Mary Frances Wells Kilcrease

Mary Frances Wells Kilcrease, 100, of Hamburg, went to her heavenly home on Monday, October 17, 2022, at the Stonegate Villa Health and Rehabilitation Center in Crossett. Mrs. Kilcrease was a native of Hamburg and a long-time resident of the Promise Land Community east of Hamburg. She worked at Daughtery’s Grocery Store, Hamburg Shirt Factory, Crossett Hospital, and Harrison’s Department and Jewelry Store. She was also an expert seamstress. Mrs. Kilcrease traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and to many foreign countries, including eleven trips to Israel.  She wrote books about her travels to the Holy Land and wrote skits and plays as needed at her church. She was a devoted, faithful member of the Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church, where teaching Sunday school was so important to her that she cried when she had to resign because of her health. Proverbs 31:28 says of a virtuous woman, “Her children arise up and call her blessed, her husband, also, and he praiseth her.”  This was true of Mrs. Kilcrease.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, A.C. Kilcrease, Jr., in 2001; a daughter, Elaine Kilcrease in 2004; a grandson, Rell Draper in 1997; her parents, Thomas Elias and Lula Dell Lair Wells, a brother, James Wells; two sisters, Artie Wells Culp and Janie Wells Culp and a daughter-in-law, Jeannette Kilcrease in 2019.

She is survived by a daughter, Gwen Dell Draper and husband, Bro. James, of Benton; two sons, Dewey “Scutter” Kilcrease and Blaine Kilcrease, both of Hamburg; 10 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-great-grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews.

Funeral services are 2 p.m., Thursday, October 20, 2022, at the Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church with Bro. Josh Luellen officiating. Burial will be in the Promise Land Cemetery. Pallbearers are Bobby Kilcrease, Johnny Kilcrease, Steve Collins, Larry Collins, Willard Erwin, and Thomas Wells. Honorary pallbearers are The Haley Creek Boys. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church, 765 Ashley Road 70, Hamburg, AR 71646, or to the Promise Land Cemetery Association, c/o Lindsey Brooks, 427 Ashley Road 70, Hamburg, AR 71646. Visitation will be 12-2 p.m., Thursday at the church. 

Gwen, Scutter, and Blaine would like to thank Marlene Hensley-Daugherty and the Stonegate staff for caring for our mother. Thank you, Bro. Josh and all of our friends and family for each visit with our mother or us and for the food provided for us during this time. We would like to give a special thanks to her niece, Barbara Kilcrease Cross, for all of her visits and for helping our mother put Bible questions on Facebook, and to Dale and Betty Adams, for their love and care given to our mother. She often said, “Dale and Betty treat me just like I am their mother.”

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