Gladys Speck Hyatt

Gladys Speck Hyatt, 93, of Batesville, Ark., passed away on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, at White River Medical Center. She is preceded in death by her husband, James E. Hyatt Jr., her son James E. Hyatt III, her grandson, David West and her great-granddaughter, Mary Madison McCarley. She was the last surviving child of Clarence and Elizabeth Speck of Frenchman's Bayou, Ark., and is survived by three loving daughters Anne (Bob) McCarley of Little Rock, Ark., Jane (Bob) Williamson of Batesville, Ark., and Mary (Dennis) Kay of Dallas, Texas. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and countless friends. Gladys, known as "Coon" in her childhood years and "G" after she became a grandmother, met Jim Hyatt while a student at Arkansas State College. They married in Philadelphia just as Lt. Hyatt was leaving to serve in WWII in the Pacific Theatres. Their wedding made headlines in the news as the wedding where the bridesmaids all wore "brass." With only her wedding cake on her lap on the entire train ride to Philadelphia to meet her betrothed, Lt. Hyatt's comrades in arms stood beside her in the absence of traditional bridesmaids. It was the beginning of a wonderful life. When the war ended they reunited and moved to Fayetteville, Ark., where Jim completed his law degree and upon graduation they settled in Osceola, Ark. It was there that Gladys and Jim built a life, raised their family and where Jim practiced law for 35 years; the last 15 as the Osceola Municipal Judge. Gladys will be remembered for many things; her faith in God, the love she had for her church, her gracious and welcoming nature, her involvement in her community and her unwavering love and loyalty to her friends and family. Those closest to her will not soon forget the spirited way she answered the phone, how her home seemed to always have the most beautiful holiday decorations, the way she managed to always find the perfect gift, her love of sports -- especially the Razorbacks and her refusal to talk on the phone or to anyone in her presence while they were playing. Her zest for life will live on through memories like Gladys' daily walks, her never-ending war against leaves in her gutter or sticks in her lawn, how she and her friends had coffee each morning and visits each afternoon and "G's" special doughnuts she made on Saturdays, especially when her grandchildren were visiting. Family and friends will celebrate the life of Gladys on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 3 p.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church in Osceola, Ark. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Calvary Episcopal Church at P.O. Box 292, Osceola, Ark., 72370 or an organization of the donor's choice. Roller-Crouch Funeral Home in Batesville is in charge of the services. You may sign the online guestbook at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com.