Vera Mae Gibson, 94, of Fort Smith, Arkansas died on Wednesday, May 27th, 2026. She was born October 6th, 1931 in Benson, LA to Arlington and Elma (Oliver) Hughes. Vera married Odes E. Gibson in 1950 and they had one daughter together.
Vera was intelligent, kind, and a little sassy on occasion. As a child she competed in Bible Quizzing, and went on to graduate from Draughon's Business College in Shreveport, LA. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR); a non-profit, non-political women's service organization dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education, and patriotism. She previously worked at First National Bank, McClellan Construction Co., Muskogee Bridge Co., and retired from Northside United Pentecostal Church after many devoted years as a book keeper.
Vera loved her family, God and puzzles. She loved reading (spent a lot of time reading the Bible), word searches, dominoes and watching rodeos. In her later years she enjoyed watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. She always "wanted to keep her mind busy".
She is preceded in death by her husband Odes, her parents Arlington and Elma Hughes, her brother Arlton "Sonny" Hughes, an infant sister, and her grandson-in-law Evan Backers.
She is survived by her daughter Rhonda (Gibson) Whelchel, her granddaughters, Ariel (David) Harlin, Ashlyn Whelchel (Joey Barker), Alexis Backers, and three great-grandchildren (Emmett, Evan, Nora); her brother James Hughes and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral Service will take place on June 1, 2026, at 11:00 am, at The Pentecostal Church, in the Spanish Sanctuary, 3700 Kelley Hwy, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72904. Visitation will be held the hour prior beginning at 10:00am. Following the service, Vera will be buried next to her husband at Potts Cemetery in Charleston, AR.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Pentecostal Church Building Fund, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, or the National Air Disaster Foundation (NADF).
