Emma Rose Riddle

Emma Rose went to be with the Lord on February 8, 2026, at the age of 94. She was a resident of Ashton Place Manor in Barling, Arkansas.

Rose was a wonderful and genuine person. Rose was a devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and wife. She graduated from Ft. Smith High School. She worked and retired from Sparks Regional Medical Center as a Nurse’s Assistant. She collected dolls and loved to do all kinds of crafts, especially floral arrangements. She spent a lot of time coloring printed pictures with color pencils, and she had a true talent for color coordination. All over the house she had dolls and other collections in the corners of the rooms. One of her main passions was collecting Big Foot. She had Big Foot pictures, earrings, T-shirts, stuffed dolls, tree ornaments, as well as metal cutouts of her favorite creature. Even though she had never seen him, she watched every show trying to prove that Big Foot existed. There was even a picture of Big Foot on the side of a Creek. But we all know it wasn’t real. The fact that she loved Big Foot is truly an understatement.

She married Cecil Riddle in May of 2003. They were what you might call a set-up date. Rose’s brother Jim invited both Cecil and Rose out to eat together with all of them. But when it came time to take Rose home, Jim asked Cecil if he could take her, because Cecil lived closer to her house than they did. Well, it must have worked because they have been married for 22 years.

Cecil and Rose enjoyed each other so much. They truly kept each other moving forward in their lives. They loved to travel and did so as much as they were able. Rose watched over Cecil and he watched over her.

Rose and Cecil attended the Cavanaugh Free Will Baptist Church and were faithful until they couldn’t attend due to health issues.

Emma was preceded in death by her parents, E.W. and Orma Coots; her first husband, Bob Holloway; brothers: Bill Coots and James Coots; daughter Vickie Graves; brother in-law Herb Sharpe; sister in-laws: Carolyn Coots and Betty Coots.

She is survived by her husband, Cecil Riddle of Aston Place Manor in Barling, Arkansas; brother, David Coots of Barling Arkansas; sister, Ethel Sharpe of Mena, Arkansas; daughters: Virginia Mayhew and husband Steve of McAlester, Oklahoma and Donna Sorrels and her husband Harley of Van Buren, AR;

Sister in-law, Helen Coots of Van Buren, Arkansas; grandsons: Brian Potocki, Jeremy Potocki, Chris Mayhew, Nathanael Mayhew and Zachary Sorrels; granddaughters: Ashley Elder and Amber Smith; great grandsons: Loki Pullen and Miller Sorrels, and great granddaughters: Summer Steele and Murphie Barber.

Emma Rose is also survived by many nieces, nephews and close friends.

Visitation will be from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel, with the Funeral Service starting at 2:00 pm. Private interment will be at the Fort Smith National Cemetery.