Fletcher Pennebaker

1934 - 2021

Fletcher Pennebaker
Fletcher Artemus "FA" Pennebaker took his last call for his Final run on June 27, 2021. He was born October 25, 1934 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to George Leander and Harriet Bell (Hunter) Pennebaker.
At the age of three, his mother (Harriet) passed away, leaving his Dad, George, with 4 children. Everett Dupree, George's brother, and wife Emma Gertrude (Hunter), Harriet's sister, agreed to bring the youngest child, Fletcher, to Booneville, Arkansas and they would become his guardians. Emma couldn't have any children. George agreed to this arrangement.
He is preceded in death by birth parents, George and Harriet, and guardian parents, Everett and Emma; sister, Verley Margrett Blunck; brothers, Monta Leo and Jack Lemont and half-brother, George Wilson Pennebaker.
FA was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Booneville, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Sons of the Confederate Veterans, Military Order of Stars & Bars Leaders in the Confederacy, and Arkansas Valley Mustang (car) Club. He attended John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He enlisted in U.S. Army and was given an Honorable medical discharge due to his physical condition.
In 1956, he was hired as a Fireman/Engineer for the Rock Island Railroad. He spent 40 years as a Locomotive Engineer working at El Reno, Oklahoma and Pratt, Kansas. Due to railroad buy-out/mergers, he also worked for Southern Pacific and Union Pacific at Pratt, Kansas and retired in 1998 to Booneville, Arkansas.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Jo Ann (Kirk) Pennebaker, a girl that he fell in love with the first time he saw her and lasted till the day he passed away; 2 sons that he was very proud of, Robert "Bob" (Patricia) Pennebaker of Booneville and William "Bill" (Penelope) Pennebaker of Carnation, Washington; 1 brother, Winston Dupree of Washington; 3 beautiful and loving granddaughters, Rachel (Cody) Wirt of Ellensburg, Washington, Kayla of Fayetteville, and Chasity of Booneville; 2 great granddaughters, Shelby of Ellensburg, Washington and Adeline Rose of Booneville; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services are scheduled for 10:00 am on Thursday, July 1, 2021 at First United Methodist Church in Booneville, with burial at Oak Hill Cemetery, under the direction of Roberts Funeral Home.
Visitation will be Wednesday evening from 5pm to 7pm at Roberts Funeral Home.
Pallbearers: Edward Payson, Robert Lloyd, Kit Parker, Dale Parker, Brian Cooper, Jackie Kendell, Will Beason, and John Williams
Honorary Pallbearers: Buddy Littlefield and Fletcher's care takers -Jeremy and Taylor Powell, Jacyln Goodson, Jessica Fitzjurls, Marissa Porter, and Mary R. Austin
www.robertsfh.com