Obituaries

Mildred L. Pruitt Herring

Photo of Mildred L. Pruitt Herring
MILDRED L. PRUITT HERRING, of Little Rock, was taken home on July 30, 2013. She was born to the late Henry M. and Anna L. Pruitt, Aug. 25, 1928 in Tyler, Texas. After graduating from Little Rock High School and Little Rock Junior College, she married H. Donald Herring in 1950. Their family was completed in 1957 with the arrival of their only child, Mindy. Mildred was a faithful longtime member of Western Hills United Methodist Church, a former Red Cross Volunteer, and an avid supporter of the Pulaski County Humane Society. In earlier years, she and her sister-in-law, Nita formed a Girl Scout troop for their daughters. That would be the beginning of a lifelong passion for Girl Scouts for her daughter and later her granddaughter. She had a great love of animals, enjoyed cooking and trying out new recipes, loved to travel, and had a passion for flowers, taking great pride in her flower garden. Some of her most cherished moments were spent working in her garden with her beloved granddaughter and spending time with family and friends. As a housewife, mother, and eventually grandmother (Mamaw), she took great pride in her home and her family. Guests could always count on enjoying home baked treats when visiting, and her door was always open to family and friends. Many large meals were prepared with love in her kitchen, with her family all gathering to share holidays. They were sure to have some great food, good times and a lot of laughs. In addition to her parents, those awaiting her arrival include her loving husband, H. Donald Herring; her precious brother, William M. "Bill" Pruitt; nephew, Robert M. "Bobby" Pruitt; brother-in-law, W. A. "Sol" Solomon; lifelong best friend, Barbara Gray Smith Owens; dear friend, Shirley Dickey; and her precious dog and companion, B.J. Those left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Melinda "Mindy" Herring Baird and Son-In-Law, Joe; precious granddaughter, Mollie Baird, who was the light of her life; sister, Katherine "Kitty" Pruitt Solomon; sister-in-law, Juanita "Nita" Pruitt; very special nieces, Debbie Pruitt Shearer (Cliff) and Marsha Pruitt Hays, nephews, Randy (Janine) and Tommy (Brenda) Solomon; two great-nieces and six great-nephews; as well as her Western Hills church family and a number of longtime friends. Mildred and her siblings, Bill and Katherine have been extremely close their entire lives, raised their families together and have been an active part of every aspect of each other's lives. As her health declined, many friends and family showed her so much love and kindness, for which her family will be eternally grateful. We would like to extend a special thank you to her dear friend for almost 50 years, Bea Wise; longtime friend, confidant and advisor Dr. Ashvin Vibhakar; her caregiver for the last several years, Trina Adrow; friends, Mike McHughes and Willis Bailey; her doctor and friend of many years, Dr. Greg Bienvenu, who impacted Mildred, Mindy and Mollie more than words can describe; Fred and the staff at DaVita Springhill Dialysis Clinic; a number of wonderful neighbors, and all her church family from Western Hills UMC. We would also like to thank Arkansas Hospice and her Hospice Nurse, Vicky McElwrath for all the love, compassion and support they showed us all. Each of you meant so very much to her, and her family cannot thank you enough. Honoring the family as pallbearers are Joe Baird, Cliff Shearer, Jack Shearer, Dr. Ashvin Vibhakar, Dr. Greg Bienvenu, and Willis Bailey. Honorary pallbearer, Mike McHughes. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 10, at Western Hills United Methodist Church with Rev. Sylvia Nosic officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Pinecrest Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, she would be pleased with donations to Western Hills United Methodist Church, Girl Scouts-Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, or the Pulaski County Humane Society. Arrangements are by Griffin-Leggett Healey and Roth, 501-661-9111. Online guestbook: www.griffinleggetthealeyroth.com.

Published August 4, 2013

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