Obituary for Gary Herman Rankin (6/18/26) Gary Herman Rankin, age 78, a resident of Prairie Grove, went to be with the Lord on June 17, 2026, after a long illness. Born February 1, 1948, in Omak, Washington, he was the oldest son of Henry and Beulah (Rogers) Rankin. He grew up on "Bear Mountain" in the Baldwin community near Elkins, Arkansas, and attended Fayetteville Public Schools, graduating in 1966. Gary married Kathleen (Kathy) Camp in October 1975. They moved to Prairie Grove in 1978 where they have lived since then. Gary had lots of interests and hobbies. In addition to reading, working word puzzles, fishing, camping, and deer hunting, he enjoyed attending church at Prairie Oaks and Clyde Community Church. Over the years, he had many different jobs, but his favorite job was serving customers who came in needing parts for their farm equipment. This gave him the opportunity to get to know a lot of people in the community. He is preceded in death by his parents, a brother Larry Rankin, and his wife Brenda of West Fork. He is survived by his wife Kathy of almost 51 years; two sons, Philip (Shelly) of Summers, and Clay (Jordan) of Lincoln; three grandchildren, Ashley Southern (Trenton), RJ Smith (Chantel Lively), and Kade Rankin (Karaline); five great-grandchildren, Braxton, Raelynn, Wayde and Hank Southern, and Kinsleigh Rankin; one sister, Linda Turner, of Johnson, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Visitation will be at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, at Clyde Community Church, with the Memorial services following at 2 p.m. at the church. Final resting place is at Bethesda Cemetery, Morrow, under the direction of Luginbuel Funeral Home. There will be no graveside service. Memorials may be made to Circle of Life Hospice, 901 Jones Road, Springdale, AR 72762. ===== Eulogy for Gary Rankin June 25, 2026 A Glimpse into Gary’s Life Good afternoon, the Rankin family thanks each of you for coming today as we honor the life of Gary Rankin. You may hear some familiar stories, but there may also be a few you have not heard before. After World War II, work was scarce, so his parents decided to move to Omak, Washington, to work in the apple orchards. Gary was born while they were there. Gary was two years older than his brother Larry and ten years older than his sister Linda. While growing up, they always had turtles. Gary’s turtle was named “Isaac,” and Larry’s turtle was “Andrew.” Linda remembered one day hearing their mom scream when she opened a dresser drawer to put away their socks and saw the turtles warm and comfy in there. When confronted, the boys responded, “But, Mom, they were cold outside.” Linda said she mostly remembers Larry yelling “Mom, get her out of here.” But she said Gary was always nice to his little sister. When Gary and Larry were teenagers, they would sneak outside to smoke. Linda caught them several times, so they gave her some “HUSH” money to not tell on them. Needless to say, she always had money to buy candy! One night they told their mom they were going outside to the outhouse as they didn’t have an indoor bathroom at that time. She knew what they were doing even though Linda had not told on them. She went out and told them they might as well come in so they wouldn’t freeze outside! After graduation, Gary and two of his best friends, Gerald Ward and Sonny Parker, found various jobs. About a year and a half later, they decided to go to Little Rock and talk to the Selective Service Board. After taking their physicals, Gary found that he had a hole in his ear drum. He was told he could either get it repaired and then join the military, or he didn’t have to serve. Gerald and Sonny passed their physicals and joined the Navy. They were sent to San Diego to boot camp October 15, 1967. Arkansas House of Representative John Paul Hammerschmidt sent Gary a letter stating that neither he nor Larry would have to join the military. Their dad Henry and his brother Charley had been captured by the Japanese and were held as prisoners of war in the Philippines for three years. Mr. Hammerschmidt said Henry had already paid a high price for his country. During his working career Gary had several different jobs. He worked at the University of Arkansas, Polks Furniture, and as a meat cutter for a few grocery stores. Later, he worked 13 years for Sears. He then spent many years selling tractor parts to farmers. Among his employers were: Williams Ford, Red Dotson, Bob Daughtery, Lincoln Supply and Scott Equipment. Gary really loved doing this. Summer was a very busy time as the farmers had breakdowns in the hayfield. Many years ago, he and his brother-in-law, Mike Harp, went over to White Rock deer hunting. They came across a field of marijuana. They felt they should report it to Sheriff Ralph Baker who was sheriff of Madison County at the time. During this time, there were hints of rumors that the sheriff might be linked to the marijuana growing business in that area around Huntsville. Sheriff Baker had Gary and Mike meet him at night and show him where the field was located. They never dreamed they would have to accompany him there. They met him and took him to the location, but they were really scared because of the rumors. There actually is a book about the sheriff and the marijuana fields, so maybe they had a good reason to be scared! The book is entitled “When Money Grew on Trees.” In earlier years, when Philip or Clay asked their dad to help them fix something, he was always happy to help with whatever they needed done. He got a lot of enjoyment from that. After Kathy retired, they started going to the Lincoln Senior Center. Gary loved sitting at the table with several of the men and listening to them tell stories. Unfortunately, he could no longer communicate at that time because of the illness. He really enjoyed the lunches and loved playing Bingo as long as he could. Oh yes, he also loved snatching a few Little Debbie treats before he left! Gary loved to read. He found an article telling how to build a bird house. He decided to try building one. The first one turned out pretty good, so he kept making them and ended up making around 25. He decided to try making a bird feeder and it turned out good, too. He made a few more of those and gave all of them away to family and friends. Gary was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia in May 2014. Even though the disease took its toll on his body and mind, he was always happy and was never angry or cross with his family or caretakers. Occasionally Gary would be taken to Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale for five days so Kathy could get a respite break. The nurses were always glad to see him. One CNA named Ruby said Gary was her favorite patient. She would take him for a walk around the grounds outside and when they walked by the snack bar, he took the opportunity to grab a few Little Debbie treats and stuff in his shirt pocket. She said she got tickled at this cowboy boots and belt buckle, as most patients came in pajama pants. Without the help of some very special friends, Linda White, Margie Johnson, and Nancy Overton, it would not have been possible to keep Gary at home. They were very much appreciated, and thank goodness, they all were retired. Gary was also blessed to have two special caregivers, Lydia Hankins and Alice Graham. They went above and beyond their duty, doing an excellent job. Gary loved them and got along well with them. Up until the past few months, Gary loved going for car rides, so Kathy and Gary did a lot of sightseeing around the countryside. He also loved animals and spent many hours with his two cats and dog Bo. Before he was diagnosed with dementia, Gary took great care of Kathy after her surgeries and illnesses. Because of this, she was determined to take good care of Gary at home as long as it was possible. She kept this commitment up until the last week of his life when he was admitted to Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale. We will remember Gary as a gentle soul who was easy-going and loved visiting with people. Thank you for coming to share these special memories today.