William Lester Gresham

WILLIAM "LESTER" GRESHAM, 94, born in Ozark to Grayson and Rebecca Fowler Gresham on October 5, 1923 passed away Wednesday, March 7, 2018. He was preceded in death by his second wife, Rose Cole Gresham and his first wife and the mother of his children, Martha Healy Gresham. He was also preceded by both his parents; one sister, Erma Ray and her husband Roy "Bill" Faught; brother, JD from Houston; and brother, Paul and his wife, Juanita. He is survived by one sister, Ramona Thomas (Dewey-deceased) of North Little Rock; sister-in-law, Martha Lou, wife of JD; his four children, Paula Gresham, Karen Bonds (Glenn- deceased), William Gresham (Sherry) and Norman Gresham; five granddaughters; eight great-grandchildren; the many nieces and nephews that he loved to be around, and the friends he had made over his lifetime. Throughout his life he loved being outdoors, fishing, and working with his hands; beginning with the Civilian Conservation Corp. which he joined one year after graduating from Ozark High School. He was stationed in Clarion, Iowa on the fateful day of December 7, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He returned home to help with the farm while waiting for a government classification, in order to join the U.S. Navy. He served in the Pacific Theater on several ships during WWII, U.S.S. McCord and U.S.S. Edgecombe. At one point he served on the ill fated U.S.S. Indianapolis, but was transferred to commission new ships coming out of Seattle, Washington. He would later work for The Ben Hogan Company and Southern Asphalt Roofing, before joining the Koppers Company. He started there as a crane operator and went on to become Yard Foreman before taking medical retirement because of losing his sight. Lester was raised during the Great Depression and learned to cherish life and what it would bring him. This may be why he developed a personality that would attract people; he practiced the way he had been raised. He was strict up front, but he had kindness in his heart. He will be missed by the people he loved, the people that loved him and many who enjoyed his company. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, March 11, 2018 at Smith – North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main Street. Funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, March 12, 2018 at the funeral home. Burial, with military honors, will follow in Rest Hills Memorial Park. Online obituary at www.SmithFamilyCares.com.