Henry Louis "L.H." Dodson

Louis Henry "L.H." Dodson, 80, of Springdale, died Friday, December 7, 2012 at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville. He was born October 13, 1932 in the Hurricane Community in Prairie County, Arkansas, to Garnett and Geneva Fuller Dodson. Mr. Dodson retired in 1991 as vice president for edible oils refining at Riceland Foods in Stuttgart. He was with Riceland for 38 years. His early career was spent in Riceland's rice division, but joined the soybean division shortly after its formation in 1960. He was a principal contributor to the division's growth and development since that time. He served on the board of directors of the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils and on the Soybean Oil Trading Rules Committee of the National Oilseed Processors Association. He also served as a member of the board of directors of SoyCot Inc., a marketing cooperative engaged in the processing and marketing of soybean and cottonseed products. Mr. Dodson was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville. He was a former member of Emanuel Lutheran Church in Stuttgart where he served as president of the congregation numerous times as well as Sunday School Superintendent for 17 years. He also served on the Arkansas/Oklahoma Synod Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He attended Arkansas State Teachers College (now UCA) and Little Rock University (now UALR). He served two years in the Army's Guided Missile Center in Ft. Bliss, Texas. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his step-father, Bryan Scott, and two sisters, Ellen Daughtry and Celeste Bailey. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Shirkey Dodson; two daughters, Lisa Wheetley and husband Tommy of Lowell, Andrea Chadwick and husband Chris of Dublin, Ohio; one son, Chris Dodson and wife Lynn of Springdale; three sisters, Frances Scott of DeValls Bluff, Virginia Dunaway and husband Gerald of Severna Park, Maryland, Carolyn Bowden and husband Loyd of Duncan, Oklahoma; seven grandchildren, Alyssa Moody and husband Cole, Ryan Chadwick, Rachael Chadwick, Drew Dodson, Ben Dodson, Tyler Dodson and Lindsey Dodson. A memorial service will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 12, at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Stuttgart with Pastor Glenn Larsen officiating. A reception and visitation will follow at the church. Private family burial will be at Emanuel Lutheran Cemetery. Arrangements are with Heritage Funeral Home in Springdale, online guest book at heritageofnwa.com. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions be made to Fayetteville Veterans Home, 1125 N. College, Fayetteville, Ark. 72703, Bread of Life, 208 W. Emma Ave., Springdale, Ark. 72764, Emanuel Lutheran Church, 209 S. Grand Ave., Stuttgart, Ark. 72160, or to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2925 Old Mission Rd., Fayetteville, Ark. 72703.