Harper "Lavell" Sturgis, Jr.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want"...Psalms 23 Harper Lavell Sturgis, Jr., the eleventh child in birth made his debut on the Seventeenth Day of June in the Year of our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Sixty. He was the son of Harper and Jewell Butler Sturgis. He attended Smackover Elementary, Camden Middle School and El Dorado High School. He also attended Shorter College in Little Rock, Arkansas and Bishop College in Texas. He joined the United States Army. He served as a referee with Arkansas Referee Association. He was employed with Hepco for 21 years. He began his Christian walk at an early age. In 1992 he announced his calling into the gospel ministry and was ordained at St. John Missionary Baptist Church under Pastor Barry Dobson. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and two sisters. He leaves to cherish his loving memories, one son Harper Lavell Sturgis III; one daughter Tameka(Slim) McGraw; three brothers, Robert L.(Gloria) Sturgis of Rockford, Illinois, Terry D.(Annette) Sturgis of El Dorado, Arkansas and Ray(Tyres) Sturgis of Jacksonville, Arkansas; five sisters, Joy Andrews, Ellawees(Terry) Jones and Betty Usher all of Camden, Arkansas, Helen Stanley and Emily Young of Las Vegas, Nevada. A Homegoing Celebration for Lavell will be held on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, El Dorado, Arkansas at 11:00a.m. with Rev. Barry Dobson officiating. Interment will follow in the New Hope Cemetery, Mt. Holly, Arkansas under the direction of the Sims Mortuary Staff. Visitation at the funeral home will be Tuesday, November 20, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday, November 21 from 10:00 a.m. to funeral time at the church. No viewing after the service. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Harper "Lavell" Sturgis, Jr., please visit our flower store.