Mack Manion

Mack (Garrell) Edward Manion, 98, of Benton, Arkansas and formerly of Mooresville and Crawfordsville Indiana, went to be with the Lord on date 2019 in Benton, AR.
Born January 8, 1921, in East Oolitic, Lawrence County, Indiana, he was the oldest son of ten children of Hobart Manion and Mary Jane (Vaughn) Manion. He lived through the Great Depression in the Smithville and Sanders area, received a double promotion (two grade levels in the same year) in elementary school, graduated from Smithville Indiana High School and was the last surviving member of the class of 1939.
He was a gospel music singer/host (even hosting several gospel music programs at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee), youth minister, evangelist, and pastor of several churches in Indiana and Arkansas. Mack, along with several minister friends, happened to be in Cuba on a missionary trip in 1958 when Fidel Castro began taking over. They were able to get out just a few days before military dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country and went to the Dominican Republic on January 1, 1959 and Castro entered Havana on January 8, 1959 after a triumphant journey across Cuba. Mack and those with him could hear gunfire coming from the mountains.
He enjoyed golfing, hunting, watching cowboy movies, western TV shows and going to church. He was also a civil pilot, former member the Putt-Putt Professional Putters Association and played in several early 1960's National Tournaments.
Survivors include: his youngest sister in California, two daughters and one son in Arkansas, one son in Indiana, one step-son in Indiana, together with twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. All of the above are located in Arkansas, Texas, Indiana, Colorado, Idaho and Oregon.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two wives and eight brothers and sisters.
A private burial will take place in Oak Hill Cemetery, Crawfordsville, Indiana.