Rev. Bill Whitledge

Reverend Bill Whitledge, 79 of Fort Smith, AR went to be with the Lord on Sunday, February 26, 2012. He was born on June 30, 1932 in Williams,OK to George and Leona Hanna Whitledge. He was in the ministry over 50 years in the area pastoring churches, of which the past 25 years was spent pastoring Dayton Baptist Church in Mansfield. He was retired from AOG, a 1950 graduate of Northside High School and married Norma Jean Pigg on June 19, 1954. He was a U. S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War.

Services will be 10:00 A.M. Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at Fentress Mortuary Chapel with burial to follow at Fort Smith National Cemetery with military honors. Arrangements are under the direction of Fentress Mortuary of Fort Smith.

He is survived by his wife Norma, of the home; a son, Terry Whitledge of Fort Smith; two daughters, Becky Hardcastle and her husband Lee of Fort Smith and Melinda Bowman and her husband Michael of Van Buren; two sisters, Wanda Ferris of Winnsboro, LA and Shirley Nelson and her husband Larry of Valpraiso, Nebraska; two brothers, Phillip Whitledge and his wife Ruth of Dill, OK and Gerald Whitledge and his wife Linda of Fort Smith; five grandchildren, Trevor Hardcastle and his wife Courtney of Fort Smith, Micah Whitledge of Alma, Kimberly Hardcastle of Fort Smith, Heather Bowman and Erin Bowman, both of Van Buren. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Mike Briley, Caleb Crelia and the Deacons of the First Baptist Church of Dayton.

Family will greet friends from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Tuesday at the funeral home.

Memorial Contributions may be made to Gideons International, P.O. Box 971, Fort Smith, AR 72902.