Whit Franklin Herndon Sr., 79, of Lepanto died Wednesday, March 3, at Regional Medical Center of NEA.

He was an implement dealer and owner of Pritchett Motor Co. He was a past member of Lepanto School Board, Rotary Club and was a former sports announcer for Lepanto High School. He was a 1964 Citizen of the Year of Lepanto and director for the Federal Land Bank. He was also a World War II Army Air Corps veteran and member of the American Legion. He was member of the Church of Christ of Lepanto and a Mason.

Survivors include his wife, Christine Herndon of Lepanto; one son, Whit Franklin Herndon Jr. of Lepanto; one daughter, Jereta DeClerk of Little Rock; two sisters, Freda Toy of Jonesboro and Vada Van Buren of Kansas City, Mo.; six grandchildren, Misty Mashburn, Whit Herndon III, Staci Brown, Lisa DeClerk, Ben DeClerk and Abby DeClerk; and six great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Friday at Murphy Funeral Home in Lepanto, with Sylvester Brannon and Gary Masters officiating. Burial followed in Potter Memorial Cemetery at Lepanto.

Active pallbearers were Fred Stuckey, Mark Neal, Mike Herndon, Kevin Jester, Jerry Bell and William Van Buren.

Honorary pallbearers included John Lewis Henderson, Jerry Nall, Mack Howington, John A. Jennings Sr., Bryan Bonds, H.C. Bradford, J.C. Lewis, Arthur Bonds, J.D. Boland, Mickey Boland, Jimmy Stacks and Bryan Holt.

Memorials may be made to Lepanto Church of Christ or Paragould Children's Home.