Home Obituaries Obituary: Eddie Mike (Mickey) Pope, 95, of Mineral Springs

Obituary: Eddie Mike (Mickey) Pope, 95, of Mineral Springs

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He left after the ninth grade at Okay School because of a disagreement with a teacher. He joined the navy, saw the world, fought for our country, and became a Southwest Arkansas icon.

Eddie Mike (Mickey) Pope, 95, died at his home overlooking Millwood Lake, Monday, Jan. 21, 2019.

He was born Sept. 25, 1923, in Nashville, Ark., to Jordan Killis Pope and Madge Hopkins Deloney Pope. He attended school at Okay, and served in the U.S. Navy from Aug. 29, 1940-46. He rose to the rank of Chief Boatswain’s Mate and served aboard five American vessels before and during WWII. His experiences included escort duty at Halifax, Nova Scotia, when UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter. He was on the USS Arkansas when the United States invaded Casablanca, North Africa, and on convoy duty in the Atlantic. His duty also included the Pacific where he survived the war and a typhoon.

His medals included: Asiatic-Pacific Medal with 7 stars; American Area Medal with 1 star; African-European Medal; Philippines Liberation Medal with 2 stars; American Defense Medal; WWII Victory Medal; Good Conduct Medal.

He returned to the farm south of Mineral Springs and met Vivian Sue Jones on a blind date in September of 1950. On Christmas Day that year she became his bride. They moved into a sharecropper shack on the Deloney Farm. Five years later they built their home where they would farm and raise their family for 68 happy years.

During this time they were very active in the community, county and state. Some of his accomplishments were: 9 years on ASC committee; charter member Mineral Springs Lions Club; board of directors of Arkansas Cattlemen’s Foundation and area VP for Cattlemen’s Association in 1973; 10 years president of Howard County Farm Bureau and member for 40 years; Board of Stewards of Mineral Springs Methodist Church; elected Justice of the Peace 4 years; county Extension Council; 4-H Foundation; Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

Together, Mike and Vivian both served on the Farm Bureau board of directors; they were Howard County Farm Family of the Year in 1956 and were also Southwest District Farm Family winners; 1972 Arkansas Broiler Producer of the Year.

Survivors include: his wife, Vivian; their children Jordan Mike Pope (Myra), William Andrew Pope (Rebecca) and Robert Lane Pope. Grandchildren Jordan Pope, Connor Pope, Andrea Woodruff (Kris), Tyler Pope (Samantha), Julia Linhoff (Yale), Madison Pope, Mikki Ann Pope. Stepgrandchildren Dustin Smith (Morgan), Meagan Smith. Great-grandchildren Judah Pope, Killis Reid Woodruff, Gracelyn Woodruff, Ryder Pope, Kase Pope, Leah Linhoff, Kade Linhoff. Step-great-grandchildren Rylan Hill, Jordan Hill, Madden Hill, Emersyn Smith.

Visitation will be at Nashville Funeral Home Thursday, Jan. 24, from 6-8 p.m.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, at Mineral Springs Methodist Church. Burial will follow in Mineral Springs Cemetery.

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