Freda Miller

Freda Lynette LaFerney Miller, 86, of Beebe, AR., passed Saturday, May 23, 2015. Born March 31, 1929 in Arkansas, to Frank Louis and Viola Parchman LaFerney, Freda was a loving mother, sister, daughter, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother, loved by all who knew her for her great sense of humor in all situations. She is preceded in death by her parents and three brothers, Thurston LaFerney, Claude LaFerney, Charles LaFerney, brother-in-law Gene Olmstead, and sisters-in law, Nelda and Billye LaFerney.

After attending college in Beebe, Freda worked in the medical field in Little Rock before opening Padre's Mexican Restaurant with locations in Sherwood, Searcy, and Little Rock. She closed the restaurant to produce her cheese dip "Casa de Queso", with her grandson, Michael Poe, for which she later received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Cheese Dip Academy. Freda was also a member of the Poets Roundtable of Arkansas and Geyer Springs Methodist Church.

Freda is survived by three daughters, Rebecca Vinson of San Francisco; Deborah (Martien) Carroll of Hot Springs; Melanie Miller of NLR; as well as sisters Juanita Olmstead of Beebe; Cleo (Chuck) Milton of Searcy; brother Gerald (LaVeta) Laferney of Cabot; and sister-in-law Marylou LaFerney of Searcy. She has six grandchildren, Tony (Shannon) Phillips of NLR; Michael Poe of LR; Timothy (Kelly) Phillips of NLR; Ashley (Scott) Crawford of San Francisco; Haley Arnold of LR; Katlyne Miller of NLR and ten great-grandchildren and many cousins, family, and friends.

Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, May 29th, at Smith-Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe, AR. Graveside service will be on Saturday, May 30th at Gum Springs Cemetery at 10:00 a.m., in Searcy, Arkansas. Arrangements by Smith-Westbrook Funeral Home.