Thomas "T.O." Oliver Whitten

Thomas Oliver “T. O.” Whitten, 81, of Sage, died Sunday, April 26, 2009 in Batesville.
He was born in Evening Shade, Arkansas on July 28, 1927 and was the son of John Henry Whitten and Mary Etta Stout Whitten.
T.O. was a farmer and retired heavy equipment operator for Izard County Road Department.
He is survived by a son, Thomas Doyle Whitten and his wife Barbara; two daughters: Betty Dale and her husband, Coy and Irma Fisher and her husband, Junior; six grandchildren Jerry Dale of Mount Pleasant, Gary Dale of Mount Pleasant, Rebecca Whitten of Melbourne, Robert Thomas of Ash Flat, Amanda Thomas of Iraq, and Michael Thomas of Newark; seven great-grandchildren: Kelsey Dale, Charlee Dale, Kirby Dale, Kinley Dale, Elizabeth Bruyette, Gavin Thomas, and Lennox Thomas; and one sister, Dora Faye Cales of Michigan.
Other than his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Norma (Hill) Whitten; one brother, J. W. Whitten; one sister, Elsie Whitten and one grandchild, Stephanie Dale.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church with Bro. Noble Wiles and Bro. Jerry Medlock officiating.
Burial will follow the services at the Antioch Cemetery in Sage under the direction of Roller-Crouch Funeral Home of Melbourne.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Coy Dale, Doyle Whitten, Jerry Dale, Gary Dale, Jim Phipps and Earnie Blackley. Honorary pallbearers are Zion First Responders.
Memorials may be to the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Sage, AR 72573.