Gerald W. "Dub" Adams

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Arbyrd

Gerald W. "Dub" Adams, 82, of Arbyrd, died Tuesday, May 22, 2007, at Greene Acres Nursing Home in Paragould after a long illness. He was born Feb. 2, 1925, in Greene County to the late James Oliver and Golda Grooms Adams. He was a retired educator and businessman. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II as a staff sergeant in the CBI Theater, Burma, the Pacific in 1944-45. After the war he graduated from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and became a high school coach and math teacher. He coached and taught in Arbyrd, Parma and Hornersville and was a baseball scout for the Kansas City Royals for several years. He later went into business and farmer. He was the owner of Adams Gin Co. in Senath and ran Adams Tax Service in Senath for many years.

He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Arbyrd. After retiring, he was elected Salem Township tax collector and served several terms. He was also a former city councilman and mayor of Arbyrd, member and president of both the Arbyrd School Board and Southland School Board. He was a member of several civic organizations including the Arbyrd Alumni association, various youth baseball organizations and the CBI Roundup Group. After retirement, he designed and built a golf course on the grounds of his home and called it Podunk Station. For many years the annual Podunk Station Golf tournament drew amateur players from all over the area.

On June 8, 1946, he was married to Jonnie Maerene Grissom in Flint, Mich. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Maerene; his son, David B. Adams; brothers, Amos Adams and Stanley Adams; sisters, Wava Hunter and Vivian Fletcher; and niece, Crissie McNeil Jumper.

He is survived by a son, Gerald Adams, Jr. of Arbyrd; a daughter, Angela Adams of Cardwell; two sisters, Wanda Zolman of Arbyrd, and Faustina McNeil of Paragould; brothers and sisters-in-law, Howard and Imogene Eldridge of Paragould, Jim and Jerri Grissom of Gulfport, Miss.

The funeral was held at 2 p.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church in Arbyrd conducted by Kelly Wright. Arrangements were under the direction of McDaniel Funeral Home in Arbyrd. Burial was at Linwood Cemetery in Paragould.

Pallbearers were Neal Smith, Ken Sikes, Larry Petty, Vernon Haddock, Randy Smith and Randy Jumper.