Gravette Day

10 • 129th AnnuAl grAvette DAy • Saturday, auguSt 13, 2022 " "If we see a need, we've just always responded. If you see something that needs doing, you should just do it. I think if you do that, you are rewarded yourself for the satisfaction of seeing something accomplished. - Robert and Geneva Hamilton R obert and Geneva Hamilton of Hiwasse will certainly be "Celebrating Community" as they lead the 2022 Gravette Day parade as Grand Marshals, but it's fair to say they've been celebrating community their whole lives. "Robert and Geneva are cornerstones of our community," said Heather Finley, Gravette Day Committee chair. "They have selflessly given. Their passion paired with the teamwork they have, has made a huge impact to Hiwasse." Hiwasse, formerly known as Dickson, was voluntarily annexed into the City of Gravette in 2012. The Hamiltons are modest about their contributions, and consider it a great honor to lead the parade they have attended for so many years. "When Heather called me I was speechless, I didn't feel at all worthy. We were just very honored," Geneva explained. Geneva, the daughter of Dean and Nona (Holloway) Fletcher, attended Hiwasse School and graduated from Gravette High School. Robert, the son of Cecil Lee "Bill" and Mae (Marshall) Hamilton, was born in Prairie Grove, Ark. and moved with his family to Westville, Okla. where he graduated from Westville High School. He graduated from Tulsa Technical School and later attended Central State College. Robert served in the U. S. Army and was stationed in Germany. The Hamiltons are active members of the Hiwasse Church of the Nazarene where they were married in 1964. Robert currently serves as treasurer and Geneva has served in various positions including church secretary and Sunday School teacher. After living in Bentonville for a few years, they built a home in Hiwasse in 1973. Geneva's community involvement began while her two children, Robert Paul and Marlo, were in elementary school. "We operated a poultry farm for 28½ years and Robert worked at the Flint Creek Power plant in Gentry so it enabled me to be involved with our children's activities," said Geneva, who was homeroom mother for her children's elementary classes and was involved in the PTO. And of course, the Hamiltons attended countless sports events and drama productions over the years for their children and three grandchildren–Koletun, Beau and Reese— all of whom attended Gravette schools. They also have two great-grandchildren, June and Ben, who live in Okinawa, Japan, where Koletun is stationed in the Navy. Geneva and Robert have also been supporters of St. Jude Children's Hospital for more than 30 years. Geneva organized two successful St. Jude Bike-A-Thons for Gravette Elementary children in the 1980's, each raising more than $2,000. Geneva was chairman of the Hiwasse History Book and Hiwasse Centennial Book committees. She was co-chairman of the Hiwasse Centennial Celebration committee, and also served as postmaster of the Hiwasse Post Office. Robert was a member of the Hiwasse Volunteer Fire Department, and they have both been poll workers for many years. During the Gravette Centennial, mayor Alberta Mason asked Geneva to organize an all school reunion, which was held on Gravette Day and attracted a good representation of graduates from many school years. "To my knowledge, that was the first and last all school reunion," she recalls. "During the Centennial events, a Good Morning America news team came to Gravette and a large group of us gathered by the caboose to shout out 'GOOD MORNING AMERICA' from Gravette!" The Hamiltons have been on the board of directors for the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery Association since the early 1990s. "We live just a mile from the cemetery, so we have to drive past it whenever we leave. There was one area that used to grow weeds, so Robert took his tractor and cut them down," Geneva noted, explaining that friends then encouraged them to join the board. "I take pride in what we do there," said Robert of their work on the 16- acre cemetery that dates back to the 1800s, "Keeping the records, selling lots, marking out gravesites and the location of monuments, keeping the rows straight. Someone once told me that this was the only cemetery in the world with such straight rows," he laughed. When the original cemetery records were destroyed in a fire, Robert and Geneva went through, row-by-row, and created a grave-finder for the 2500 or so gravesites in the cemetery. The Hamiltons enjoy traveling and have visited 49 U.S. states as well as several countries in Europe. "When we go on vacation, we always visit other cemeteries," Geneva quipped. "I guess it's just something that we've always enjoyed doing," Geneva explained about their legacy of community service. "If we see a need, we've just always responded. If you see something that needs doing, you should just do it. I think if you do that, you are rewarded yourself for the satisfaction of seeing something accomplished." Gravette Day Grand Marshals lead by example | by Karen Rice

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