FELTON, AR Daniel Henry Felton, Jr., planter, merchant
and ginner, died August 12, 2004, in the home where he was born,
on the land he loved. Born July 1, 1920, in Felton, he was the
oldest child of Daniel Henry Felton and Felecia Curtis Felton.
In October 2003, he and his wife, Counts McCollum Felton, celebrated
their 59th wedding anniversary. He was a loving and supportive
husband and friend, and an inspiring and playful father and grandfather.
A man of faith, compassion, and dignity, he served for many years
as a Trustee and Board Member of the First United Methodist Church
in Marianna.
Mr. Felton attended Gulf Coast Military Academy (Biloxi, MS)
before graduating from T.A. Futrall High School in Marianna in
1939. He attended the University of Arizona for three years, but
interrupted his education to move back home to assist his grandfather
and father in their farming operations. His lifelong vocation
was the creation and management of family owned agricultural and
investment businesses. He served as President of the Arkansas
Registered Angus Association and the Agricultural Council of Arkansas,
and for 30 years as Chairman of the Lee County Democratic Central
Committee. He served on the Arkansas State Board of Education,
Commission on Higher Educational Finance, Arkansas Industrial
Development Commission, and St. Francis Levee Board. For many
years he served as a Board Member of the First National Bank at
Marianna and the Marianna/Lee County School District.
He is survived by his wife, Counts McCollum Felton; sons, Daniel
Henry Felton III and Richard Trent Felton, both of Felton; and
daughter, Counts Felton Smith, of Wynne, AR; nine grandchildren
and two great-grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his two
sisters and brother, Amy Helen Felton, Mary Catherine Felton Nowlin,
and John Fulbright Felton.
A memorial service following a private burial will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, August 13, at First United Methodist Church in Marianna. The family will be receiving friends at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Trent Felton, and requests that memorials be made to the First United Methodist Church, Poplar and Mississippi Streets, Marianna, AR 72360. Stevens Funeral Home of Forrest City will be in charge of arrangements.