Juanita Mae Passmore Cummings

Juanita Mae Passmore Cummings, age 97, passed gently into the hands of Jesus on September 18, 2022. She was born on September 30, 1924, to Ervin and Cora Passmore in the Thola community of north Arkansas near Leslie. She went to Leslie High School where she was a good student and played basketball. She was quick to point out that she played forward, one of three girls on the end of the court who could score. She was a member of Sylvan Hills First Baptist Church for 73 years where she faithfully attended until her health limited her involvement. She taught 4th grade girls Sunday School for many years and truly loved it. She talked about her "Sunday School Girls" often. She helped her husband at Cummings (Sylvan Hills) Home and Auto for many years until the business was sold in 1980. She enjoyed working with customers and the others who worked at the store including her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Lewis and Rosa Cummings. She was a wonderful mother to her five children as they attended Sylvan Hills schools from 1st grade through high school. She endured hundreds of baseball games as her sons played in the Optimist Baseball program. She loved it all of course. She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Samuel D. Cummings, Sr, her parents, her three brothers, Doyle, Cecil and James, and her son-in-law, Tim Hall. She is survived by her five children, Carole Mashburn (Larry) of Ashdown, Samuel D. Cummings, Jr. (Dianne) of North Little Rock, Michael D. Cummings (Mary) of Prairie Grove, Wayne Cummings (Nancy) of Russellville, and Joyce Hall of Knoxville, Tenn. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. Angela Adkison (Darren) and children Madeline and Benjamin, Ray Mashburn (Ashli), Mark Mashburn (Brandy) and children Vivian, Laney Latham, Ashton Beard (Bo) and Waylon, Kyla Aycock (Tony) and children Zack, Wesley and Spencer, Candice Grandon (Adam) and children Selma Kate and Thane, Samuel (Trey) Cummings III (Sarah) and son Brooks, Scott Cummings (Cristin) and children Ellinor, Aslynn, Oscar and Hunter, Eric Cummings (Serena) and children Isaac, Caroline, Carson and Lillith, Landen Cummings (Aubrey), Nathaniel Cummings, Adrian Hall (Rosie) and children Meredith and Julia, Lesley Jones (Brian) and children Elijah, Alyssa, Ava and Archer. Services will be Monday, September 26. Visitation will be at Smith Funeral Home on Main Street in North Little Rock at 11:30 a.m. Burial will be at Arkansas Veterans Cemetery on Maryland Avenue at 1 p.m. Pallbearers will be Ray Mashburn, Mark Mashburn, Trey Cummings, Scott Cummings, Eric Cummings, Landen Cummings, Nathaniel Cummings and Adrian Hall. Contributions may be directed to Sylvan Hills First Baptist Church, 9008 Highway 107, Sherwood, Ark., 72120, or the Gideons. Online guestbook: www.SmithFamilyCares.com