Alice Doss Vardaman

Funeral Services are at 3:00 PM, on Saturday, February 26th at First Baptist Church in Ozark with Reverend Ted Darling officiating, under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark. The family will visit with friends at 1:30 to 2:30 PM in the church Activities Building prior to the service. Serving as pallbearers will be nephews, Johnny Phillips, Eddie Bean, Arvid Bean, Jamie Wells, John Paul Wells, and Tommy Simms. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 400 West Market, Ozark, AR, 72949, or to the Alzheimer’s Association. PHOTO Alice Doss Vardaman, 89, of Ozark, walked through Heaven’s door on Tuesday, February 22nd in Ozark. She was born July 14, 1921 in Coal Hill, Arkansas to J. B and Deal Snoddy Doss. She was one of four girls, Annabel Phillips, Wanda Linton and Bobbie, who died in childbirth. Alice graduated from Coal Hill High School in 1939 and attended Arkansas Tech and received her teaching certificate. She taught at Oark School, living with a family in that community and returning to Coal Hill on weekends. She and Jim Vardaman were high school sweethearts and Jim joined the Army after graduation. While he was on furlough in 1942, they married and Jim was stationed in Stockton, California. Soon Alice, accompanied by her brother-in-law John Phillips, was boarding a train to California, where she and Jim made their home for several years. In 1944 a daughter, Brenda Kay, was born. After Jim’s discharge from the Army, they considered staying in California, but decided it was too far from home; so in 1946 they moved to Ozark and established Jim Vardaman Furniture. Alice was a stay-at-home mom and a second daughter, Carole Sue, was born in 1948. At the age of 32, Jim suffered a heart attack and, at that time, Alice became involved in the furniture store. Jim and Alice worked together there until his death on February 22, 1978 (exactly the same month and day as Alice). Alice was a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Ozark, teaching 5-year olds for over thirty years, and she was a member of WMU. Time moved on and Alice developed Alzheimer’s, and for the past several years, family could not communicate with her, but Jesus promises that He will never leave us or forsake us, so we know that He continued to be in communication with her. In addition to her daughters, Brenda Mann of Ozark and Carole Swindle and husband Tim of Bentonville, Alice is survived by four grandchildren: Russ Mann and wife Keely, and Paige Mann, of Ozark; Lindy Swindle Kern and husband Adam of Rogers, and Jeff Swindle and wife Monique of Fayetteville; also four great-grandchildren; her two sisters, Annabel Phillips of Dallas and Wanda Linton of San Antonio, Texas; a sister-in-law Lucille Wells Martin of Ft. Smith; and many nieces and nephews. Alice was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, a son-in-law Pete Mann, and twin infant grandsons.

Alice Doss Vardaman

July 14, 1921 - February 26, 2011