Ila M. Felts, 91, of Jonesboro, passed away on Friday, March 20, 2026 at the Craighead County Nursing Center. She was born on December 10, 1934 in Selmer, Tennessee to Tom J. Blankenship and Minnie Lee (Davis) Blankenship.

A longtime resident of northeast Arkansas, Ila was a member of Southwest Church of Christ where she enjoyed attending services in years past.

A devoted wife and mother, Ila raised her family with love and dedication. She played the guitar and loved playing music with family and friends– a love she passed on to her son, Marty. She found immense joy in gardening and enjoyed spending time outdoors. As she got older and unable to work in her gardens, she enjoyed watching the birds outside her window and her favorite dogwood tree.

In addition to her parents, Ila was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald Felts and her siblings, L.R. Blankenship, Gerald Blankenship, Lloyd Blankenship, Joe Blankenship, Jesse Blankenship, Norma Jean (Blankenship) Newsom, and niece Marcia (Blankenship) Alacon.

She is survived by her son, Marty Felts and wife, Nancy, of Jonesboro; grandson, Jacob Felts of Jonesboro; dearest friend, Jean Swann; and her nieces and nephews: David Blankenship, Earnest Blankenship, Earl Blankenship, Brenda Morgan, Melissa Masters, Ricky Blankenship, Nathan Blankenship, Pamela Newsom, Mike Felts, and Mickey Felts.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations please be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at https://alzfdn.org/donate/, a charity of your choice, or plant a dogwood tree to honor Ila’s love for nature and special fondness for dogwood trees.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday March 28th 11:00 at Compass Church 524 S. Church St. Jonesboro, AR. The family requests casual attire for the services. Honorary pallbearers include Billy Langford, Mike Dickerson, Paul Holifield, Gary Gookin, and Joe Galloway.