Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Curtis E. Echols

Curtis E. Echols, 90, of Arkadelphia died Monday, February 17, 1997, at Baptist Medical Center in Arkadelphia.

He was born August 3, 1906, in Pike County. He was the son of John and Martha Rilla Echols. A graduate of Amity High School, he had worked as assistant cashier in the Bank of Amity for 13 years before moving to Arkadelphia.

He was deputy tax collector in Clark County from 1937 to 1940, county clerk from 1941 to 1944, and he was a partner in the Arkadelphia Steam Laundry from 1945 to 1965.

Mr. Echols was the retired president of Arkadelphia Federal Savings and Loan Association, and he was a past board member of Arkansas Board

of Savings and Loan Associations and the Arkansas Savings and Loan League. He was a former member of the board of directors of Elk Horn Bank and Trust Company and served 13 years on the Arkadelphia School board.

He was a charter member of the Arkadelphia Lions Club and he was a Melvin Jones Fellow. He was a charter member of Arkadelphia Federal Housing Board and a past chairman of Arkadelphia Airport Commission.

Mr. Echols was a past chairman of the Clark County Democratic Committee and he was a past president of the W.P. Sturgis Foundation. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Arkadelphia, where he was an inactive deacon.

His wife, Louise Ray Echols, died in 1988.

He is survived by three children, John C. Echols of Little Rock and Ronald S. Echols and Judith L. Jones of Arkadelphia; two brothers, Harold Echols of Arkadelphia and Earnest Echols of Amity; seven grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

A memorial service for Mr. Echols will be held today (Wednesday, February 19) at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Arkadelphia with Dr. Kevin Lee officiating. Private burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery under the direction of Murry-Ruggles Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church building fund, Clark County Library or to a charity of one's choice.