Lelan Lawrence Newberry

Lelan L. Newberry, 95 years old of Paragould, Arkansas, and most recently of Springdale, Arkansas, passed from this life to eternal life on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. 

Lelan was born in Greene County, Arkansas, on March 23, 1931, to the late Gee and Chattie (Newsom) Newberry. Lelan was married to the late Theda L. (Call) Newberry for 68 years. Lelan is survived by his sister, June Ann (Newberry) Bean of Paragould; three daughters and one son: Marla L. (Newberry) Kreider and the late David Kreider of Tontitown, Arkansas; Lisa A. Newberry of Everett, Washington; Leanna (Newberry) Rose and Phillip Rose of Bothell, Washington; and Larry Newberry and Tina (Taylor) Newberry of Asheville, North Carolina. He was blessed with nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Lelan was a 1948 graduate of Greene County Tech High School and an active member of the GCT Future Farmers of America Chapter throughout high school. He served as the FFA State Secretary during his high school senior year. His 1948 FFA jacket is on display at the Arkansas FFA Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Lelan served in the U.S. Navy on Treasure Island, California, and aboard the USS Randall as a Seaman First Class during the Korean Conflict. After military service in 1954, he married Theda Call from Wynne, Arkansas. He was always proud of his military service.

After receiving an honorable discharge from naval service, Lelan worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad while residing in Gurdon, Arkansas, for the first few years of marriage. He then moved to Paragould to join the family dairy business with his father, the late Gee Newberry and mother, the late Chattie Mae (Newsom) Newberry. He lived in the Greene High Community most of his life. In addition to farming, Lelan was an Exxon Oil Distributor for Greene County Arkansas from 1963 to 1968 and owned and operated Greene High Mobile Homes from 1972 to1974. He served on the Board of Farmers Home Administration Committee from 1977 to 1980 and was a member of the Paragould Chamber of Commerce for five years. 

Lelan invested in the life of his community through volunteer activities. One of his favorite community activities for approximately eleven years was serving as an FFA Alumni. He supported the FFA using his carpentry skills by building bird houses, unique shelf units, and other products to enable the local FFA Chapter to provide scholarships for students pursuing college degrees in agricultural fields. Additionally, he donated his time in other ways to support the local and state FFA. Lelan and Theda spent ten years supporting the GCT Band Boosters organization while their children were in school, and continued that support for several years after their children graduated.

After retiring to Springdale in 2016, Lelan became an avid gardener (giant tomatoes) and continued to build bird houses and other wood structures for family and friends. Lelan was a passionate man, a faithful friend, and a caring neighbor whose kindness enriched the lives of many. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

A public visitation will be held at Heath Funeral Home, Paragould, Arkansas, on Friday, June 19th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A private graveside funeral service will be observed Saturday, June 20 at Linwood Cemetery in Paragould, Arkansas.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Arkansas FFA Association or Circle of Life Hospice, Springdale, Arkansas.