2025.06.19 THROW BACK THURSDAY - CLASS OF 1956 HONORED IN 2023 — Little Rock Central High School Class of 1956

THROW BACK THURSDAY - CLASS OF 1956 HONORED IN 2023

BY THE LRCHS TIGER FOUNDATION PLUS CLASS NEWS

This is how our Class was introduced at the Tiger Foundation Gala in 2023:

Class of 1956: A Class Act! The bond these students created has extended beyond the walls of Central High. The Class of 56’ has generously given time, donations, and resources to Central High and the Central High community, collectively more than any other class. (Citizenship).

We were the first Class ever honored by the Foundation. They usually honor an individual. I am mentioning this because last Thursday night, June 12, 2025, the Class of 1956 was introduced as one of the largest donors and workers for the event called Tigerfest 2025!

1956 CLASS NEWS

JEWEL MILAM

R. Jewel Mathis, of Mount Ida, Arkansas was called home to Heaven on July 29, 2023, by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jewel was born May 14, 1938, in Prescott, Arkansas. Jewel loved with a smile. Her life revolved around her Lord, her family and her friends. Jewel was led to the Lord at the age of 12 by her grandfather. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She also served the Lord alongside her husband in Texas, Kansas and Arkansas. Jewel’s enjoyment of God’s creation was evident with her passion for birds, wildlife and flowers. She was also a cook well known and remembered for her Pear Cakes, Pecan Pies and Cookies. She was an avid student of God’s Word and gladly shared God’s Word through the years. Jewel would want you to know and hold close to your heart the following from God’s Word.

Jewel was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Kenneth D. Mathis; her parents, Ruby J. Milam and Homer D. Milam; brothers, LeRoy and Larry and sister, JoAnn.

Jewel is survived by her children: Mark (Sally) Mathis and Curtis (Kari) Mathis.

Jewel is also survived by nine Grandchildren: Ariel Mathis, Ruby Mathis, Lily Mathis, Connor Hoefer, Maci (Kevin) Wang, Wayne (Heather) Morse, Kalea (Tim) Landers, Merissa Morse and Bradley (Margaret) Klimmer. Ten Great Grand Children: Brenden, Melody, Shelby, Emma, Emery, Hartley, Dylan, Samuel, Rachel, and Seth.

Jewel is also survived by her brother, Don (Vera) Milam, sister, Tommie Sue Milam and sisters-in-law, Ina Milam and Bonnie Milam. And a loving family friend for over fifty years, Beth Lawrence, caretaker and family support through Jewel’s final years. Along with many loving nieces, nephews and special friends.

LOUISE MOORE Miller APRil 29, 1939 – August 2, 2023

Louise M Miller, 84, of Little Rock died on August 2, 2023 at Woodland Heights Memory Care. Louise (WZE) is survived by her children Sara Fruechting (Jeff) and Frank Moore (Terry),as well as five grandchildren: Jeremy Fruechting (Kaitlin), Leah Golden (Josh), Zach Moore (Jessica), Jacob Fruechting (Dakota), Rebekah Fruechting; and five great-grandchildren. She was raised by depression era parents, so was all about saving & cautious about spending. She wouldn’t quite wash & re-use Saran wrap, but almost. “I don’t like to waste anything.” Louise was born in Detroit, MI after her parents followed work to the automobile industry and they returned to Arkansas when she was in Junior High. She graduated from Little Rock’s Central High School in 1956 and the University of Arkansas in 1961 with a BS in Chemical Engineering. She then went on to graduate school at Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis, completing a PhD in Industrial Organizational Psychology in 1972 . She was fiercely independent & honest with everyone, including herself. These traits drove her success in business. Louise worked for Systematics, Inc, a bank data processing company, beginning as the manager of the Training Dept & finishing as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. She also owned Management Psychology Services, an HR consulting firm, working well into her 70’s. Louise was an animal lover, having at least one cat all of her life. She took in stray cats and people, having a variety of roommates, including most of her grandchildren, over the years. She lived in a big house on Cantrell. All were welcome in her home. She had loved that house since she first saw it driving west to the U of A in the late 1950s, and was thrilled to be able to buy it in the early 90s. For many years she had a Christmas party in her home, featuring venison chili & Queen Anne’s Revenge. Her friends would start asking in August when the party was scheduled. Louise also rented a house on Greers Ferry Lake for many years, hosting her friends there for water-skiing and camaraderie. She loved to travel with her friends, taking several big trips over the years, including a memorable one to see a solar eclipse in the Galapagos Islands. Having a fondness for fast cars and fast horses, she drove a series of Alfa Romeo sedans for most of the 80s and 90s.

DOROTHY JEAN PITTMAN Darby

Dorothy Jean Darby, 81, of Bryant, Arkansas passed away November 28, 2019. She was born April 23, 1938 in Little Rock, Arkansas to the late Fred Pittman and Dorothy (Dempsey) Cranford.
It was Dorothy's love of family and playful personality that drew people to her. The oldest of seven children, she laid claim to being both the oldest and the smartest; an honor the others let her hold. Although she had held many jobs over her lifetime, none was more important than being "the momma". She was devoted to her children and prayed daily for their happiness and safety. The love of her life was her husband, Bobby, with whom she shared many adventures from traveling the world to winning weekly fishing tournaments at Lake Overcup. Together they instilled in their children strong work ethics, a love of nature, and an appreciation and respect for people in general. She was an amazing woman. Preceding Dorothy in death are her husband, Bobby Earl Darby; infant children: Bobby Eugene and Linda Carol Darby; and parents. She leaves behind to cherish her memory two daughters: Sandra Knighten and husband David and Terry Lynn Posadas and husband Lorenzo; three sons: Ronald Wayne Darby and wife Suzee, Robert Earl Darby and wife Teresa, and Scott Jason Darby and wife Stacy; grandchildren: Zack Darby and wife Paige, Sam Darby, Jennifer Railsback and husband Josh, Alex Posadas, Tasha Meredith, Madelynn Darby, and Josh Darby; great-grandchildren: Lucy Railsback, Travis Bradberry, and James Bradberry; brother, Ricky Cranford and wife Sharon; sisters: Pat Dreher, Lillie "Cookie" Ward, Peggy Baggett, Debbie Lafferty and her husband Russell, and Brenda Rowland; sister-in-law of sixty-six years Linda Ford; brother-in-law Curt Darby; and many family members and friends who love Dorothy and will miss her always.

SUE STANDLEY Henderson

Sue Jeanine Standley Henderson, a smart, sassy, strong, independent, and unapologetic 86-year-old, passed away peacefully at home on December 25th, 2024, with her daughter Michelle and granddaughter Gabriella at her side. She is survived by her dearly beloved brother, Robert Wayne Standley, (Linda McKillips); Sue’s daughter, Michelle Henderson and her granddaughter Gabriella Gaviria, all of North Little Rock. Sue was born in El Dorado, Arkansas; June 26, 1938 to Dixie Jewel Culp Standley Miller and Robert Verlin Standley, both of whom preceded her in death. Sue was the oldest of three children. She is preceded in death by her parents, her beloved brother John Martin Standley (“Cookie” Standley) ; and has many dear aunts, uncles, and cousins in the Culp and Clark clans. After graduation from both Little Rock Central High School in 1956, and later – business college, she lived in Houston, Texas for several years and spent summers at Galveston Beach. After getting married, she moved to Los Angeles, CA where her daughter, Michelle, was born. Sue worked for notable employers including the Arkansas Arts Center, where she was proud to have befriended such Arkansas luminaries as Daisy Gatson Bates and Arkansas’ First Lady Jeanette MacDonald Rockefeller, then the Federal Aviation Administration, before finally retiring from Southwestern Bell/AT&T. However, her favorite job was with Curran Productions in Los Angeles where, among other things, she worked on the production of Peter Pan starring Angela Lansbury. Curran Productions often partnered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Dorothy Chandler pavilion and LA Light Opera to bring Broadway shows to the West Coast. “My mother loved many things, top among them were books. She was a voracious reader, devoured books, loved playing chess, card games, taking road trips, especially to California any time she had the chance, and going to theme parks to ride the roller coasters.” Her favorite restaurant was Musso and Frank’s in Hollywood, CA and Bruno’s Little Italy, here in Little Rock, Arkansas. Sue lived a really rich life, and paid close attention to current events and politics. She loved and admired leaders like John F. Kennedy and was always brought to tears when recalling his assassination. She was a shameless fan of Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama. Sue’s daughter Michelle said: “Some of my most treasured memories were from taking Mom on her dream trip to Europe in 2017 and visiting 5 countries including Ireland, and riding on lots of passenger trains, watching her soak up the culture.” It would be an oversight to not mention how much Sue loved music in general. But especially Nat King Cole, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Billy Holiday, and Sarah Vaughn. In the 1960’s she had a personal connection to the Hollywood Bowl and The Greek Theatre, and was quite privileged to see live performances at both venues, including meeting and watching Johnny Mathis, being backstage at the Beatles’ first performance there in 1964, and seeing performances by others that she was friends with, such as the band “The Association.” She lived in Honolulu for 2 years, and made many dear friends there, before returning to California, and finally back home to Arkansas. She may not have left her heart in San Jose, but not far from, her heart is still beating in Hollywood.

Our condolences to Willis Callaway in the passing of his nephew Callan Carroll Callaway, the son of Charlie and Saundra Dean Callaway, both Central High Grads.

I just happened to notice an obituary recently for Robert Farquhar, 67, of Little Rock, who passed away unexpectedly on June 2, 2025. Robert was born June 3, 1957 in Little Rock. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd Macgregor Farquhar "Mac", our classmate. He graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1975.

1955 CLASS NEWS

MARTHA HARRIS Rosenbaum
Martha Alma Harris Rosenbaum, beloved wife and mother, went home to be with the Lord on June 13, 2025. She was born on November 12, 1937, in Little Rock, Arkansas to Henry and Melba Moore Harris. She is survived by her husband, Carl Sidney Rosenbaum, daughter Kathryn Coleman (Curtis), daughter Carol Moore (Rick), and son Sid Rosenbaum (Wanda). She has six grandchildren, Trey (Hannah), Rachel, Calvin (Cassie), Christian (Hannah), Anna, and Madelyn; and three great-grandchildren, Connor, Violet, and Eliza, along with many other cherished family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Calvin Harris, as well as so many other loved family members and friends, including her life-long treasured friend, Polly Whitlow, whom she met in preschool at Second Baptist Church. Martha grew up as a member of Second Baptist Church, where her mother served as organist for 35 years, and her father served as deacon and held many other leadership positions. She attended Ouachita Baptist University for two years, where she was a member of EEE social club before transferring to Baylor University to study the harp. She then transferred to the University of Arkansas for her senior year, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and was named a Razorback Beauty. She graduated with a BSE in music. She taught vocal music at Eastside Junior High School from 1959 to 1963 before meeting Carl, her husband of 63 years, through mutual friends. They were married in 1962 at Second Baptist Church. She lived in Little Rock her entire life and was very active in various organizations including Twentieth Century Club, Little Rock Musical Coterie, and director of the St. Vincent Hospital Nurses' Choir. She served as president of Coterie before becoming president of the Arkansas Federation of Music Clubs. Martha was an extremely gifted pianist and generously shared her talent during her life, including accompanying numerous vocalists and instrumentalists and playing for local performances of musicals and other events. She was also an accomplished harpist and enjoyed playing for many weddings and events throughout her career. Her greatest musical joy was serving as pianist of First Baptist Church for 30 years, where she devoted her time accompanying choirs, vocalists, the Living Christmas Tree, dinner theatres, and numerous other ministries and events. The family is extremely grateful to each one of Martha's incredible caregivers through the last several years who loved her and cared for her with tremendous compassion, especially Brenda Smith, Gail Johnson, Savannah Ellis, Lauren Lopez, and Bennett Parks. Martha loved her family and friends immensely, but her greatest love was her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with whom she is spending eternity. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 10:30am at First Baptist Church of Little Rock. d of 63 years, through mutual friends. They were married in 1962 at Second Baptist Church. She lived in Little Rock her entire life and was very active in various organizations including Twentieth Century Club, Little Rock Musical Coterie, and director of the St. Vincent Hospital Nurses' Choir. She served as president of Coterie before becoming president of the Arkansas Federation of Music Clubs. Martha was an extremely gifted pianist and generously shared her talent during her life, including accompanying numerous vocalists and instrumentalists and playing for local performances of musicals and other events. She was also an accomplished harpist and enjoyed playing for many weddings and events throughout her career. Her greatest musical joy was serving as pianist of First Baptist Church for 30 years, where she devoted her time accompanying choirs, vocalists, the Living Christmas Tree, dinner theatres, and numerous other ministries and events. The family is extremely grateful to each one of Martha's incredible caregivers through the last several years who loved her and cared for her with tremendous compassion, especially Brenda Smith, Gail Johnson, Savannah Ellis, Lauren Lopez, and Bennett Parks. Martha loved her family and friends immensely, but her greatest love was her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with whom she is spending eternity. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 10:30am at First Baptist Church of Little Rock.

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