Vance Churchill Obituary (1926

Vance "Buck" Churchill was a physically powerful man, but it was his enormous presence that filled a room. "To grow up with him was to know a man who seemed capable of any feat, who lived to work and loved to play and who wore his grin like a ten-gallon hat, a beaming Hollywood smile that radiated genuine warmth spiced with a hint of mischief...a prize specimen of a man if there ever was one", said a grandson. Another grandson remembers, "My friends always told me I had John Wayne as a grandfather. But I don't think he ever tried hard to be manly. He just was. He believed people should act a certain way---tough, responsible, honest, and big-hearted---and that's how he always was". To his grandchildren, he was "Daddy Buck", a bulwark of safety and unconditional love, and a huge influence in their lives. Vance was born in Hector, AR, Dec. 31, 1926 to Lattie and Audra Hill Churchill, and lived in Dover from the age of five. His parents ran a general store, but from early childhood, Vance loved animals and farming and spent many hours learning animal husbandry and farming from his friend and mentor, O.L. Lynch. He entered Arkansas Tech at the age of 16 and played on the Tech basketball team under coach John Tucker. Vance was drafted when he reached 18 and completed basic training just before WWII ended. He returned home, married Joyce Ross on March 20, 1950, and began farming as well as a career with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. He loved raising quarter horses and cattle and knew every animal in his herd. "In a world full of cowboys, Buck Churchill was a cowman," wrote his son-in-law, Ben Mays, who went on to describe his father-in-law's unique method of catching a sick calf for treatment. "While holding the steering wheel with his elbows, he filled a syringe with antibiotic as he drove alongside the calf. Accelerating past the now sprinting calf, he threw open the door, sprang from his seat with the syringe in his mouth, and bull-dogged the 400 lb. calf to the ground. He injected the medicine into the calf's neck and turned the patient loose--all in one fluid motion. I had never seen anything like it. Still haven't." Never one to let appearance trump utility, Vance kept a farm truck that was legendary for the items he kept on the dashboard. Stacks of old mail, medicine bottles, bolts, wrenches, hats, ear tags, old gloves, a set of obstetrical chains, and syringes of several sizes lent his truck a characteristic smell of hay, grease, and cow medicine. His work attire was also legendary: an old straw hat that looked like the survivor of a cattle stampede topped a tattered western shirt and khaki pants smeared with barnyard colors. A favorite family story concerns a passer-by who hurried into the bank where Vance's wife, Joyce, was working to tell her that rustlers were loading up Churchill Farms cattle into a shabby old trailer. When Joyce assured her that it was just Vance and his farmhand, the helpful woman replied, "Oh, no, Mrs. Churchill. These were some ROUGH looking men!" Vance served for many years on the Dover School Board and was instrumental in founding the Dover Rural Fire Dept. After retiring as director of the Pope County FSA, he farmed full-time until he suffered a debilitating stroke in 1997. He died Jan. 8, 2012 at Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home and will be greatly missed by all who loved and looked up to him and the principles he lived by: "Never take advantage of anyone," and " Always do what you think is right". These were the values he left with his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Joyce; daughter, Linda Mays (Ben) of Clinton; son, Gary (Jennifer) of Dover: a sister, Elaine Berry, of Dover; son-in-law, Kim Virden, of Dover: and 11 grandchildren: Adrielle Churchill of Washington, DC, Colton Churchill of Dover, Tamar Cunningham of Fayetteville, Leah Krebs of Ames, IA, Ross Mays of Houma, LA, Ryan Mays of Montpelier, VT, Rob and Rhett Mays of Asheville, NC, Laura Pruitt and Jonathan Virden of Conway, and Joshua Virden of Dover. Great-grandchildren are Elias, Amelia, and Reed Krebs; Ben, James, Henry, Lucas, Audrey and Rhett Mays; Kyal, Hayes, and Vance Pruitt: and Will Virden. Vance was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Janea "Polly" Massey, and his beloved daughter, Janet Virden. Graveside services ill be at 3:00 PM, Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Churchill Family Cemetery under the direction of Humphrey Funeral Service. Ronnie Martin will officiate. The family will receive friends the next day, Wednesday, January 11, Humphrey Chapel from 6 to 8 PM. Memorials may be made to Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home, 2405 E. Parkway, Suite 3, Russellville, AR 72802. Internet obituary and on-line guest book are available at www.humphreyfuneral.com. PDF Printable Version