To know him, for most people, is to love him! He was a big man with a big heart. His pastime was talking to his family and friends whether on the phone or Face time or his favorite way, visiting with people in person. Dwain was a people person for sure. Many of his childhood friends who attended Hartford High School became lifelong. Dwain was drafted into the United States Army to serve his country and spent most of that time deployed in Germany. He loved to talk about his experiences there of driving a 2 ton truck and developed close friendships in which he kept till his last days. He worked hard for his family of four at Baldor for 36 years and made many friendships there and kept in touch with them for years after his retirement.
Dwain was a Southern Baptist and knew the importance of church, to have a place where people come together and worship the Lord. He was a member of Trinity Baptist Church for close to 30 years where he served as teacher, VBS director for teens, and bus ministry. After his wife died he began the ministry of church planting and layman preaching. He helped to plant Friendship Fellowship Baptist Church in Rock Island, Oklahoma and served once again as teacher and, his favorite, the bus ministry where he found a fellow brother in Christ who became his close friend and preceded him in death by just two weeks. He loved the idea of bringing people to church. He loved singing the old gospel hymns and worshiping with fellow believers. In his last years spent at Mercy Crest, he took the role of preaching once again and was allowed to hold church services when COVID-19 halted outsiders from coming in, just so the residents could worship together. Dwain had a heart for the lost and would never hesitate to ask those who were his caregivers or whom he befriended, or his family about their relationship with Lord and where they went to church, up until his last day on this earth.
Dwain was preceded in death by his wife of 32 years, Billie “Marie” (Tankersley) Lovell, his parents, Lester Franklin Lovell and Edna Oley (Crawford) Lovell, his brothers and sisters-in-law, Arnes and Pauline Lovell and Thyrel and Becky Lovell.
Dwain was blessed to have two daughters, Mollie Melinda Krietemeyer and husband, “Donnie”, of Amelia, Ohio and Mary Syvela Hickman and husband, Wade of Fort Smith, Arkansas; 11 grandchildren, Lance Krietemeyer, Heather Davis, Alex Krietemeyer, Hunnt Hickman, Kelsey Sawin, Holly Hickman, Hannah Deaver, Hailey “Nikki” Carty, Hope Chronister, Hart Hickman and Hadleigh Hickman and 9 great grandchildren, Jake, Finnley and Rory Hickman, Payton, Piper and Brooke Davis, Jamis and Jack Sawin and Owen Deaver.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, February 25 at McConnell Funeral Home in Greenwood, Arkansas with interment at Old Union Cemetery. Viewing and visitation will be prior to service Friday at the funeral home from 1-2 p.m.
Pallbearers will be Lance and Alex Krietemeyer, Hunnt and Hart Hickman, Justin Sawin, Preston Davis, Allen Deaver, Cameron Chronister, Josh Carty and Kevin Hunter. Honorary pallbearers will be Randy Lovell, Jake and Finnley Hickman, Payton Davis, Jamis and Jack Sawin and Owen Deaver.
