Bertha Mae Davis Broadway, 1934–2021
Bertha Mae Davis Broadway joined her Heavenly Father and beloved family and friends in Heaven on Saturday, November 27 at the age of 87, having enjoyed the surrounding of family, church family, and friends over her last days. She was born October 5, 1934 in Wynne, Arkansas to Dewitt and Claudia Hamrick Davis.
Mom worked hard all of her life, picking her first bag of cotton in a flour sack at the age of 9. She would meet our father, Charles Broadway, while working at the Yellowjacket Cafe in Wynne when he came in for breakfast. They married and lived in several cities where dad worked highway construction before settling into a “Bauxite House” in Bryant on July 4, 1961. Mom spent the next 60 years in that home.
They became members of the First Baptist Church of Bryant, a church family that has always been a blessing to us. She went on to work for the Bryant School District and the First Baptist Church of Bryant where dad gave her the title of “Inspector 12” for always checking his work. Mom was a part of the Sanctuary Choir for many years and a member of the Bryant Chapter #637 Order of the Eastern Star.
She was a gifted cook known throughout Saline County for her blackberry cobbler, banana pudding, jelly, and pies, especially her chocolate pies, that were known to go for $500 at charity auctions. Mom loved to cook for her family and friends, always taking treats to the Bryant Senior Adult Center where she excelled at bean bag baseball.
She loved her lunches with the Arkansas Highway Retirees group and especially enjoyed lunch outings to Larry’s Pizza with her “Exercise Group.” Our parents were blessed to travel our state, country and Canada after dad’s retirement, but her first love was the lake, camping with family and friends. They enjoyed spending many a night playing UNO, Skip-Bo and Chicken Foot with the Richmond, Hearn and Winkler families. Mom loved to ride in parades, speak on behalf of her son and visit with State Capitol during his time in office.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 54 years Charles D. Broadway, a son Dewey Edwin Broadway, grandson Chase Broadway, four brothers Earl, Curtis, Troy and J.D. Davis, Two sisters Faye Burns and Joyce Smith.
She is survived by one brother Bill Davis of Temple, Texas. Her children Terry (Terri) Broadway of Bryant, Karen (Gary) Jackson of Rose Bud, Keith (Michelle) Broadway of Benton, Joe Don (Cindy) Broadway of Benton, Leann (Bill) Pearson of Bryant and Shane (Debbie) Broadway of Bryant.
Sisters-in-love and brothers-in-love Judy Davis of Wynne, Ella Jo Davis of Caldwell, Audrey Webb of Bauxite, Pat Henningsen of Malvern, Bobbie Edmonson of Bauxite, John “Bud” and Ann Broadway of Bauxite, Earl and Brenda Smith of Bauxite. Her uncle, Grady Hamrick of Bald Knob and aunt, Stella Ponder Parrish of Forrest City and she was “Aunt Bert” to many special nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.
Grandchildren Shonda Knott of Bryant, Andi (Doug) White of Benton, Tara (Derek) Peurifoy of Tyler, Texas, Todd Stark of NLR, Justin (Nikki) Broadway of Benton, Brooke (John Ryan) Shelnutt of Benton, Andrea Broadway of Alexander, Chad Broadway (Amber) of Walnut Ridge and Whitney (Chris) McDonald of Benton.
Great grandchildren, Braye (Grace) Valentine, Lauren and Coleman Knott; Tyler Shirley; Jayce, Jaxon, John Blake, and Joe Luke Shelnutt; Karlee, Macy Rose and Katie Blake Broadway; Blake, Cooper, and Parker Edwin McDonald; one more on the way Preston Peurifoy. One great-great grandchild Adeline Elizabeth Jo Valentine.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons, great-grandsons, Chris Treat of Bryant and Kevin Reed of Germantown, TN. The members of her Sunday School Class will be Honorary Pallbearers.
The family would like to thank Dr. Jeff Mayfield, Dr. Ed Hill, Dr. Vasili Lendal, Dr. Scott Beau, Dr. Jerry Dixon, Angie Cheves APRN and the staff of the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic. Andrea Nelson and the staff and nurses of Arkansas Heart Hospital and Encore. Medic Pharmacy of Bryant, the staff and nurses of Mt. Carmel Community of Benton, Matt Brumley and Saline Memorial Hospital and Hospice. Kristi Gwatney and Pleasant Hill Senior Care and Dr. Bilal Sadiq and Brandi Parker and the staff of Cornerstone Specialty Hospital and Arkansas Hospice for their kindness and care of mom for many years and in the last few days and months. We would also like to thank her dear friends Laverne Payne, Vicki White, Carolyn Phifer, Joyce Hesselbein, Carolyn Winbury, Wayne and JoAnn Young, and her First Methodist Church “Exercise Group” for loving and caring for mom.
Church Services by Ashby Funeral Home will be at the First Baptist Church of Bryant, 6715 Hwy. 5 North with Dr. Phillip Miller, Dr. John E. Owen and Bro. Kim Hammer officiating on Saturday, December 4th at 10:00AM with burial following at Pinecrest Cemetery.
Visitation will be at First Baptist Church of Bryant on Friday, December 3rd from 5:00PM-8:00PM
In Lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to the ASU System Foundation for the Charles and Bertha Broadway Memorial Scholarship Fund. P.O. Box 1990 State University, AR 72467.