Person Page - 370

     Herbert F. Freeman was born on 27 June 1907. He married Bertie Lee Bagwell, daughter of Eddie D. Bagwell and Alice Edna Stephenson, before 1930. Herbert F. Freeman died on 10 June 1984 at age 76. He was buried at Zion Hill Cemetery, Friday, Trinity County, Texas.

     Cooper Fred Friday was born on 2 June 1905 in Texas.¹ He married Nellie Bagwell, daughter of Levi Wilburn Bagwell and Evaline Virginia Fussell, before 1946. Cooper Fred Friday died on 15 December 1987 in Walker County, Texas, at age 82.¹ He was buried at Zion Hill Cemetery, Friday, Trinity County, Texas.

     Ada Bagwell was born on 15 February 1916 in Trinity County, Texas.¹ She was the daughter of Eddie D. Bagwell and Alice Edna Stephenson.¹ Ada Bagwell married James Mark Lykins after 1930. Ada Bagwell died on 23 May 2010 in Houston County, Texas, at age 94.¹ She was buried at Zion Hill Cemetery, Friday, Trinity County, Texas.¹

     James Edward Bagwell is the son of Edward Davis Bagwell and Mary Kathleen Smith.^1,2,3 James Edward Bagwell married Rebecca Diane Clark on 30 June 1973.³ James Edward Bagwell married Patricia Diane Holbrooks on 18 March 1990 at Greenville, South Carolina.

     Bridget Samatha Bagwell is the daughter of Lynda Renea Bagwell.¹

     Paul Poston married Loretta Jean Bagwell, daughter of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar, on 12 September 1955.¹

     Marcella Ruth Bagwell was born on 15 August 1935 in Boswell, Izard County, Arkansas.¹ She was the daughter of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar.¹ As of 26 February 1955,her married name was Kankey.¹ Marcella Ruth Bagwell married Vaughn Gaylon Kankey on 26 February 1955 at Houston, Texas.¹ Marcella Ruth Bagwell died on 30 January 2025 in North Richland Hills, Tarrant County, Texas, at age 89


Marcella R Bagwell Kankey, 89 years old of North Richland Hills, passed into Heaven on January 30th, 2025. Marcella was born on August 15th, 1935 in Boswell, Arkansas, to Beatrice Hagar Bagwell and Myrle E. Bagwell.

Marcella graduated Calico Rock High School in 1953. While in high school she met the love of her life, Vaughn Gaylon Kankey of Oxford, Arkansas. After high school, Marcella moved to Houston, Texas to live with her sister, Loretta, and worked at East Side Bank before marrying Gaylon on February 26th, 1955.

Marcella and Gaylon lived in Victoria, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, El Paso, Texas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and then moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1965 with their children, Deborah Kankey Blount and Vaughn Gregory Kankey. Marcella was an active member of North Richland Hills Baptist Church, now Cross Church NRH. She also volunteered at several Christian ministries and taught Backyard Bible classes and after school programs about Jesus Christ.

Marcella was preceded in death by her dear husband of 67 years, Vaughn Gaylon Kankey in October 2022. Also preceding her were her parents Myrle and Beatrice Bagwell and her sister, Loretta Bagwell Poston.

Marcella's calling in life was to be a wife, mother, and homemaker with enthusiasm; using her talents for sewing, cooking, quilting, and bargain shopping; as well as caring for and supporting Gaylon, Deborah, and Greg in all they did together as a family and individually. She embraced her role as Grandmother to all five of her grandchildren with joy as she spoiled them with treats, playtime, and unconditional love.

But Marcella's greatest joy in her life was accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord through God's grace and mercy. She loved to learn more and grow closer to Jesus through bible study, prayer, and sharing Jesus with children and adults.

Marcella is survived by her children Deborah Kankey Blount and husband Robert Blount and Greg Kankey and wife Tauna Huntley Kankey. Grandchildren: Steven Crandall, Matthew Crandall, Rachel Kankey, Rebecca Kankey and Jacob Kankey. She is also survived by her siblings Armilda McCormack of Walawala, Washington, Nettie Tipton of Mountain Home, Arkansas, and Lonnie Bagwell of Norfork, Arkansas. Marcella has a number of in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews that will also miss her hugs, smiles, prayers, and visits at family gatherings.

Every time she was with family she said, "This is so special." She knew the importance of in person, face to face time together. Now she can see Jesus, face to face, and bow down to her Lord and Savior. She was looking forward to her most "Special Time".

Services for Marcella will take place Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home 5725 Colleyville Blvd. Colleyville, TX 76034. Visitation will take place at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a 3 p.m. memorial service.


She was buried on 25 February 2025 at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park, Colleyville, Tarrant County, Texas.

     Vaughn Gaylon Kankey married Marcella Ruth Bagwell, daughter of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar, on 26 February 1955 at Houston, Texas.¹

     Mavis Armilda Bagwell was born on 2 January 1939 in Boswell, Izard County, Arkansas.¹ She was the daughter of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar.¹ As of 29 September 1956,her married name was McCormack.¹ Mavis Armilda Bagwell married Robert Ernest McCormack on 29 September 1956 at Calico Rock, Arkansas.¹ Mavis Armilda Bagwell died on 6 May 2025 in Walla Walla, Walla Walla County, Washington, at age 86


Armilda McCormack, 86, died on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the Park Manor Rehabilitation Center in Walla Walla, Wash., after several years of declining health.
Armilda McCormack appreciated beauty in all its forms—a scenic landscape vista, a masterpiece on the museum wall, a stirring symphony movement, a well-tended flower garden, a tastefully decorated room, an outfit put together just right; she relished it all. It's a bit ironic that she never fully recognized the beauty that her family and friends saw in her.
Mavis Armilda Bagwell was born on January 2, 1939, in Boswell, Ark., the daughter of Myrl and Beatrice Bagwell. The family settled in nearby Calico Rock during Armilda's school years. It was in Calico Rock that she fell in love with her husband of 63 years, Bob McCormack. They married on September 29, 1956, and moved to Fayetteville, Ark., where Bob completed his accounting degree from the University of Arkansas and began his career in higher education financial management. Their daughters Teresa and Sondra were born during these years in Fayetteville.
In the mid-1960s, the family moved to Little Rock for Bob's job with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, and after the girls began school, Armilda started her working career, managing a dentist office.
In 1979, Armilda and Bob relocated to Conway, where he became Vice President of Financial Affairs at the University of Central Arkansas. Armilda worked several years as a marketing services supervisor for a vending machine manufacturer before launching her own highly-sought-after interior decorating business, "Interiors by Armilda."
Shortly after Bob died in November 2019, Armilda moved to Walla Walla, Wash., to be near Teresa and her family. Sondra also moved temporarily to Walla Walla to ride out the COVID pandemic. Armilda was thrilled finally to have most of her family nearby, after so many years of being separated by fifteen hundred miles. Frequent visits from incomparably cute great-grandsons Weston and Cole brought special delight to her.
Armilda and Bob loved camping in north Arkansas, in everything from tents to campers (the infamous "Pregnant Caterpillar") to full-blown RVs. They also traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Armilda cherished hosting and cooking for the annual family Christmas celebrations and countless gatherings of friends and colleagues. She had many dear friends and an abundance of love and compassion for all aspects of her friends' lives.
While living in Conway, Bob and Armilda especially enjoyed attending all the extensive cultural events hosted at the college. As a couple, most people viewed Bob as the "mover and shaker", and justifiably so, given his career. But her close family knew that she was the smart one, "with it" in Bob's parlance. She was intellectually curious and very well-read, and she had a good head for numbers. She followed politics closely and was a very proud Democrat.
Thanks for the warm milk, Gigi! We love you and miss you.
Armilda was preceded in death by her husband Bob; and sisters, Loretta Poston and Marcella Kankey.
She is survived by daughter, Teresa Harrington and husband Scott of Walla Walla, Wash., daughter Sondra McCormack of Little Rock, Ark; grandson, Grant Harrington of Walla Walla, grandson Todd Harrington and wife Elizabeth Bourcier of Walla Walla; great-grandsons, Weston Harrington and Cole Harrington of Walla Walla; sister, Nettie Tipton of Mountain Home, Ark; and brother, Lonnie Bagwell of Mountain Home.
A memorial service to honor Armilda's life will be held on Saturday, June 7 at 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of Conway. Memorial gifts may be made to the charity of your choice.


She was buried on 7 June 2025 at First United Methodist Church Columbarium, Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas.

     Robert Ernest McCormack married Mavis Armilda Bagwell, daughter of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar, on 29 September 1956 at Calico Rock, Arkansas.¹

     Nettie Lou Bagwell is the daughter of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar.¹ Nettie Lou Bagwell married Rex Dale Tipton on 3 September 1960 at Mountain Home, Baxter County, Arkansas.¹

     Rex Dale Tipton married Nettie Lou Bagwell, daughter of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar, on 3 September 1960 at Mountain Home, Baxter County, Arkansas.¹

     Lonnie Dean Bagwell is the son of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar.¹ Lonnie Dean Bagwell married Marylin May on 22 January 1972.¹

     Marylin May married Lonnie Dean Bagwell, son of Myrl Edward Bagwell and Edna Beatrice Hagar, on 22 January 1972.¹

     Ray Shelby Bagwell is the son of Lonnie Dean Bagwell and Marylin May.¹ Ray Shelby Bagwell married Jessica Marie Irby on 23 May 1998 at Elizabeth, Arkansas.¹

     Jessica Marie Irby married Ray Shelby Bagwell, son of Lonnie Dean Bagwell and Marylin May, on 23 May 1998 at Elizabeth, Arkansas.¹

     Trinity Marie Bagwell is the daughter of Ray Shelby Bagwell and Jessica Marie Irby.¹

     Buck Rustin Bagwell is the son of Lonnie Dean Bagwell and Marylin May.¹

     Makayla Bagwell is the son of Lonnie Dean Bagwell and Marylin May.¹

     Gladis H. Bagwell was born on 15 May 1911.¹ She was the daughter of William Alexander Bagwell and Nettie Lemon.¹ Gladis H. Bagwell died on 6 October 1912 at age 1.¹ She was buried at Vest Cemetery, Izard County, Arkansas.

     Ora Pearl Bagwell was born on 14 January 1917 in Baxter County, Arkansas.¹ She was the daughter of William Alexander Bagwell and Nettie Lemon.¹ As of 16 August 1937,her married name was Jeffery.¹ Ora Pearl Bagwell married Owne Henley Jeffery on 16 August 1937.¹ Ora Pearl Bagwell died on 19 August 2004 in Bloomfield Hills, Oakland County, Michigan, at age 87.¹

     Owne Henley Jeffery was born on 2 January 1915 in Clarksville, Texas.¹ He married Ora Pearl Bagwell, daughter of William Alexander Bagwell and Nettie Lemon, on 16 August 1937.¹ Owne Henley Jeffery died on 25 March 1990 at age 75.¹

     Flora N. Pitchford was also known as Nancy Flora Pitchford. She was born on 25 January 1884 in Webster County, Missouri.^1,2 As of 27 December 1908,her married name was Bagwell. She married Joseph Allen Bagwell, son of John Madison Bagwell and Mariah Josephine Mason, on 27 December 1908 at Baxter County, Arkansas.^1,3 Flora N. Pitchford died on 14 August 1954 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age 70.^1,2 She was buried at White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas.²

     Vernon "Shorty" Bagwell was born on 29 October 1910 in Arkansas.^1,2 He was the son of Joseph Allen Bagwell and Flora N. Pitchford.¹ Vernon "Shorty" Bagwell married Thelma McLaughlin after 1930.^1,3 Vernon "Shorty" Bagwell died on 3 April 1996 at age 85.² He was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma.²

     Thelma McLaughlin was born on 19 May 1919.^1,2 As of after 1930,her married name was Bagwell.¹ She married Vernon "Shorty" Bagwell, son of Joseph Allen Bagwell and Flora N. Pitchford, after 1930.^1,2 Thelma McLaughlin died on 26 June 2014 in Oklahoma at age 95.² She was buried on 3 July 2014 at Memorial Park Cemetery, Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma.²

     Wilma Bagwell was born in 1937.¹ She was the daughter of Vernon "Shorty" Bagwell and Thelma McLaughlin. Wilma Bagwell died in 2003.¹ She was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma.¹

     Millard M. Bagwell was born on 25 April 1912 in Arkansas.^1,2 He was the son of Joseph Allen Bagwell and Flora N. Pitchford.¹ He served in the US Army during World War II and the Korean War as a Corporal in Company B, Engineering C Battalion.² Millard M. Bagwell died on 7 March 1971 at age 58.² He was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma.²

     Pauline Ida Bagwell was born on 2 December 1914 in Texas.¹ She was the daughter of Joseph Allen Bagwell and Flora N. Pitchford.¹ As of 25 December 1935,her married name was Nibarger. Pauline Ida Bagwell married Lawrence Earl Niebarger on 25 December 1935 at Woodward, Oklahoma. Pauline Ida Bagwell died on 5 April 2003 at age 88.

     Basil Owen Bagwell was born on 24 January 1916 in Beeville, Texas.^1,2 He was the son of Joseph Allen Bagwell and Flora N. Pitchford.¹ Basil Owen Bagwell married Dorothy Mae (?) before 1937 at Tulsa County, Oklahoma. Basil Owen Bagwell and Dorothy Mae (?) lived on 16 October 1940 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. Basil Owen Bagwell married Deloris May Wilder after 1950. Basil Owen Bagwell died on 6 May 2002 in Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, at age 86.^1,2 He was buried on 13 May 2002 at Memorial Park Cemetery, Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma.²

     Betty Jean Bagwell was born on 12 September 1923 in Oklahoma.¹ She was the daughter of Joseph Allen Bagwell and Flora N. Pitchford.¹ As of after 1945,her married name was Scriven. Betty Jean Bagwell married Robert Arthur Scriven after 1945. Betty Jean Bagwell died on 13 October 2014 in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas, at age 91.