Weldon David Wilson, Jr.

Weldon David Wilson, Jr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee on September 12, 1967 to Weldon, Sr. and Patsy (Crane) Wilson. The family moved to Arkansas in 1974 after the family home in Mississippi had been destroyed by a tornado. Weldon graduated high school; attended Vo-Tech in Searcy where he studied diesel mechanics, received an Associates Degree in Accounting from ASU-Beebe and a BS Degree in Accounting from UALR. He worked for a few years in diesel mechanics and also for the United States Postal Service as a rural route mail carrier while attending college. He began his career as an accountant for Affiliated Foods, and Brandon House Furniture before becoming Controller for the Arkansas Times where he worked for 22 years until he could work no more because of his health. Even then, he worked from the hospital.

Weldon enjoyed playing all types of sports while growing up. He also boxed for the Searcy Boxing Club, winning the Golden Gloves State Championship and going on to the Mid-South when he was eighteen years old. He and his siblings were always together doing something. Weldon was an avid reader all through his life and had an excellent memory for facts and figures. In an interview for a family publication he said his favorite song was “America the Beautiful” and his favorite sound was that of a saxophone. His favorite Bible verse was Luke 6:31, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Weldon accepted Christ as his Savior as an eight year old child while attending Sunday School at Landmark Baptist Church. That testimony was never doubted by his family. His life manifested what he said.

Weldon once said that one of the biggest lessons he had learned from his father was to be versatile, excel at whatever you do whether it be something that comes natural or something that doesn’t come so easily. Anyone who knew Weldon knew that he truly was versatile and excelled at everything that he ever attempted. Through the years Weldon was put to many a test and he finished all of them. As his brother said, “Weldon was the strongest person he had ever known.”

Weldon passed away on Wednesday, November 19 at the Baptist Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. He will be greatly missed by his friends, his associates at the Arkansas Times and most emphatically by his family. Besides his father, mother, brothers; Bryan (wife Lori), and Keith and his sister, Laura he also leaves nephews; Ryler Wilson, Chantry Wilson, Wilson Yarbro and niece Colleen Mead and their families.

Services will be held on Monday, November 24 at Landmark Baptist Church, 2298 Hwy 267 Searcy, AR with visitation at 10:00 and the memorial service at 11:00. Burial will be at Weir Cemetery.