Iris Frye

Ava, MO

Iris Edith Garland Frye, age 92 years, 5 months and 29 days, entered the gates of heaven on July 8, 2009. Iris was born to Tillman and Nellie Garland on January 9, 1917 in the small community of Denver, Arkansas. There were 15 children in the Garland family with 10 girls and one boy surviving past the age of a few days old. Siblings surviving are her brother, Howard Garland, of Springfield, MO, and a sister, Cloda Hendrickson, of Bolivar, MO.

Iris completed her elementary education at Robertson country school before her marriage to Glenn O. Frye. She and Glenn were married at Romance, MO, during the General Baptist Association on September 16, 1933. She and Glenn celebrated 67 years together before his death November 13, 2000. Iris was the beloved mother of six children. One son, Robert Lee Frye preceded her in death. Children surviving are: Roy Frye of the home, Dorothy Treese, Ozark, MO, Myrtle Case and husband, Larry of Sparta, Jerry Frye and wife Bonnie, Springfield, MO, and Glenda Hall and husband Otis, Ozark, MO. She is also lovingly survived by a large number of grandchildren and their families.

Iris was a devoted member of Black Oak General Baptist Church for more than 50 years where she served as church clerk and other areas of ministry throughout her years there. Even though her voice was getting weak, she loved to sing songs that had a special message in them.

In her younger years, she opened-her home to many soldiers that her soldier son brought home on weekends. They were far from their homes while stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood. She received cards and letters from those soldiers after they had families of their own.

A beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother and Great-Great Grandmother, Iris always saw to the needs of her family. To her large family she leaves a message of great strength and faith; a faith that saw her through difficult times of losing a son, a husband and her own illnesses including her final one, pancreatic cancer. She was a woman of faith and prayer for her family, always praying for salvation of the ones that had not accepted Christ as their personal Savior.

Our family gatherings will not be the same without Mother and Dad but the legacy of spiritual strength, integrity and love they exemplified will always be felt by all those who knew them.

A celebration of her life will be Monday, July 13, 2009 at 2:00 pm in the Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Ava, Mo., with burial in Fannon Cemetery. Officiating the service will be Rev. Jerry Wayne Frye and Rev. Tom Johnson. Visitation will be Monday from 1:00 pm till service time. The family request that memorials be made to St. John's HospiceCare in Springfield, MO or Gideons.