Roberta Lydia Shepherd Bunton, 79, of Russellville, died Thursday April 11 at Saint Mary’s Medical Center, Russellville. Raised at Bidville, Crawford County, she was born Dec 27, 1933 to James Elisha (Eli) and Bertha Emiline (Wood) Shepherd. Her twin brother Roland died at birth and her mother followed 15 months later. After graduating Dardanelle High School in 1952 she worked at Bell Telephone, Fayetteville, and attended University of Arkansas and later Delmar College, Texas receiving a degree in interior design. She married Clyde J. Bunton August 10, 1954 at Dardanelle. She was a talented decorator and seamstress, loving wife and mother. At Fayetteville in 1960 she trusted Jesus as her Savior and Lord, and remained ever strong in her faith & testimony; she had a gentle, sweet disposition and was gracious, kind, and giving, constantly showing the pure love of Christ, always serving others, and uplifting and encouraging all who knew her. She was preceded in death by an infant son Michael Bunton, her parents, and grandparents Wesley Uriah and Eliza Jane (Harrison) Shepherd and John Freeman and Lydia Alice (Hawkins) Wood; seven siblings: brothers Wallace, Amos, and Bill Shepherd and sisters Elsie Jones, Zola Kidd, Golda Saunders, Claudia Lanford, and six half-siblings: brothers Wayne, Wade, Bobby, and Bruce Shepherd and sisters Rosetta Clampett and Drucilla Cater. Survivors include her husband and one son, David Travillion Bunton, of Russellville; one brother John Shepherd of Beloit, WI and one half-brother Gene Shepherd of Bakersfield, CA, one aunt Lorene Wood Adams of Fayetteville, and four uncles Buster Wood of Winslow, Willis Wood of Alma, Earl Wood of MO, and Raymond and Herb Wood of CA. Graveside services will be Tuesday at 2 PM at the Bidville Cemetery in Crawford County conducted by Bro. Don Ward. Pallbearers: Neal Adams, Gary Blackburn, William James Jones, Randal Shepherd, Tyler Watson, Willis Wood.
The family will receive friends Monday from 6 to 8 at Lemley Funeral Home, Atkins.