Phillip Rowland Shewmaker

Phillip Rowland Shewmaker, Sr. was born November 18, 1918 in Paragould, Arkansas and quietly expired in Little Rock, Arkansas on July 26, 2009 at 8:35 AM. He was the eldest son of Marion Luther and Mabel Thurman Shewmaker. He and Juanita Mosbey were married April 19, 1944 and lived together until her death on July 23, 2001.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Juanita, a daughter, Phillis Kaye, brothers Cletis, , Jerome and Randall and Sisters Beatrice and Juanita.

Survivors are daughter LaJuana Joan; son Phillip Rowland, Jr.; grandson Phillip Rowland III; brothers Marion Lee (Jack) and wife Jewell of Flint, Michigan, Clevie Gene and wife Marilyn of Rogers, Arkansas; sisters joy and husband Richard Carlisle of Cunningham, Tennessee and Shirley Helen and husband Lin Liverett of Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Phillip lived most of his life in northeastern Arkansas. He joined Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation (CCC) Corps in Heber Springs, Arkansas in 1940. In April 1941 he joined the Marine Corps and took basic training in San Diego, California and later was shipped to the south Pacific to the Salomon Islands. He was wounded in the second wave at Guadalcanal and spent several months recovering in New Zealand. He returned to California where he was discharged June 1943.

Phillip attended college at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas and the University of Memphis. He received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Agriculture and a Masters Degree in School Administration. Following graduation, he worked as a school superintendent in Lafe, Bono, and Hoxie, Arkansas. From 1962 to 1965 he served as superintendent at Viola, Arkansas. At Viola, he and his wife, along with his friend and fellow school administrator Dave Harris, wrote the first ever federal program for the Kennedy Administration's Title 1 Program (Head Start) for the state of Arkansas. This was the first such program written in the United States and was used as the guideline for future Federal Programs in all public schools.

In 1965, this accomplishment caught the attention of the White County School Administration. Phillip was hired to be responsible for the implementation of Federal Programs in White County and also as an Assistant to Superintendent James Ahlf until retiring in 1984.

After retirement he served on the Board of the White River Area Agency on Aging, 28 years as Secretary of Arkansas Silver Haired Legislature and was active in the AARP for many years. He also was a member of the White County Retired Teachers Association and served on committees for the White County Hospital.

A memorial service is scheduled at 2:00 PM on Saturday, August 29, 2009 in the Chapel of the First United Methodist Church, 304 North Main in Searcy, Arkansas. A reception will follow in the Wesley Room.

In lieu of plants and flowers please make a donation to your favorite charity or to one of the following charities in memory, mailing address 300 E. 3rd Street, Little Rock, AR 72201:
1. First United Methodist Church of Searcy's Good Samaritan Fund
2. William J. Clinton Foundation, 1200 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock, AR 72201
3. International Society for Stem Cell Research, https//www.isscr.org/

Arrangements are by Searcy-McEuen Funeral Home.