Samuel Lawrence Arnold

Rev. Samuel Lawrence Arnold, 71 of Hamburg, Ark. died Monday, October 31, 2011 at Drew Memorial Hospital in Monticello, Ark. He was a native of Camden but a resident of Hamburg for the past 32 years, and a former resident of Chicago, Ill. Bro. Arnold was a retired African Methodist Episcopal Minister, and a member of the Soldiers Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Hamburg. Rev. Arnold served as Presiding Elder for approximately 20 years of the Monticello District of the South Arkansas Conference of the Twelfth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, also Presiding over the West and Central Arkansas Conference. Before he was appointed Presiding Elder he had pastured several A.M.E. Churches throughout Southeast Arkansas and Northeast Arkansas, and served as a Hamburg City Councilmen for nine years, was also on the Ashley County Quorum Court for 16 years. Preceded in death by his second wife Evelyn Arnold, two sons, James and Lawrence Arnold, parents, Rev. Robert and Sutilla Primm-Arnold, and three brothers, Richard Arnold, Rase Brown, and Robert Lee Arnold, Jr. Survived by his wife of two years, Cherry Ridgell-Arnold, five sons, Cleotha Robinson of Omaho, Neb., Raymond Arnold of Las Angeles, Calif., Samuel Arnold Jr., LaDarian Arnold both of Hamburg, Lawrence Arnold of Little Rock, Ark, two step sons, Rodney Trotter Jr., Lance Ridgell both of Monticello, Ark, five daughters, Carolyn Cromwell, husband James of Fayetteville, N.C., Chanel Carter, husband Donald of Woodbridge, Va., Peggy Brown, husband Earl of Bastrop, La., Sharon Arnold-Walls, husband Andre of Hamburg, Meyonna Arnold of Hamburg, one brother Rev. John Wesley Arnold, wife Evisteen of Hamburg, Ark., 20 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and a host of other family, friends, and loved ones. Services will be held Friday, November 4, 2011 at 2 p.m. at Pilgrim Rest A.M.E. Church of Monticello with Bishop Samuel L. Green officiating. Visitation is Thursday, November 3, 2011 from 6-8 p.m. at Cromwell Funeral Home. Burial in Johnson Memorial Cemetery under the directions of Cromwell Funeral Home of Hamburg, Ark.