Willa Wayne Summerville Lambert, 87, a longtime resident of Holly Grove and widow of Walker Lambert, died of lung cancer Oct. 21, 2007 in Stuttgart, Ark.
She was born on Oct. 28, 1919, in Benton to Marvin Bougan Sumemerville and Mary Stowers Summerville. She grew up in Benton and was honored as the valedictorian of the 1937 graduating class of Benton High School. She received nursing training at St. Vincent Hospital in Little Rock. During her training she met Walker Patterson Lambert of Holly Grove, who often visited his sister-in-law, a patient in the hospital. Willa and Walker later married and moved to Holly Grove, where she lived until January 2005, when she moved to Stuttgart and remained until her death.
She worked 25 years as office manager for Dr. Herd E. Stone. She was community involved and a strong supporter of her daughters' school activities. She also was a very active member of the Holly Grove Pesbyterian Church, where she served as an Elder and recieved the Presbyterian Women Life Membership. Family and friends were so important to her. She enjoyed being a part of all the activities, especially the holidays. She loved to cook, especially cakes, cookies and candy.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; three brothers, Johnny, Harry and Bill Summerville; and three sisters, Fern James, Doris Chambers and Earnestine Summerville.
Survivors include two daughters, Diane Kimbell and husband, Jim, of Florence, S.C., and Patricia Snyder and husband, Bobby, of Stuttgart; three grandchildren, Jimmy Kimbell and wife, Amy, of Murrells Inlet, S.C., Jack Kimbell and wife, Tina, of St. Charles, Mo., and Patrice Huffman and husband, Shane, of DeWitt; seven great-grandchildren, Lawing Summerville Kimbell, her namesake, and Jackson Kimbell, both of Murrells Inlet, Dominic Dalton and Danny Hahn of St. Charles, Mo., Wyatt Golleher and Joseph Huffman, both of DeWitt; one sister-in-law, Rowena Summerville of Blytheville; and many neices and nephews of both the Lambert and Summerville families.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Holly Grove Presbyterian Church, with Rev. Fern Davis officiating. Burial was in Macedonia Cemetery at Holly Grove. Memorials may be given to the Holly Grove Presbyterian Church, c/o Jean Kirkpatrick, 51 Kirkpatrick Lane, Holly Grove, Ark. 72069.
-- Edited by Jane Dearing Dennis at 18:01, 2007-10-27
