William "Leon" Bardwell

William "Leon" Bardwell, age 80, of Glenwood, passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2019. He was born on September 17, 1939, in Glenwood, the son of Ralph Bardwell and Bertha Hazel White Bardwell. On April 1, 1961, he was married to the love of his life, Plona Frances Rose. He was preceded in death by his great-granddaughter, Georgia Layne Bardwell, his parents; and his sister, Marietta Baldwin. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. He was employed with Arkla Gas for over twenty-three years until he retired and began a family business, Bardwells Appliance, later becoming Bardwells Heating and Air, where he remained actively working until he became ill. He enjoyed working on both his farm and on old tractors, but his greatest joy in life was spending time with his family, whom he dearly loved. Leon is going to be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. He is survived by his loving wife of fifty-eight years, Frances Bardwell of Glenwood; two sons, Darren Bardwell and Riley (Melissa) Bardwell, all of Glenwood; one daughter, Jackie Bardwell-Norton and her husband, Douglas, of Fayetteville; seven grandchildren, Tyler Norton, Jacey Bardwell, Lauralee Bardwell, Grayson Bardwell, Rylyn Bardwell, Saylor Bardwell and Whitney Boyles; one great-grandchild, Jace Boyles; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members and a host of wonderful friends. Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Wednesday, October 9, 2019, in the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church with Bro. Keith Shewbart and Bro. Harold Turner officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday, 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM, prior to the services at the church. Interment will be in the Bethel Cemetery under the direction of Davis-Smith Funeral Home, Glenwood. Pallbearers will be John Mark Baker, Paul Baker, Eddie Herring, Carl Barrett, Jacob Barrett and Kaci Reid. Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Baker, Mike Wilson, Chase Reid, Chad Moore, Greg Gardner, the nurses and staff of DaVita Hot Springs Dialysis and the nurses and staff of National Park Medical Center ICU and The Heart and Vascular Center. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bethel Cemetery Association, 65 Crews Road, Glenwood, Arkansas 71943 or to the National Kidney Foundation, 1818 North Taylor, Suite #186, Little Rock, Arkansas 72207. Guest registry is at www.davis-smith.com.