Marian Spears Vowels

Marian Spears Vowels died Sunday, June 18, 2006, at her home in Jonesboro, at the age of ninety-four. She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond B. Vowels, a son, Gary B. Vowels, her parents, P.W. and Irene Spears, and two sisters, Faye Spears Galloway and Carolyn Spears Detrick.

She is survived by a daughter, Dr. Gayle Vowels Williams, a son-in-law, Preston Williams, both of Jonesboro; a daughter-in-law, Lenore Lucey of Washington DC; one granddaughter, Courtney Vowels of New York City; four grandsons, Brent Williams of Williamsburg, Virginia; Blake Williams of Navarre, Florida; Brandon Williams of New York City; and Sean Vowels of Austin, Texas, two granddaughters-in-law, Elli Williams of Williamsburg, Virginia, and Sheila Williams, of New York City; three great-grandsons, Alex Williams, Nicholas Williams, and Christopher Williams all of Williamsburg, Virginia; a sister, Ernestine Spears Wheeler, and a brother-in-law, LTC Hal Detrick, both of Jonesboro; and numerous nieces, nephews, and good friends.

Born in Jonesboro on March 15, 1912, she had lived her entire life here except for one year of advanced studies in Boston, Massachusetts after her graduation from Arkansas State College in 1931. A homemaker and substitute teacher, she was instrumental in the formation of the Mother’s March on Polio in Arkansas in the early 1950’s, and for many of its early years, she was the Craighead County and Northeast Arkansas Chairman. Her husband, Raymond Vowels, owned and operated Vowels Printing and Office Supply in downtown Jonesboro for over fifty years.

She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a direct descendent of one of Jonesboro’s pioneer families. Her great-grandfather was William Puryear, who came across the Mississippi as a child and settled with his family in Northeast Arkansas in the early 1800’s. The sixteen children of William and Nancy Jane Culberhouse Puryear became the founding fathers of Jonesboro and many of its institutions.

A member of First Baptist Church since childhood, Marian had recently become a member of Magnolia Road Baptist Church. Her pastor, Emil Williams, will officiate at the Funeral Service at Emerson Memorial Chapel, Wednesday afternoon, June 21, 2006, at 1:30 PM with Emerson Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Burial will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery. Pallbearers will be grandchildren and great-grandsons. There will be no public visitation.

Now I Can See

On earth I was blind, My world had grown dark.

Fear and frustration had both left their mark.

But Heavenly light now shines upon me.

My soul has flown home, and now I can see.

There’s my dear mother, and Daddy’s there too.

Nearby my sisters, there’s one, and there’s two.

Time has not counted. It’s been scarce a day.

We were together, it seems, yesterday.

There stands my darling, the day we were wed.

He beckons me look, by tilt of his head.

And there with his dad, oh heavenly joy!

There stands my angel, my sweet little boy.

Years have just vanished, been robbed of their pain.

Darkness has lifted, no longer to reign.

A heavenly light now shines upon me.

My soul has flown home, and now I can see.

Written for my mother, by Gayle Vowels Williams

To view Marian's MEMORIAL TRIBUTE