Viola Belle Callahan Meadows

Viola Belle Callahan Meadows, lifelong resident of Lawrence County, historian, volunteer, Methodist, teacher and caring mother, died July 4, 2015, at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro at 89 years old. She was born on September 26, 1925, in Lauratown. Her parents, Homer Callahan and Lillie Robins Callahan, preceded her in death, as did three siblings, William Franklin Callahan, Charles Lindburgh (Lindy) Callahan and Rosemary Callahan. She married Howard W. Meadows in 1957. The two have a son, Matthew Meadows of Dallas, and a daughter, Mary Pyburn and husband, Richard, of San Antonio. Grandchildren are Ariana Hubbell of Washington D.C. and Andrew Pyburn of San Antonio. A well-studied woman, Viola attended the University of Arkansas where she earned her bachelor's degree in home economics. She later received her master's degree in vocational education through attending classes at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and UofA. Early in her teaching career, Viola worked at Hoxie School and was one of many instrumental people helping to lay the groundwork that allowed Hoxie School to integrate in 1955. She appears in a PBS documentary, "Hoxie: The First Stand," which details the voluntary desegregation. Viola's work led her many interesting places as she was named a Fulbright Scholar and chosen to go to India to teach home economics education at both Lady Irwin College in New Delhi and Howard Plested Higher Secondary School in Meerut. She also served as the director of student activities at the American International School in Tokyo, Japan. Her travels didn't end there as she and the rest of the family accompanied Howard in his Foreign Service career where they spent time in Maridi, Sudan; Sebha, Libya; Gombe, Nigeria; Kano, Nigeria; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan. Upon returning to Lawrence County, she served as a home economics teacher at Black Rock High School from 1974 to 1987. During that time she was named Arkansas Home Economics Teacher of Year and Arkansas Vocational Education Teacher of the Year in 1982. She also served with the Arkansas 4-H Alumni Association in 1982. As one deeply invested in keeping history alive, Viola worked frequently with the Lawrence County Historical Society and served as president from 1978 to 1981. She also served on the Arkansas Education Association, National Education Association, Adult Higher Education Alliance and American Association of University Women. Of the Methodist faith, Viola has been a Methodist lay speaker for 40 years and has been a member of First United Methodist Church of Imboden since 1974. However, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind for many when they think of Viola is the Clover Bend High School, which she started attending in 1939, the first year the high school was open. She graduated in 1943 from Clover Bend and has spent many years since working to keep alive the school to which she accredited much of her life's success. She was crucial in getting all five buildings that made up Clover Bend School restored and on the National Historic Register since the school consolidated with Hoxie School in 1983. That same year was the formation of the Clover Bend Historical Preservation Association, on which Viola had served for 20 years and remained board president until her dying day. Viola Meadows was and will remain the face of Clover Bend. Viola has chosen to be cremated and a memorial service will be held in honor of her life's accomplishments. The service will be Thursday, July 16, at 6 p.m. in the Clover Bend Auditorium. A visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 5 p.m. House-Gregg Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements. Memorials can be made to Clover Bend Historical Preservation Association, 3619 Highway 25, Powhatan, Ark. 72458.