Dale Kesner went to meet his heavenly Father at 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2019, in Arkadelphia.
After 90 years of serving his school, church and community, he left behind many students, friends and family who will remember his wit and humor — from telling his music students at Van Buren High School on the first day of class, "I hate kids," but after getting to know him, no one believed him to taking water pistols from junior high boys and shooting the high school girls if they tried to put on makeup when they were supposed to be rehearsing. He was a teetotaler who used beer to fertilize the best-tasting tomatoes of all time. He married Mary Lou Whitson on April 25, 1950, and took her to Virginia Beach, where he served the Navy as a printer for The Gator during the Korean War. He began building his ship models then and, as an artist, made small wooden objects using a scroll saw as well as building larger furniture items. He had a garden during his 30 years in public education, thus his fame for his beer-fed tomatoes. He continued a church-music ministry during his teaching career and moved from part time music director at Eastside Baptist Church to part time at Mansfield Baptist Church, as Eastside became too large for a part time minister. After retiring, he continued as a substitute teacher for Van Buren High School until about 2017, during which time he also volunteered for the Fort Smith Visitors Bureau as a trolley driver and tour guide at Miss Laura's. His daughter, Bonnie, sang to him every day for the last week of his life and one of the last things he said was that he is flying in the choir to sing.
Dale is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Lou Whitson Kesner,; daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie Dale Curlin and Jay Curlin; brothers, Winfred "Wimpy" Kesner (Polly, deceased), Herbert Kesner (Lois, deceased) and Mark Kesner (Marcelle); grandchildren, Christopher Curlin and wife Liz Lowe Curlin and their children Calyon, Maxwell and Julia Rose, Adam Curlin, Jason Curlin, Gideon Curlin and wife Megan Schofield and children Jessie and Riley, Charity Curlin, Gabriel Curlin and Benjamin Curlin; nephews, Steve Kesner (Brenda Corbin Kesner), David Kesner (Brenda Leslie Kesner) and Brent Kesner (Amy Camp Kesner),"Jay" Phillip Swearingen (Valerie); and nieces, Beverly Hansen, Barbara Buras, Phyllis Russell, (James), Kathy Austin (Buddy), Rosemary Geren (Terry), Keni Swearingen Rodgers (John), Leslie Swearingen Banner.
He was preceded in death by father, J.W. Kesner Sr.; Central Missionary Baptist church pastor, Alta Kesner; mother, Bonnie Belle Kesner; brother, J.W. Kesner Jr.; and sister, Maribel Swearingen.
Service will be at 10 a.m. Satuday, Jan. 5, 2019, at Eastside Baptist Church, 2710 Massard Road, Fort Smith, with burial to follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Friday at Edwards Funeral Home, 201 N. 12th St., Fort Smith.
Services are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home.
After 90 years of serving his school, church and community, he left behind many students, friends and family who will remember his wit and humor — from telling his music students at Van Buren High School on the first day of class, "I hate kids," but after getting to know him, no one believed him to taking water pistols from junior high boys and shooting the high school girls if they tried to put on makeup when they were supposed to be rehearsing. He was a teetotaler who used beer to fertilize the best-tasting tomatoes of all time. He married Mary Lou Whitson on April 25, 1950, and took her to Virginia Beach, where he served the Navy as a printer for The Gator during the Korean War. He began building his ship models then and, as an artist, made small wooden objects using a scroll saw as well as building larger furniture items. He had a garden during his 30 years in public education, thus his fame for his beer-fed tomatoes. He continued a church-music ministry during his teaching career and moved from part time music director at Eastside Baptist Church to part time at Mansfield Baptist Church, as Eastside became too large for a part time minister. After retiring, he continued as a substitute teacher for Van Buren High School until about 2017, during which time he also volunteered for the Fort Smith Visitors Bureau as a trolley driver and tour guide at Miss Laura's. His daughter, Bonnie, sang to him every day for the last week of his life and one of the last things he said was that he is flying in the choir to sing.
Dale is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Lou Whitson Kesner,; daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie Dale Curlin and Jay Curlin; brothers, Winfred "Wimpy" Kesner (Polly, deceased), Herbert Kesner (Lois, deceased) and Mark Kesner (Marcelle); grandchildren, Christopher Curlin and wife Liz Lowe Curlin and their children Calyon, Maxwell and Julia Rose, Adam Curlin, Jason Curlin, Gideon Curlin and wife Megan Schofield and children Jessie and Riley, Charity Curlin, Gabriel Curlin and Benjamin Curlin; nephews, Steve Kesner (Brenda Corbin Kesner), David Kesner (Brenda Leslie Kesner) and Brent Kesner (Amy Camp Kesner),"Jay" Phillip Swearingen (Valerie); and nieces, Beverly Hansen, Barbara Buras, Phyllis Russell, (James), Kathy Austin (Buddy), Rosemary Geren (Terry), Keni Swearingen Rodgers (John), Leslie Swearingen Banner.
He was preceded in death by father, J.W. Kesner Sr.; Central Missionary Baptist church pastor, Alta Kesner; mother, Bonnie Belle Kesner; brother, J.W. Kesner Jr.; and sister, Maribel Swearingen.
Service will be at 10 a.m. Satuday, Jan. 5, 2019, at Eastside Baptist Church, 2710 Massard Road, Fort Smith, with burial to follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Friday at Edwards Funeral Home, 201 N. 12th St., Fort Smith.
Services are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home.
Dale Kesner went to meet his heavenly Father at 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2019, in Arkadelphia.
After 90 years of serving his school, church and community, he left behind many students, friends and family who will remember his wit and humor — from telling his music students at Van Buren High School on the first day of class, "I hate kids," but after getting to know him, no one believed him to taking water pistols from junior high boys and shooting the high school girls if they tried to put on makeup when they were supposed to be rehearsing. He was a teetotaler who used beer to fertilize the best-tasting tomatoes of all time. He married Mary Lou Whitson on April 25, 1950, and took her to Virginia Beach, where he served the Navy as a printer for The Gator during the Korean War. He began building his ship models then and, as an artist, made small wooden objects using a scroll saw as well as building larger furniture items. He had a garden during his 30 years in public education, thus his fame for his beer-fed tomatoes. He continued a church-music ministry during his teaching career and moved from part time music director at Eastside Baptist Church to part time at Mansfield Baptist Church, as Eastside became too large for a part time minister. After retiring, he continued as a substitute teacher for Van Buren High School until about 2017, during which time he also volunteered for the Fort Smith Visitors Bureau as a trolley driver and tour guide at Miss Laura's. His daughter, Bonnie, sang to him every day for the last week of his life and one of the last things he said was that he is flying in the choir to sing.
Dale is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Lou Whitson Kesner,; daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie Dale Curlin and Jay Curlin; brothers, Winfred "Wimpy" Kesner (Polly, deceased), Herbert Kesner (Lois, deceased) and Mark Kesner (Marcelle); grandchildren, Christopher Curlin and wife Liz Lowe Curlin and their children Calyon, Maxwell and Julia Rose, Adam Curlin, Jason Curlin, Gideon Curlin and wife Megan Schofield and children Jessie and Riley, Charity Curlin, Gabriel Curlin and Benjamin Curlin; nephews, Steve Kesner (Brenda Corbin Kesner), David Kesner (Brenda Leslie Kesner) and Brent Kesner (Amy Camp Kesner),"Jay" Phillip Swearingen (Valerie); and nieces, Beverly Hansen, Barbara Buras, Phyllis Russell, (James), Kathy Austin (Buddy), Rosemary Geren (Terry), Keni Swearingen Rodgers (John), Leslie Swearingen Banner.
He was preceded in death by father, J.W. Kesner Sr.; Central Missionary Baptist church pastor, Alta Kesner; mother, Bonnie Belle Kesner; brother, J.W. Kesner Jr.; and sister, Maribel Swearingen.
Service will be at 10 a.m. Satuday, Jan. 5, 2019, at Eastside Baptist Church, 2710 Massard Road, Fort Smith, with burial to follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Friday at Edwards Funeral Home, 201 N. 12th St., Fort Smith.
Services are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home.
After 90 years of serving his school, church and community, he left behind many students, friends and family who will remember his wit and humor — from telling his music students at Van Buren High School on the first day of class, "I hate kids," but after getting to know him, no one believed him to taking water pistols from junior high boys and shooting the high school girls if they tried to put on makeup when they were supposed to be rehearsing. He was a teetotaler who used beer to fertilize the best-tasting tomatoes of all time. He married Mary Lou Whitson on April 25, 1950, and took her to Virginia Beach, where he served the Navy as a printer for The Gator during the Korean War. He began building his ship models then and, as an artist, made small wooden objects using a scroll saw as well as building larger furniture items. He had a garden during his 30 years in public education, thus his fame for his beer-fed tomatoes. He continued a church-music ministry during his teaching career and moved from part time music director at Eastside Baptist Church to part time at Mansfield Baptist Church, as Eastside became too large for a part time minister. After retiring, he continued as a substitute teacher for Van Buren High School until about 2017, during which time he also volunteered for the Fort Smith Visitors Bureau as a trolley driver and tour guide at Miss Laura's. His daughter, Bonnie, sang to him every day for the last week of his life and one of the last things he said was that he is flying in the choir to sing.
Dale is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Lou Whitson Kesner,; daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie Dale Curlin and Jay Curlin; brothers, Winfred "Wimpy" Kesner (Polly, deceased), Herbert Kesner (Lois, deceased) and Mark Kesner (Marcelle); grandchildren, Christopher Curlin and wife Liz Lowe Curlin and their children Calyon, Maxwell and Julia Rose, Adam Curlin, Jason Curlin, Gideon Curlin and wife Megan Schofield and children Jessie and Riley, Charity Curlin, Gabriel Curlin and Benjamin Curlin; nephews, Steve Kesner (Brenda Corbin Kesner), David Kesner (Brenda Leslie Kesner) and Brent Kesner (Amy Camp Kesner),"Jay" Phillip Swearingen (Valerie); and nieces, Beverly Hansen, Barbara Buras, Phyllis Russell, (James), Kathy Austin (Buddy), Rosemary Geren (Terry), Keni Swearingen Rodgers (John), Leslie Swearingen Banner.
He was preceded in death by father, J.W. Kesner Sr.; Central Missionary Baptist church pastor, Alta Kesner; mother, Bonnie Belle Kesner; brother, J.W. Kesner Jr.; and sister, Maribel Swearingen.
Service will be at 10 a.m. Satuday, Jan. 5, 2019, at Eastside Baptist Church, 2710 Massard Road, Fort Smith, with burial to follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Friday at Edwards Funeral Home, 201 N. 12th St., Fort Smith.
Services are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
