleur (AV-10) later in the war. They met while in Conway, Ark. following World War II while they were both attending more college - she at Arkansas State Teachers College, and Hal at Hendrix College. Their children are: Dr. Hal R. Sessions, III and his wife Marilyn of Portland, Ore., Betty Sessions of Fayetteville, Ark., Jamie Murphy and her husband Larry of Ovilla, Texas, and, Lynn Cloninger Sessions, widow of Paul Meek Sessions who tragically preceded his mother in death in Aug. of 2009. Her parents were James Mitchum Peace and Emma Yocum Peace of Magnolia, Ark. Her brother, James Frances Peace also preceded her in death. She is survived by brothers-in-law Floyd Bunker Sessions and William Nelson Sessions and sister-in-law Jeannine Tushek Sessions of Lake Village, and Alvarene Green Peace of Magnolia, Ark. Pauline's Christian life revolved around her husband, her church, her knitting and her family. They spent a career in the US Navy, with Pauline the ever present Navy wife and Hal as a Methodist Navy chaplain. She took up running at age 55 and became a marathoner – running the Memphis in May Marathon (26.2 miles), at the age of 61 – winning her age group and running every step of the way. Along with husband Hal, they traveled to 25 foreign countries, ran a race in all 50 states, traveled completely around the world, attended dozens of WWII ship reunions, and took 14 cruises together. Mother will be greatly missed. Memorials should be made to Lakeside Methodist Church, Lake Village, Ark., or Bartlett United Methodist Church, Bartlett, Tenn. in lieu of flowers. Visitation will be at Lakeside Methodist Church, Lake Village, Ark. at 1 p.m. on Wednesday Sept 8. Funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. with interment in the Lake Village Cemetery. Arrangements are by Bishop Funeral Home of Lake Village. www.bishop-funeralhome.com.