Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Beverly Wilson

ARKADELPHIA  Beverly Reid Wilson, 70, of Arkadelphia died Tuesday, July 6, 2004, in Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock of pulmonary fibrosis.

She was born Nov. 11, 1933, in Gurdon, the daughter of the late Maurice and Joe Reid.

She received her BSF degree from Henderson in 1954 and her MSE degree in 1958. She did graduate work at Texas Women's University and East

Texas State University. Four generations of her family attended Henderson State University. Her mother, Maurice Jordan, was a freshman in 1930. Her daughter, Brenda Wells Joiner, graduated in 1979 and has coached the tennis and cross country teams at HSU since 1993. Her grandson Reid Joiner, became Henderson's youngest graduate when he received his BS degree at age 18 in December 2000. Her granddaughter, Leah Joiner, will be a freshman in the fall of 2004.

After receiving her degree from Henderson, Mrs. Wilson returned to Gurdon and taught English at Gurdon High School for 10 years. She is fondly remembered by her students and has faithfully attended the school's reunions. She began teaching at Henderson State University in 1965 and was an English associate professor for 30 years. She served as faculty advisor

for Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority for 10 years. She was a lifelong travel enthusiast. She traveled to 15 foreign countries and almost all of the states.

When she retired from Henderson, she turned her favorite pastime into a

profitable retirement venture by becoming an escort with Cosmopolitan Motorcoach Tours in Little Rock. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church where she served on the administrative board and other committees. She was a member of the DAR, Colonial Dames and Delta Kappa Gamma.

Survivors include her husband, Truvaughn Wilson; two daughters, Brenda Wells Joiner and Sara Wells Crain, both of Arkadelphia; one stepson, Douglas Wilson of Bismarck; three grandchildren, Reid Joiner, Leah Joiner and Von Crain; two step-grandchildren, Jennifer Rigsby and Matt Wilson. She is also

survived by her best childhood friend, Gynn McJohnson.

Funeral services were 1 p.m. Saturday, July 10, 2004, at the First

United Methodist Church of Arkadelphia with Rev. Daniel Kirkpatrick officiating. Burial was in Delamar Cemetery near Manning under the direction of Ruggles-Wilcox Funeral Home.

Pallbearers were Joe T. Clark, C.D. Dowell, Al Cash, William Reid, John

Edward Frazier, Buddy McJohnson, Bill Clements and Charles Hogan.

Memorials may be made to the Arkadelphia First United Methodist Church or the Henderson State University Foundation.

Visitation was from 6-8 p.m. Friday and 9-11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.