{"id":564,"date":"2020-01-18T12:52:32","date_gmt":"2020-01-18T12:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/roark-conner.org\/?page_id=564"},"modified":"2024-11-12T08:55:58","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T13:55:58","slug":"obituaries","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/roark-conner.org\/documents\/obituaries\/","title":{"rendered":"Obituaries"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
The R-CA extends sympathy, love, and prayers to the family and friends of the beloved family members \u00a0<\/span>Judge Franklin Roark, Jr. was born in Highland Park, Texas on November 3, 1919 to Judge Franklin Roark and Edith Bandy Roark. He passed away peacefully on February 10, 2019, surrounded by family. He is survived by his children Judge Franklin Roark III, Marilyn Elizabeth Roark, and Courtney Roark, and his granddaughters Erin Elizabeth Ayliffe and Mallory McDonald Ayliffe. He graduated from Highland Park High School in 1937, subsequently turning down an appointment to the West Point Military Academy to pursue his love of dentistry and orthodontics. He graduated from Baylor Dental School in 1943, number one in his class, and was then drafted into the Army Medical Corps. He served in the 90th Army Field Hospital in Mindanao, Philippine Islands until the end of the war in the Pacific. He was awarded the second highest honor conferred by the U.S. Army for superior performance and outstanding dedication to duty during operations against the enemy from April 30, 1945 to June 30, 1945. After the war, he married Elizabeth Cullwell Johnson and was a devoted husband until her death in 2016. He practiced orthodontics for over forty years with offices in Highland Park and Oak Cliff. Additionally, he taught at Baylor Dental School. He was beloved by his patients for telling corny jokes and singing in the office and was famous in the neighborhood for giving out toothbrushes on Halloween. He loved to play golf, engage in any political discussion, recite poetry from memory, sing, and share tales from his childhood. Up until his very last days, he was always up for having a “little restorative” with whomever might be in the house. Please make any memorials to the charity of your choice.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Dorothy Mae Pendergrass Waddell, better known as \u201cTom\u201d passed away December 6, 2019, at home, at the age of 89. She was a member of Birchwood Church of God and graduated from Birchwood High School. She was the best Christian, the best mother, and the best person we have ever known.<\/p> She was the daughter of the late Raliegh and Effie Dunn Pendergrass and was also preceded in death by her husband John E. Waddell, her sisters Ruby Everett and Lucy Kestl, her brothers Preston, Chester, Bill, and Harlan Pendergrass.<\/p> She is survived by her sister Margaret Anderson of Dutton AL., brother-in-law Kenneth Waddell (Shirley) of Thomasville GA., Dean Hardwick and Barbara Ledford of Cleveland, her daughters Joan Beard (Ronnie), Karin Westfield (Anthony), Sheila Bivens (Dwight), Sherry Waddell (Lisa), grandchildren Rachel Goins, Christy Watson, Holly Hunt (Johnny), Drew Ingram, Jonathan Pendergrass, Katelyn Umberger, Amy Hensley (Aaron) Leigh-Ann Collins (Chris), great-grandchildren Alexis Pinela, Austin Watson (Lauren), Isaiah Watson, Cody Hicks (Lauren), Jacob and Ronnie Hicks, Jonathan Hunt, Abel and Andy Hensley, and Gunner Finnley Castelow. She is also survived by many much-loved nieces and nephews and her great-great niece.<\/p> Mrs. Waddell \u201cTom\u201d was a very Humble and modest person. At her request, there was no formal funeral.<\/p> A Remembrance of Life Service was held graveside at McInturff Cemetery in Birchwood with Pastor Steve Miller officiating. Casket bearers were Cody, Jacob, and Ronnie Hicks, Jonathan Hunt, Austin, and Isaiah Watson. Jim Rush Funeral and Cremation Services North Ocoee St. Chapel has charge of the arrangements.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Dallas M. Roark, R-CA Past President – 1980. Dallas was born on December 15, 1931, in Birchwood, TN, to Mattie White (1890-1952) and Franklin A. Roark (1886-1974). Dallas was the youngest of six living children, and his grandparents were Virginia Ann Conner (1852-1934) and William Marion Roark (1845-1923). Dallas’ paternal great grandparents were Juda Ann Carr (1813-1883) and Joseph Roark (1813-1876), and his maternal great grandparents were Martha Palmer (1815-1890) and Maximillian Haney Conner (1806-1893).<\/p> The family lived at the Franklin Asberry homeplace on the Tennessee River off of Eldridge Road, about 6 miles from downtown Birchwood. In the early 1930\u2019s, when Dallas was about 2-3 years old, the farm was bought by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and much of the land was flooded when the Chickmauga Dam was built downstream. After the farm was sold, the family moved to Cleveland, TN. In about 1937, Dallas\u2019 father bought a farm, and the family moved to west Tennessee.<\/p> In 1942, the family moved from the farm to Chicago where Dallas graduated from high school. After graduating from the Northern Baptist Seminary in 1954, Dallas worked as an assistant pastor at Fairfield, Iowa. During this time he met Elaine. They began a dating period of about 5 years. On March 19, 1955, Dallas and Elaine were married in Cook, IL. After getting married, Dallas became the full-time pastor of a church in Bonaparte, Iowa. He left early, attended classes, came home, did pastoral ministries, and studied. In 1958, Dallas received his MA, and in 1963, he received a PhD.<\/p> In August 1959, Dallas actively participated in the first Roark-Conner Family Reunion held in Birchwood, TN. According to Laura\u2019s book, \u201cLaura Roark Shropshire \u2014 Her Life and Works,\u201d\u00a0\u201cLaura had encouraged such a reunion for some time. . . . Most likely her brother, Berry, had taken the lead in fostering the reunion although the specific planning was in the hands of Dallas Roark \u2014 son of Berry \u2014 and Reba Shropshire Wilson.<\/p> In her letter to Alva, Laura expressed her hope that a large group would participate in the reunion, specifically mentioning the Conner and Witt families. . . .\u201d\u00a0The story continues with reunion details including,\u00a0\u201cSunday morning the group gathered at Reba\u2019s home on Clark Road and then drove in a convoy to the Salem Baptist Church site where Rev. Dallas Roark delivered a sermon on \u201cChrist and the Samaritan woman.\u201d<\/p> Along with Reba Shropshire Wilson, Dallas wrote and sent the first letter out to the families inviting them to the reunion. Through the years, Dallas and his family had been attending family reunions regularly, and in 1980, Dallas agreed to serve as the President of the R-CA. In addition, Dallas served as the R-CA News Reporter, for the Franklin Asberry Roark Family, from March 1995 to June 2004.<\/p> Dallas and Elaine had two children, Dalaine (Tim) Wood and Lyman and two grandchildren, Zach Wood and Megan Nixon. On October 30, 2021, Lyman and Dalaine hosted a Celebration of Life for both Dallas and Elaine Roark in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Some longtime friends, coworkers, and neighbors gathered to remember and share memories of these two special people. A video presentation highlighting the lives of Dallas and Elaine was shown. Lyman and Dalaine have made the presentation available to the family. The link for it is below: Elaine J. (Musial) Roark was born July 16, 1933 in Chicago, Il. Elaine was the daughter of Walter and Otelia Musial. She is survived by her two children, Lyman Roark of Carrollton, Tx., and Dalaine Joy Wood of Gilbert, Az., as well as two grandchildren, Zach Wood and Megan Nixon.<\/p> When she was 13, she became a follower of Jesus and dedicated her life to Him.\u00a0Elaine graduated from Tuley High School in Chicago in 1952. She attended Moody Bible Institute for a year and a half and in 1955 married Dallas M. Roark when they moved to Iowa. During the summers she attended Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Ia. Later she attended the University of Iowa and also worked at the University of Iowa Hospital while she supported her husband who was doing graduate work at the University.<\/p> In 1960 they moved to Plainview, Tx., where her husband taught at Wayland Baptist College (now Wayland Baptist University). During this time, she attended classes part-time and received her BA degree in education in 1966, and was awarded a life time teaching certificate in the state of Texas.<\/p> During this time in Texas she gave birth to two children, Lyman David Roark, born 1961 and Dalaine Joy Roark Wood (Tim), in 1964. In 1966, Elaine moved with her family to Emporia, Kansas where she taught at Harmony Hill Elementary School near Olpe, Ks., for nine years. She left Harmony Hill to study at Emporia State University where she earned a Master\u2019s degree in Educational Administration.\u00a0While living in Emporia, Elaine served in a variety of ways, teaching part-time in a grant program for Emporia State, visiting church members in the hospital and nursing homes , writing articles for Christian publications, proof-reading her husband\u2019s work.<\/p> On October 30, 2021, Lyman and Dalaine hosted a Celebration of Life for both Dallas and Elaine Roark in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Some longtime friends, coworkers, and neighbors gathered to remember and share memories of these two special people. A video presentation highlighting the lives of Dallas and Elaine was shown. Lyman and Dalaine have made the presentation available to the family. The link for it is below: Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Ann Conner Featherstone, daughter of Clyde Hannie Conner and Dorothea Guinevere Everette Conner passed away 27 Dec. 2020 in Buford, Gwinnet Co., Georgia. She died of complications following a stroke.<\/p> She was born March 15, 1935 in Murrayville, Hall County, Georgia as the eldest of her parents children. She married Franklin Roosevelt Featherstone on June 16, 1956. They had no children.<\/p> She was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Brookshire and Clydine Hulsey.<\/p> She is survived by a sister Edwina (Wayne) Blackburn , brothers Joseph Everette (Vivian) Conner, George Conner, John Henry (Nancy) Conner, Charles Conner, Donald Conner and Nelson (Jean) Conner, a number of nieces and nephews, as well as a host of cousins and an uncle Ray R. Conner.<\/p> Burial was at Yellow Creek Baptist Church cemetery in Murrayville.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
who <\/span>have <\/span>gone to be with the Lord since 2019. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1kDKj7x5yhdvLzy4y-IDZlduOp3g_6Af8?usp=sharing.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1kDKj7x5yhdvLzy4y-IDZlduOp3g_6Af8?usp=sharing<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t