Cecil Hesslen

Cecil Ray Hesslen, 90, of Alma left this earth and stepped into his heavenly home and into the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, at Alma Health and Rehab. He was born Nov. 30, 1931, in Cedarville, Ark., to the late Benjamin Grover and Ida McKinley (Riddle) Hesslen. He was the youngest of his siblings. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict and married his late wife, Violet on Jan. 6, 1951. He had been a plant engineer for Ward and Desoto Furniture Factories and was a salesman for H Jack Flanders. He and his wife Violet were owners and operators of Hesslen Machinery for 30 years, a charter member of Butterfield Assembly of God Church in Van Buren, a member of the Van Buren Gideons, taught Sunday school and was a greeter at Butterfield AOG, where he also worked in their Bus Ministry. On June 6, 2015, Cecil and Mary Ann Kimes were married. The family is thankful for this union and the joy it brought them as they continued a life devoted to serving others. They enjoyed hosting their Sunday school class for Butterfield Assembly of God in their home. He was a magnificent man of faith, and he has left a great legacy for us to live up to. We will miss him greatly. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Violet Louise (Gregory) Hesslen; daughter, Cecilia Peer; grandchild, Shane Burns; son-in-law, Burl Ray Burns; sister, Mabel Watson and her husband Bob; brother, Benjamin Arvid Hesslen and his wife Bernice; and a niece Ida Mae Crosson. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Hesslen; daughter, Sharon Burns and her partner Bill King; son, Benjamin "Buddy" Hesslen and his wife Leanna; son in law, Charles Peer; three bonus children, Danny Kimes and his wife Martha, April Wells and her husband Jerry, Tony Kimes and his wife Leslie; three grandchildren, B. J. Burns, Jordan Peer Thomas, and Benjamin Christian Hesslen and his wife Emily; three great-grandchildren, Collier and Londan Buck and Ada Hesslen; two nephews, Gayle Hesslen and Bobby Watson; six bonus grandchildren and 16 bonus great-grandchildren. Funeral service will be 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, at Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home Chapel with a private burial at Gracelawn Cemetery under the direction of Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home of Van Buren, Ark. Pallbearers will be Benjamin Christian Hesslen, B.J. Burns, Charles Peer, Bobby Watson, Danny Kimes and Tony Kimes. Memorial contribution may be made to the Gideons International, gideons.org. To place an online tribute, go to www.edwardsvan-alma.com.