Obituary of Rodger Payne

David Rodger Payne, age 76, passed peacefully into the arms of the Lord on April 2, 2023 at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale, Arkansas after a brief illness. His services will be held on Tuesday April 11th at Calvary Free Will Baptist Church in Springdale, AR. Visitation will be from 10:30 - 11:30 followed by a service from 11:30 - 12:30. Following will be a full veteran’s burial at 1:30 at Fayetteville National Cemetery in Fayetteville, AR.

In addition, a celebration of his life will be held at Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan, MO from 12:00-2:00 on Wednesday April 12th.

Known by most close family and friends as Rodger, he was the last child born to Daniel H. and Jessie Payne in Ripley County, Missouri on the 28th of September, 1946. Like his father and other family members, his living was made as a sawmill owner and operator for most of his life. He served in the US Army and that included a tour in Vietnam. On March 1, 1968, he married Diana Chambers, and they raised two children in Fairdealing, MO. After the death of Diana in 2013, he married Linda McBride of Bethel Heights, Arkansas in a ceremony in Doniphan, MO on November 15, 2014. They spent their time together in Bethel Heights as members of the Calvary Free Will Baptist Church and in ministry of comfort to local widows and widowers.

David is preceded in death by wife Diana, parents Daniel and Jessie, sisters Lois Moore, Evagene Crook, Melva Vandergriff, and Audrey Adams, and brother Dossie Payne, as well as two infant children Robert Lee and Venda Louise

He is survived by his wife Linda Payne, children Jessica Shields (Bill) and Jeremy Payne (Elizabeth), stepdaughters Raelene Jordan (Jeff) and Michelle Werda, brother Elmer Payne and sister Annabelle Tillman, grandchildren Erin, Sarah and Kendall, and step-grandchildren Tyler, Alyssa, John Marcus, and Giselle. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a memorial donation to your local hospice organization or to Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale, AR for the special work that is done to bring comfort to both those that are leaving the physical world and the loved ones that remain.