Francis Gene Hedgecock

Francis Gene Hedgecock, 72, of Hamburg, died Thursday, October 16, 2014 in Little Rock. Born in Horatio, Arkansas to Doris Cannon and Gene Stafford, she was the oldest child with brothers Tom and Jim Stafford. She married Todd Scott (T.S.) Hedgecock on December 30, 1961. She was preceded in death by her husband and her brother Jim. Francis is survived by her daughter Nancy Miller and her husband Chris of Carmel, Calif., daughter Alison Shepherd of Little Rock, and grandchildren John Scott and Sydney Shepherd and Lauren and Cameron Miller. She is also survived by her brother Tom and extended family members. Francis grew up in Lockesburg and loved playing basketball. She also played basketball at Texarkana College. After marriage, she and Scott lived in Memphis, Tenn. while he attended dental school. Francis worked at the Schumacher Mortgage Company during this time. She and Scott moved to Hamburg soon after his graduation and established his dental practice where she worked full time as his assistant beginning in 1972. For many years Francis was an active member of the Hamburg Garden Club, serving as president and other positions for many terms. She loved preparing her many award-winning designs. She worked tirelessly to obtain listing of the Hamburg Presbyterian Church in the National Register of Historic Places. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her second career revolved around teaching at Hamburg Adult Education and at the Fountain Hill School. Her encouragement and high expectations of her students positively affected many of their lives. She loved every minute of teaching and was very proud of each student's educational accomplishments and future successes. In her spare time, Francis loved watching many sports, including the Arkansas Razorbacks, San Antonio Spurs, and tennis of any kind as well as watching John Scott and Sydney play baseball and softball in nearby Dumas. A memorial service will be held Sunday, October 19th at 2 p.m. with Linda Yarbrough officiating at the Hamburg Garden Club. Memorials may be made in her honor to Hamburg Garden Club. Services entrusted to Cremations and Funeral Services of Arkansas. Guests may register at www.arcremation.com.