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Submitted: 9/29/24 • Approved: 10/19/24 • Last Updated: 10/22/24 • R1543842-G1543840-S3
Robert Mathis
Feb 26, 1926 - Aug 12, 2015
Florence Rhea
Jan 7, 1931 - May 26, 2014
*Obituary
Robert Mathis Oliphant, 89, died at home in Bryant, Arkansas on Wednesday, August 12, 2015.
He was born on February 26, 1926 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Barnwell Rhett and Beryle Oliphant.
He served in the U.S. Army’s 8th Infantry Division during WWII, and earned two Bronze Service Stars for his participation in the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns. After his honorable discharge from the Army in 1946, he immediately joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He served for three years while earning his B.S.E. from Arkansas State Teacher’s College in Conway on the GI Bill.
He began his 42 year teaching career at Clarendon High School, followed by Thornton and Wynn High Schools before moving to Bryant High School as a social studies teacher. While teaching he continued his education during the summers earning a M.A. in Secondary Education from the George Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. He was promoted to principal at Bryant High School in 1955 and served there for 28 years. In 1983 he left to become Assistant Superintendent – Curriculum for Bryant Schools serving until his retirement in 1991. Robert was an accomplished gardener, and enjoyed being outdoors, fishing, collecting U.S. coins, U.S. Stamps and spoiling his grandchildren.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings: Charles, Thomas and Margie, and his wife of 53 years, Flo.
He is survived by his brother B.R. Oliphant of Stuttgart, his children Arrah Jones of Benton (Ronny), Alex Oliphant of Memphis (Suzanne) and John Oliphant of Bentonville (Sondra), and his grandchildren: Caitlin and Amanda Jones, Jessica Bryan, Alanna and Michael Oliphant, Allison and Carson Oliphant as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services on Sunday, August 16, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel at Griffin Leggett Forest Hills Funeral Home.
Burial will follow at Pinecrest Memorial Park with military honors.
*Obituary
Florence Rhea McPhail Oliphant died Monday, May 26, 2014. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Robert Mathis Oliphant; her children, Arrah Lyn Oliphant Jones (Ronny) of Benton, Alexander Mathis Oliphant (Suzanne) of Memphis, Tennessee and John Marks Oliphant (Sondra) of Bentonville; her seven grandchildren, Caitlin Jones, Amanda Jones, Jessica Bryan, Alanna Oliphant, Michael Oliphant, Allison Oliphant and Carson Oliphant; her brother, Jack McPhail of Monroe, Louisiana as well as multiple nieces and nephews. Flo was preceded in death by her parents, Alexander and Alice McPhail, and her sisters, Jean Durspek, Mary Lindrud and Betty Turner. Florence was born in Kingsland, Arkansas. Her parents’ only “city girl,” Flossie completed high school in 1949 at Little Rock Central High School. She continued her studies to become a teacher at Arkansas State Teachers’ College in Conway. Florence, now called Flo, accepted her first teaching post as a first grade teacher in Hughes, Arkansas. Following her sisters’ footsteps, she next accepted a teaching position in Seattle, Washington teaching second grade and remedial reading. Yet home was still in Arkansas. After four years of cross country summer road trips with her sister, nephew and niece in a Pontiac back to Arkansas, Flo took a teaching position in Bryant, Arkansas in 1958. There she and the principal, Robert Oliphant, began to court in the school lunchroom. Flo continued her career in Bryant as a specialist in remedial reading. Robert and Flo were married in 1960, and they raised their three children in Little Rock as she continued to teach in Bryant until Flo’s retirement after 40 years in front of the black board. After retirement, her love of children was still evident as she poured out love to her seven grandchildren. Flo felt the strong pull of family ties, and attended the Marks family reunion every summer near Kingsland, Arkansas. Throughout her life, Flo enjoyed crafts and hand beaded and sequined work. Every Christmas all of the family enjoy her handiwork in stockings, elaborate tree skirts and a poster sized wall hanging of Santa and Mrs. Claus. Flo’s creativity touched the lives of many, and planning weddings and creating decorative details for parties was her passion. Rice bags (now bubble bags) with handmade ribbon roses were gifts to the brides in her life.
Section Lawn Crypts
Photo courtesy of Annette Shaw
Contributed on 9/29/24 by hawkinsdonna48
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Record #: 1543842
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