Ora Masters

Ora Freemon Masters, 88, of Gordonville passed away peacefully Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, at his home after being diagnosed eight months prior with esophageal cancer.

Up until his diagnosis, Ora was fortunate to have lived an extremely healthy and active lifestyle. In fact, one of his favorite sayings was, "If I felt any better, I couldn't stand it!"

He was born April 13, 1927, at Marquand, Missouri, son of Henry Arthur "H.A." and Ollie Ellen Dudley Masters. Ora was the 11th of 12 children. Ora and Zerma Ann Ahrens were married Nov. 6, 1948. They had three children and made their home in Gordonville.

He attended school in Delta.

During his lifetime, Ora did a variety of jobs. Places of employment included Macke Feed & Seed, Ceramo, Jim Wilson Co. and Arkansas Best Freight (ABF). Ora retired from ABF in 1988 and remained quite active attending auctions, restoring old cars and working on his "ranch." On any given sunny day, Ora enjoyed driving one of his antiques along various country roads. He also was interested in minimizing Gordonville's squirrel population.

Antique cars and collectibles were definitely his passion for many years. Ora restored numerous automobiles, including a 1956 Chevy, which won the Chevy National Top Point Award by scoring 96 out of 100 for a home restoration. A longtime member of the Capaha Antique Car Club, he exhibited at many car shows and drove his antiques in countless parades over the years.

In addition to his wife of 67 years, Ora is survived by two children, Terry Wayne Masters of Jackson and Kathryn Susan (Bill) Peters of Burfordville; one grandson, Evan Masters of Benton; and three granddaughters, Morgan Peters of Gordonville and Jessica and Reagan Peters of Burfordville.

Ora was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, six sisters and a son, Thomas Freemon Masters.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until time of service Monday at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, with Revs. Joel Kidwell and Tom Sullenger officiating. Interment will be at Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to the American Cancer Society

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.