William Somervell (1912-2003)

SOMERVELL

Posted By: Arizona Jewel
Date: 3/11/2003 at 23:04:10

The Daily Nonpareil
10 March 2003

William T. Somervell

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - William Thomas "W.T." Somervell, formerly of Cammack Village, Little Rock, Ark., 92, died March 9 at Bethany Lutheran Home in Council Bluffs, where he resided near his son.

He was born in Collins, Drew County, Ark., on Nov. 4, 1911, to the Rev. W.F. "Frank" Somervell and Margery Marcella Camp Somervell. He is the great-grandson of Judge Willis Lewis Somervell of Tulip, Dallas County, Ark., who was one of the early pioneers from Virginia who settled in Arkansas in the 1850s.

Mr. Somervell, a devout Christian, was an active Deacon at Second Baptist Church in Little Rock with his wife of 56 years, Cyril Cobb Somervell, who died in September 1996. He graduated from Arkansas A & M in Monticello in 1933 with a Civil Engineering certificate, and after serving his country as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he joined the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company where he retired as a Civil Engineer in 1976. He was a registered Arkansas Land Surveyor and served as a Pulaski County Justice of the Peace. He was an active family historian and with the collaboration of his cousin, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Ed F. McFaddin, wrote their branch of the Somervell Family History beginning in early Scotland until their retirement in Arkansas.

Mr. Somervell was a compatriot in The Sons of the American Revolution, Arkansas Society Count Pulaski Chapter. He was a Mason and in the 1940s was affiliated with the Magnolia Lodge No. 60 of Little Rock. He loved Arkansas deer hunting with his pack of hounds and served as the first secretary of the Arkansas Amateur Bird Dog Field Trail Association.

Mr. Somervell was preceded in death in addition to his parents and wife by six sisters and one brother and is survived by one brother, Frank King Somervell of Dermott, Ark.

In addition to his brother, he is survived by his only child, William Francis "Bill" Somervell, daughter-in-law, Ellen Eisenhart Somervell of Glenwood; five grandchildren, Barry Todd Somervell of West Hartford, Conn.; William T. "Will" Somervell of Villa Grove, Ill.; Sherry Lynn Somervell-Peck of Independence, Mo.; Andrew Lee "Drew" Somervell of St. Louis; Stacey Smith Crumley of Omaha; 10 great-grandchildren; four sisters-in-laws and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and wonderful friends.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth Funeral Home, 5800 West 12th Street, Little Rock. Graveside funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Redfield, Ark., Cemetery conducted by Dr. Ray Higgins of Second Baptist Church in Little Rock. Pallbearers will be Barry Somervell, Will Somervell, Drew Somervell, Bobby LaCaze, Warner Gregory, and Frank B. Somervell. Honorary Escort will be by the Redfield American Legion Post. The family of W.T. wishes to thank the loving and caring staff of Bethany Lutheran Home for their faithful care of his spiritual and physical needs, and, as always, the prayers of Second Baptist Church.

©Daily Nonpareil 2003