Garnet O. Trosper

A Funeral Service for Garnet Odell Trosper of Cotter, Arkansas, will be 2:00 pm, Friday, July 1, 2016, at Kirby and Family Funeral Home Chapel, with Reverend Bill DePierro, Pastor officiating. Visitation will be Friday, July 1, 2016, from 1:00 pm until the time of service.
Garnet passed away June 25, 2016, in Mountain Home, Arkansas at the age of 90. He was born April 25, 1926, in Portageville, Missouri, the son of Robert Patton and Eutha Virgie McElhaney Trosper. Garnet was born into a life of hard field work where it took a family effort to exist during the Great Depression. It was with the encouragement and support of his mother, Eutha that he graduated Campbell High School. Garnet served in the U.S. Army where he fought for our freedom in World War II as an infantry scout in General Patton’s Third Army. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Campaign Star, Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star for heroism.
Garnet married Buena Mae Freeman on September 21, 1948, in Marion, Arkansas, spending nearly 60 years together. Garnet was trained and worked as a watchmaker and engraver in Memphis, Tennessee. This experience, along with Buena’s bookkeeping expertise, provided the foundation for the company he and Buena founded together in 1961 in Memphis, Tennessee, United Rubber Die, a nationally recognized and respected business. They operated it until retiring to Cotter, Arkansas.
Garnet and Buena lived in Cotter since the mid 80's, moving from Germantown, Tennessee. Garnet was known as a generous philanthropist, donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Backpack Program with the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas on a regular basis. He enjoyed fly fishing, but his true passion was his love of aviation that he shared with his good friends in the “Valley”. Garnet felt that flying was a wonderful way to see the country and would often fly along the White River for a bird’s eye view of nature.
Garnet is survived by his daughters of birth and choice, Violet Trosper of Fayetteville, AR, Nancy Trosper of Colorado Springs, CO, Jeri Vincent of Franklin, TN, and Linda Cagle of Flippin, AR; son-in-law Richard Redfearn of Fayetteville, AR; grandson, Joshua Michael Trosper of Colorado Springs, CO; brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Carol Trosper of ​Rogers​, ​AR; brother-in-law, Ted Hobbs of Mountain Home, AR; nephew and wife Dave and Sherri Trosper of Oakland, TN; niece Lou Ann McElyea of Jonesboro, several nieces and nephews and many good friends. Garnet’s friendship, in-depth conversations and appreciation of all things will be missed greatly by all.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Eutha; his beloved wife Buena; two sons, Michael Freeman Trosper and Richard Arnold Trosper; brothers, John Robert Trosper and Jess Willard Trosper; and sisters Rose Watson Trosper and Hazel McElyea Trosper.
Memorials may be made to ​St. Jude Children's Hospital and the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas.
Arrangements are by Kirby and Family Funeral and Cremation Services.