Willis Miles Ponder, Jr., age 98, of Walnut Ridge, passed away Sunday, April 12th, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Walnut Ridge. He was born on July 21, 1916 to Willis Miles Sr. and Frances Spencer Ponder. He worked for the Soil Conservation Service as an agricultural engineer. He served in the Navy during World War II, was a lifetime blood donor, and a member of the Old Walnut Ridge Baptist Church.

He is preceded in death by his parents Willis Miles, Sr. and Frances Spencer Ponder; and one son, Mack Francis Ponder.

Survivors include his wife, Catherine Cox Ponder of Walnut Ridge; three sons, Willis Miles Ponder, III (Rebecca) of Ruidoso, New Mexico, Sam Ponder (Maria DiSilva) of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and David Ponder (Helen) of Southhaven, Mississipi; one daughter Paula (Houston) Bishop of Memphis, Tennessee; daughter-in-law Harriet Ponder of Walnut Ridge; grandchildren Willis Miles Ponder IV, Susan Harris, Kris Ponder, Regan Ponder-Rice, Sonya Duncan, Spencer Ponder, Catherine Jones, Cynthia Brasher, Paul Bishop, Brandon Carter, Joseph Ponder, Caleb Ponder, and John Ponder; nine great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild, and many other friends and relatives.

Visitation will be Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at Old Walnut Ridge Baptist Church, near Walnut Ridge, from 11am – 2 pm. Funeral Services will be at 2:00 pm at the Old Walnut Ridge Baptist Church with Frank Casillas and Howard Pankey officiating. Burial will follow at Austin Cemetery near Walnut Ridge under the direction of Cox Funeral Home of Walnut Ridge.

Honored to serve as pallbearers are his grandsons, Miles Ponder IV, Spencer Ponder, Paul Bishop, Joe Ponder, Caleb Ponder, John Ponder, and Franklin Everett.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Old Walnut Ridge Baptist Church Building Fund, % Harriet Ponder, 1708 Corbett Drive, Walnut Ridge, AR 72476.

Online registry: coxfhwalnutridge.com