Marreen Ward Buntaine, age 87, passed away on Sunday, September 2, 2007. She was born on June 24, 1920, and was the last living child of Alice Seaborn Harris and James Cook Ward, who was also known as "Whistling Jim" - a well known local figure in the early 1900's, and a decendent of a founding family of Little Rock. She was raised in Little Rock and attended Central High School. She married Robert Ralph Buntaine of Kalamazoo, Michigan, on January 13, 1940, in Chicago. They had seven children and resided in Chicago and St. Louis throughout their 62 years of marriage. She loved music, especially the piano and organ, and at the age of 52, she graduated from Lindenwood College with a degree in music. After her beloved husband died in 2002, she returned to Little Rock, which she always considered her home, and rejoined the Immanuel Baptist Church - the same church she had grown up in as a child. She has now re-Joined her husband in the ever lasting, leaving behind six greatgrandchildren, thirteen grandchildren and her seven children, Robert of Texas, Norman of New York, Rolfe of Arkansas, Donna of Connecticut, Croyle of Missouri, Marc of Massachusetts and Marreen of Illinois. A graveside service will be held at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, September 5th at Pine Crest Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas. Memorals may be made to Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation, 800 Marshall Street, Little Rock,Arkansas 72202. Arrangements entrusted to Larry G. Acklin Funeral Home 8821 Colonel Glenn, Little Rock. "IN YOUR TIME OF NEED......WE CARE".
