William C. "Dick" Haltom

The Reverend William C. “Dick” Haltom, age 81, passed away on Saturday, May 24, 2014 at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He was born January 29, 1933 to Clyde and Jessie (Findley) Haltom. The service of Celebration of his life will begin Saturday, May 31, 2014 at eleven o’clock in the Jonesboro First United Methodist Church, (Sanctuary). Public visitation will be at ten o’clock in the Atrium.

After graduation from Jonesboro High School, Reverend Haltom obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy, minor in Speech and Psychology from Bethany Nazarene College in Oklahoma. While in college he served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1952 to 1954.
In college he met Barbara Barrett, who became his wife the summer after graduation. The couple moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Reverend Haltom attended seminary at Nazarene Theological seminary graduating in 1961 with a Master of Divinity in English Bible. He continued studies at Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology, and Dallas, Texas (Continuing Education Series (1967-1976) and post Graduate School studies at University of London the summer of 1975.

Having served a number of years as a minister of the Church of the Nazarene, he became an associate minister of First United Methodist Church in Pasadena, Texas. He was ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church in the Texas Conference and ordained Elder into United Methodist Church at Conway, Arkansas in 1963. Reverend Haltom’s ministry continued in Arkansas as organizing minister of Hendricks Hills Methodist Church, Fort Smith, Arkansas and organizing minister of Indian Hills Methodist Church, now First United Methodist Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He served Wilson, West Helena, Walnut Ridge, Grace UMC, Searcy, First UMC, Van Buren, Winfield UMC, Little Rock, Oaklawn UMC, Hot Springs, Marion, Huntington Avenue UMC, Mount Carmel UMC, and Minister of Visitation, First UMC, Jonesboro.

Reverend Haltom was known as an outspoken peace advocate and advocate for racial and economic justice in Arkansas, having helped organize black voter registration in the mid 1960s in Mississippi. He was passionate about the church and its ministries and served in numerous positions in the Arkansas Conference of The United Methodist Church. These positions included: Chairman of Board of Church and Society, Chairman of Camps and Conferences, Chairman of Conference Committee on Worship, Chairman of Partnership in Mission for Arkansas and Oklahoma, Member of Committee on Planning and Research for the Wesley Foundation.

He was Chairman of the Community Forum in West Helena, Arkansas a Bi-Racial Committee assisting Public School Integration (this cooperative venture was recognized as a model plan by the New York Times, 1973).

He developed “Urban Family Outreach”, a program featuring activities for Central Little Rock youth and families. The project “Summer Celebration” enrolled 250 youth in arts, crafts, drama, music, outdoor camping activities featuring swimming, canoeing, hiking and nature study. Thursday evenings, became designated at “Summer Night Out” and included the central city families and youth in concerts, games and other activities.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Naomi Catherine Haltom, and Virginia Ruth Haltom Griffin.

Reverend Haltom’s greatest passions in life were serving Christ, His church and family. He leaves behind his wife of 57 years, Barbara Ann Barrett Haltom, daughter, Ronda Ann Haltom Walker, and husband Gary of Cypress, Texas, son, Jeffrey William Haltom and wife Janet of Memphis, and daughter Jennifer Lee Haltom. Reverend and Mrs. Haltom are also blessed to have the following grandchildren: David and Mark Walker, Matthew, Amanda and Kristen Haltom, Danielle Hardin, and Mitchell Dulaney; sisters, Roberta (Boots) Haltom Stallings, and Martha Haltom Heady.

For lasting memorials the family requests donations be made to the following: The United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas, 5300 Evergreen Dr., Little Rock, Arkansas 72205; Keller’s Chapel Cemetery Association, C/O Russell Hendrix, 63304 Southwest Drive, Jonesboro, Arkansas 72404. (Donations will be applied to the purchase and installation of a Columbarium and continued maintenance of the cemetery.)