Loy Warren Massey

Loy Warren Massey passed from this life into Heaven on July 5, 2022. At his “home going”, Loy was wonderfully cared for by the staff of the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro, Arkansas as well as his daughter Melisa and family in Paragould, Arkansas.

Loy was born October 22, 1930, to parents Robert Aubry and Merle (Jeffrey) Massey at Locust Grove, Arkansas. He graduated from Desha High School and attended Arkansas College (Now Lyon College) at Batesville. Loy was a proud U. S. Navy veteran, serving on the USS Dash during the Korean War.

He began his working career for J.K. Southerland Poultry Company as a feed delivery driver in the 1950's and retired from the Banquet Foods Poultry Division as a Field Service, Quality Control Manager in 1994. In total, Loy worked in the Arkansas poultry industry for over 40 years.

Loy married Freda Louise Daum of Pleasant Grove, Arkansas on September 14th, 1956, despite the fact that she accidentally stuck her ice cream cone to the roof of his brand-new Ford sedan on their first date. Loy was not one to hold a grudge.

He and Freda lived in the Marcella community in Stone County after they were married in 1956 and then moved to Mountain View in 1964 where they lived until 2003 when they moved to Paragould to be near their daughter Melisa and her family.

Loy and Freda were members of Marcella Baptist Church, and in 1964 became members of First Baptist Church of Mtn. View. After Loy and Freda moved to Paragould, Arkansas in 2003 they became members of First Baptist Church, Paragould. Both Loy and Freda understood the importance of a faith commitment to Jesus Christ and did their best live that commitment out in daily living.

Loy worked with Freda in the Stone County Historical Society from its inception. He built walls, repaired floors, painted, hung light fixtures, etc. and served as treasurer for many years. He worked alongside Freda cataloging the cemeteries in Stone County. He made dozens of grave markers by hand and placed them in cemeteries across the county for those with no markers. Both Loy and Freda firmly believed that the resting places of deceased persons should be marked and remembered. Even family vacations were sometimes used as opportunities to visit courthouses and cemeteries in far flung states to further Freda’s historical research and service.

It is an understatement to say that Loy Massey loved baseball, especially the St. Louis Cardinals and he passed his love of baseball on to his children and grandchildren. He and Freda traveled as far as the Mexican border to watch their son Mark play baseball during Mark’s college years. When Loy could no longer play baseball, he played softball for the First Baptist Church team in the men's league in Mountain View well into his 50's.

Loy and Freda felt an obligation and duty to allow their children Melisa and Mark to see the vistas and wonders of our great country. While the children were still at home, Loy and Freda traveled with their children to World’s Fairs, and National Parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. By 1977, Loy and Freda had traveled with their children to 45 of the 50 United States. In their retirement years, Loy and Freda along with Danny Ray and Bonnie Crymes and Kenneth and Connie Crymes pulled their travel trailers thousands of miles from north to south and east to west… even as far as Alaska.

Loy was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Freda (Daum), his parents, 2 brothers and their wives Vernon (Helen Kemp) and Hoyle (Alma Baugh). Loy is survived by a daughter, Melisa Loy Williams and a son, Robert Mark Massey (Cheri), grandchildren: Callie Leonora Williams, Margaret Lena (Maggie) Wolfe (Ryan), Andrew Mark Massey (Kaylan) and Austin Robert Massey and one great grandchild, Lincoln Alan Wolfe. Loy referred to Lincoln as a “Dandy”.

A memorial service for Loy will be held at First Baptist Church of Mountain View on Sat, July 9 at 2:00 pm with a visitation and viewing preceding the service at 1:00 pm. Rev Mark Massey will officiate. Burial will follow afterwards at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Stone County Historical Society (P.O. Box 210, Mountain View, AR 72560).

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Psalm 116:15