Cleveland Franklin McRant, 71 of Clarendon, died Sunday, March 12 at Central Arkansas Veterans Hospital in Little Rock.
Cleveland was born June 16, 1945 in Columbia, South Carolina to Deacon Alexander McRant Sr. and Sallie Bell Hayes-McRant.
Cleveland was raised attended Hopkins School System. He was a 1964 graduate of Hopkins High School. He also attended community college for two years while he was a resident of Texas.
After graduating high school, Cleveland joined the United States Army and served his nation during the Vietnam Era Conflict. He was honorably discharged after serving from April 10, 1967 until May 17, 1971.
Cleveland was an employee of the Southern Pacific/ Cotton Belt Railroad as a Bridgeman for more than 19 years before retiring in 1995 due to ill health.
Cleveland was baptized and became a lifelong member of St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Hopkins, South Carolina. Since taking up residence in Clarendon, Arkansas, he had been attending Bethlehem M.B. Church in Clarendon and St. Paul M.B. Church in Roe.
Cleveland was a man who was well loved by all. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. Through all the illness, beginning in 2001 with Dialysis, losing sight in one of his eyes and losing both legs to amputation, his favorite saying was, “Why complain, when there is nothing you can do about it?” He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.
His parents, two brothers: Alexander McRant and Beverly McRant and a sister Joann McRant Silver all preceded Cleveland in death.
Survivors are: his wife of 36 years, Kathy McRant of Clarendon, AR; a son Jerome (Patrice) McRant of Kansas City, MO; four daughters: Lacinda McKnight of Columbia, SC; LaTausha Boyd-Brown of Winnsboro, SC; Shawnte Ford of Kansas City, MO; and Yalonda (Aljvaun) James of Overland Park, KS; three brothers: Albert (Delores) McRant of Smyrna, DE; Nehemiah (Josephine) McRant of Blythwood, SC; and Harold McRant of Ontario, CA; a sister Blanch McRant-McFadden of Hopkins, SC; his mother in law Gloria Clark of Clarendon, AR; fifteen grandchildren, a great grandchild and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral Services:
Saturday, March 18, 2017
2:30 PM
Union Missionary Baptist Church
228 South 5th Street
Clarendon, Arkansas
Reverend Henry Dabner
Officaiting
Internment:
Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery
North Little Rock, Arkansas
