Curtis W. McElhaney

The TimesRecordOnine
Friday, February 19, 2010

Curtis W. McElhaney, 81, of Charleston died Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010, in Paris. He was born Aug. 21, 1928, in the Thorney community, near Elkins, to Hugh McElhaney and Hazel McElhaney.

He was the assistant county agent for Carroll and Franklin counties, then county agent for Franklin County; a member of the Chamber of Commerce; on the Farm Bureau Board; and named Citizen of the Year twice for Franklin County.

He loved baseball and played in the minor leagues for the Vernon Dusters in Vernon, Texas, where he met and married Bobbie Thomas, his wife of 60 years. He was a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals farm league and a U.S. Navy, Korean War veteran who served aboard the USS Wedderburn.

He was a volunteer bus driver for Charleston sports events and taught hunter education for 25 years. He was a graduate of Huntsville High School in Huntsville, and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas. He was a member of Charleston First Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by a son, John McElhaney, and a brother, Clatis McElhaney.

Service will be 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at Smith Mortuary Chapel with burial at Mt. Olive Cemetery near Elkins under the direction of Smith Mortuary.

He is survived by his wife, Bobbie J. McElhaney of the home; a son, James McElhaney and wife DeAnn of Bryan, Texas; a granddaughter, Breanna, and a grandson, Will, of Bryan; granddaughters, Sabrina McElhaney of Conway, Teresa McElhaney Butler and husband Trevor of Conway; a daughter-in-law, Susan Fackler and husband T.J. of Booneville; a stepgrandson, Tim Fackler of Oregon; a sister, Cuba Fritts and husband Paul of the Wesley community and a sister-in-law, Virginia McElhaney of Fayetteville; several nieces and nephews, great-nieces, -nephews and numerous other family and friends.

Pallbearers will be Joe Dick Burt, Judge Joe Powell, Shane Storey, Dr. Charles Miesner, Kim Loughridge and Reed Haynes.

Honorary pallbearers will be Guy Fenter, Greg Bohannon, T.J. Fackler, Jim Miesner and Bill Jones.

The family will visit with friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Franklin County 4-H Foundation.