Mattie Ellen Vineyard

Mattie "Ellen" Vineyard, age 98, of Fordyce, passed away peacefully on June 26, 2022. Ellen was born May 4, 1924, in Fredrick, Oklahoma. She was the daughter of the late Clyde and Eddie Jane Hendrickson and stepmother, Mae Hendrickson. She is preceded in death by her husband, William James Vineyard and her sister, Loretta. Survivors include her daughter, Becky (Jerry) Rogers; two grandchildren, James (Stephanie) Rogers and Jennifer Rogers; two great-grandchildren, Wes Rogers and Ethan Rogers; and her lifelong family friend, Carolyn Jenkins, all of Fordyce. Ellen moved to Fordyce with her husband James in 1946 where they established their family home and opened the Redbug Café. They answered a newspaper ad for a sales representative which later developed into Hol-N-One Donut Co. of Ark. Since its beginning in 1954, Ellen worked in the administrative side of Hol-N-One. She continued in this position until she was 95. Ellen was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Fordyce, where she worked in the children's department for many years teaching Sunday School and Training Union as well as working in Vacation Bible School. She was also a member of the WMU (Women's Missionary Union) and the Faith Sunday School Class. As a member of the "Keenagers", she enjoyed numerous trips and activities where she and her friends played cards on the church bus as they traveled and saw the sights. One of Ellen's favorite pastimes was traveling. She traveled with numerous close friends throughout the years. They traveled everywhere from Niagara Falls, N.Y., to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., to Hilton Head, S.C. They drove in New York City and learned to use GPS by getting lost numerous times. These trips provided loads of fun, laughter, and memories for many years. Another pastime was playing cards with her card playing groups. Her favorite game in later years was Hand and Foot. While she always enjoyed traveling, Ellen loved coming home to Fordyce. She loved her town, and she was community minded. Ellen was a member of the Fordyce Business and Professional Women (BPW) where she held officer positions for numerous years and was voted Fordyce BPW Woman of the year in 2011. She was an active member in the Sesame Club where she always enjoyed selling her pecans every year. Ellen served as a Trustee for many years for First National Bank/Regions. A memorial service honoring Ellen's well lived life will be held at Benton Funeral Home in Fordyce, Ark. Visitation will be Tuesday evening, June 28, 2022, from 6 to 8 p.m., and the Memorial Service will be Wednesday morning, June 29, 2022, at 10 a.m. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in Fordyce. Arrangements are by Benton Funeral Home of Fordyce. To sign the online register visit: www.bentonfuneralhome.net.