Obituary of Lilard French, Boone County, Arkansas *********************************************************** Submitted by: Rosa Cline Date: 27 Dec 2009 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** Published: Harrison Daily Times Tuesday, December 15, 2009 6:08 AM Lilard Eugene French, 82, of Diamond City, died Wednesday, Dec. 9 (2009) at North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Harrison. Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at Roller-Christeson Funeral Home with Joe Blair officiating. Visitation will be from 12 to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at the funeral home. Burial will be at Raley Cemetery at Lead Hill. Pallbearers will be Kenny French, Gene French, Perry French, Justin Hopkins, Jason French and Eric French. The son of George and Delora (Radford) French was born Sept. 16, 1927, at Leroy, Kan. Lilard was a member of the Lead Hill Church of Christ. He was a prior resident of many places but most recently of Fillmore, Calif. He was in the Kansas State Guard until his enlistment in the U.S. Navy in 1945. He served on the USS Springfield and was honorably discharged in 1947. As a Fireman First Class, he received the Asian Pacific Medal, the American Area Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Lilard married the love of his life, Inez Mae, on June 3, 1949. They had four wonderful sons. Lilard worked as a heavy equipment operator for the U.S. Forestry Service in Los Angeles County and for the fire department in Ventura County. He also worked for the California State Highway Department. Lilard loved country music, traveling, working in his yard, riding his lawn mower and fixing things, whether they needed fixing or not. He loved working with wood and made beautiful gifts for everyone in the family. He loved to barbecue and enjoyed getting everyone together so he could. He loved sharing stories about his life and his ten brothers and sisters. He never missed the 11 o’clock news. He will be greatly missed; we loved him dearly He was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife, Inez Mae French; his son, Eddie French; and seven brothers and sisters. He is survived by sons, Gene and Marlene French of Fillmore, Calif., Perry and Sharon French of Springfield, Mass., Kenny and Cindy French of Lead Hill and the wife of the late Eddie French, Kathy French of Lead Hill; a sister, Jerry Willard of Topeka, Kan.; brothers, Ep French of Garnett, Kan. and Kenneth "Tars" French of Colony, Kan.; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-granchildren; and a host of other family and friends. Online condolences may be left at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com.