Walter Eugene "Bro. Gene" Graves

Walter Eugene "Bro. Gene" Graves, age 67, of Glenwood, began his glorious vacation on Friday, July 18, 2014. He was born on June 19, 1947, in Murfreesboro, the son of Robert Harold Graves and Mary Jane Howard Graves. On April 8, 1978, he was married to Janelle Cogburn. He was preceded in death by his parents. He was a member of Mount Gilead Baptist Church and was former Pastor of Community Bible Baptist Church for fifteen years. He enjoyed singing gospel music with family and friends, hunting and fishing and was an avid outdoorsman. Bro. Gene truly loved his Lord and having the privilege of ministering and sharing God's word with everyone he came in contact with. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. Known to many as Paw-Paw, he was the true meaning of a kind and loving Christian man, who dearly loved his family. His greatest joy in life was spending time with each and every member of his family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him, but his memory will live on in each of their hearts forever. He is survived by his loving wife, Janelle Graves of Glenwood; three sons and two daughters-in-law, John McRae, Jeremy and Heather Graves and Tyler and Joy Graves, all of Glenwood; two daughters and sons-in-law, Dawn and Eric Broadbent of Bentonville and Jessica and Nick Funderburk of Black Springs; eight grandchildren, Nicholas Broadbent, Victoria Broadbent, Kaden Jones, Hagen Jones, Hayden Graves, Wylie Funderburk, Marley Funderburk and Hadley "LouLou" Funderburk; loved ones who he was also Paw-Paw to, Lindsey and Zane Luekenga, Leah Tidwell, Trevin Tidwell, Cambrie, Jacob and Shelby Thomason; one brother and sister-in-law, William "Bill" H. and Martha Graves of Murfreesboro; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Loretta and Larry McNatt of Hurst, Texas, Judy and Loy Kuykendall and Jalynn Nuckols, all of Murfreesboro; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and a host of wonderful friends. Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Monday, July 21, 2014, in the Davis-Smith Funeral Home Chapel in Glenwood with Bro. Vannoy Thomason and Bro. Brian Adair officiating. Visitation will be held Sunday evening, 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Interment will be in the Shockey Chapel Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Eric Broadbent, Nick Funderburk, Nicholas Broadbent, Justin Nuckols, Jason Nuckols, Scott Graves, Bryan McNatt, Dennis Kuykendall and Randy Kuykendall. Honorary pallbearers will be Wylie Funderburk, Hayden Graves, Kaden Jones, Hagen Jones, Sean McNatt, Troy Howard, his special co-workers and friends, Denny Jester, Ron Christenberry and Loyd Wynn, Dr. Konstantinos Arnaoutakis of UAMS Oncology and his staff and the wonderful nurses and staff of UAMS, Floors 7H and 7E. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Shockey Chapel Cemetery Association Fund, c/o Ralph Graves, 376 Smith Creek Road, Norman, Arkansas, 71960 or to The Gideons International, P.O. Box 495, Glenwood, Arkansas, 71943. Guest registry is at www.davis-smith.com.