Obituaries

Thelma Mae (Studyvin) Reeves

Photo of Thelma Mae (Studyvin) Reeves
Thelma Mae (Studyvin) Reeves was born on February 23, 1922, in Harrison, Arkansas to Alex and Edna Studyvin. She passed away March 3, 2017, at Hillcrest Home in Harrison. Thelma's father worked for the railroad and his work took the family to Green Forest, Arkansas for a few years when she was a young girl. Later he was made section foreman at St. Joe, Arkansas and the family moved to St. Joe. Shortly thereafter she went to the gymnasium for a basketball game and Jack Reeves was sitting with one of his friends in the bleachers. When he saw Thelma walk in, he elbowed his friend and said, "Who is that?" His friend replied that he did not know. Jack then said, "I don't know either, but I'm going to marry that girl." Jack was born at Duff, Arkansas, a rather cosmopolitan suburb of Gilbert. Thelma, at the tender age of sixteen, was no match for the perseverance of that suave eighteen-year-old from Duff. One year later they were married. She was a devoted member and faithful servant of the Presbyterian Church in Harrison for all of her adult life. For many years she was in charge of the Lenten soup lunches. To say that she was "in charge" of these lunches is an understatement. The ladies who worked with her at the church nicknamed her the "General.". She was a faithful wife, a devoted and doting mother and Mema and an unselfish servant to her Church, her family and her friends. Her loving, non-judgmental nature had a profound and lasting influence on all who knew her. During her lifetime, an untold number of people were touched by her outpouring of love and compassion. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 58 years, Jack Reeves, her brother, Frank Paul Studyvin, her sister, Beverly Ann Studyvin, and her son, Jackson Davis Reeves. Survivors are her sons, Ken and Bill Reeves of Harrison, her daughters-in-law, Debbie and Sally Reeves of Harrison, a brother, Clarence Studyvin of Derby, Kansas, four grandchildren, Jessica Reeves Vandervoort and husband Adam of Stamford, Conn., Robin Reeves Seymore and husband Ben of Harrison, Ark., Billy Reeves and wife Kate of Bella Vista, Ark. and Blake Reeves and his wife Lindsay of John's Creek, Ga., and eleven great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, 2017 at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Harrison, Arkansas with a reception to follow. Online condolences may be sent to holtchapel.com. Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Building Fund, 220 North Arbor Drive, Harrison, Ark 72601 or the Jackson Davis Reeves Scholarship Fund at North Arkansas College Foundation, 1515 Pioneer Drive, Harrison, Ark. 72601.

Published March 9, 2017

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