Raymond Jessie Dees

Raymond Jessie Dees, 89, of Harrison died Saturday, July 28 (2007) at North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Harrison.

Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, at Christeson Funeral Home with Brother Leo Dye officiating. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, at the funeral home.

Burial will be at White Oak Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Larry Biggs, Mike Conway, John Cowan, Dusty Dees, Calvin Dees and John Earl Dees. Honorary pallbearers include Bruce Chaney, Jimmy Dale Edwards, Argie House and Elden "Sonny" Kuykendall. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Arkansas, 10411 West Markham, Suite 130, Little Rock, Ark. 72205-1409, www.alzark.org.

The son of Andrew Jessie and Bamma (Cochran) Dees was born Feb. 12, 1918, at Bergman. He was a veteran of World War II, coming home in 1945 with honors of Purple Heart, Medal for Valor and Good Conduct. He married Johnnie Ball on May 26, 1948. Shortly after marriage, the newlyweds moved to Leadville, Colo., where Raymond was an avid outdoorsman and worked in the timber woods as a logger. Upon returning to Arkansas, he was a highway construction worker. He retired from farming. Raymond enjoyed hunting, fishing, his dogs, tending hives and robbing bees, but most of all, he enjoyed his wife of 59 years and all of his grandkids and great-grandkids.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Bill Dees and Curtis Dees; and a sister, Helen Edwards.

He is survived by his wife, Johnnie (Ball) Dees of Harrison; daughters and sons-in-law, Barbara and Don Carver of Springfield, Mo. and Linda and Mike Conway of Harrison; a son and daughter-in-law, Jessie Glen and Mary Dees of Harrison; a brother, Kenneth Dees of Harrison; four grandchildren, Larry Biggs and wife Cretia, Tonya Biggs Cowan and husband John, Melonie Crisenbery and husband Gene and Dusty Dees and wife Nicole; and seven great-grandchildren.

Online condolences may be left at www.christesonfuneralhome.com.

Family Members

Parents

Jesse Andrew Dees 1892–1966

Alabama Elizabeth Cochran Dees 1891–1968

Siblings

Helen Fanny Dees Edwards 1915–1946

Curtis Calvin Dees 1925–1980

Kenneth Glen Dees 1927–2010