Obituaries

John R. Mayhall

Photo of John R. Mayhall
John R. Mayhall, a longtime native of Bentonville and retired barber, passed away Sunday, December 1, 2019 in Fort Smith at the age of 90. He was born on August 31, 1929 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Wellesley Oran and Wilma Inez (Rumley) Mayhall. At the age of four, his family moved back to Bentonville. He attended Bentonville Public Schools, where he played football and basketball for the Bentonville Tigers, until he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army. He was a Veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict. John met Margaret Mae Nichols at Crow Drug in Bentonville in 1947 and married October 1, 1950. They had one daughter, Mary Beth. John and his brother, Carl, started Mayhall's Barber Shop in 1956, one of Bentonville's oldest retail businesses. The Mayhall Barber shop was a gathering place for getting a haircut and catching up on the local as well as national news. Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, was among John's regular customers. Many dear friends were made over the years. John served in several civic capacities; he was a member of the Bentonville/ Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce and served on the Bentonville City Council. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Bentonville. After a 40-year career, John and wife, Margaret, moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas to be closer to their daughter and granddaughter. He worked part-time at Rogers Avenue Barber Shop and Greenwood Barber Shop until he retired in 2010. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Fort Smith. He is survived by his daughter, Mary Beth (Don) Chambers of Fort Smith; granddaughter, Scarlett Chambers of Allen, TX; brother, Carl (Kathy) Mayhall of Rogers; nephew, Bryon (Sandy) Mayhall of Rogers; nephew, Jason (Brooke) Mayhall of Rogers and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. John was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Margaret Mayhall; brother, Bob Mayhall; half siblings, Tommy, Helen, and Bill Weatherly. John's family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Speake and Dr. Terrell for their compassion and commitment to John's care. Thank you to all the staff at Butterfield Place, Grace at Home, Kindred at Home, Mercy Rehab, and Mercy Hospice for their kindness and exceptional care. Also, thank you to John's friends at Butterfield Place for their support over the last year and a half. Cremation was under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on December 7, 2019 at Stockdale-Moody Funeral Chapel in Rogers, Arkansas with private interment at Bentonville City Cemetery in Bentonville. Memorials may be made in honor of John Mayhall to First Baptist Church of Fort Smith, 1400 Grand Ave., Fort Smith, Ark. 72901 or charity of donor's choice. Arrangements are by Stockdale Funeral Services Online condolences may be made to stockdalefuneral.com or www.edwardsfuneralhome.com.

Published December 4, 2019

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