Age, 89 - Graveside services will be 10:00 AM Monday at Sunset Memorial Gardens with Abe Deutschendorf officiating. Sgt Kirksey died Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. Burial with full military honors will be under the direction of Becker Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM Sunday at the funeral home. He was born July 21, 1918 in Jonesboro to Bert and Alice Kirksey. He married Cleida Belle Hill. She died in 1982. He later married Ara Lamberson Neely of Jonesboro. She died the same day he died, surviving him only by a few hours. He served in the U. S. Army for 24 years. During World War II he served 44 months overseas with the 25th Infantry Division, taking part in campaigns in the Solomon Islands and Philippine Islands. He was awared the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star for Valor in combat, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Army Commendation Medal for Military Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster and numerous certificates of achievements. During his Army career he was assigned duty in Korea, Hawaii and various state side posts to include Post Information non-commissioned Officer at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas and Post Information non-commissioned Officer at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After retirement from the Army in August 1967 at Fort Sill, he was employed by the Fort Sill Federal Credit Union for 14 years as a loan officer, while living in Lawton with his family. In 1989 he returned to Jonesboro. Sgt Kirksey was a Baptist and a member of the American Legion. Survivors include three daughters and their spouses, Janet and Charles Witte and Nina and Melvin Hunt, all of Lawton and Lynn Kirksey Miner, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a son and his wife, Joe and Ursula Kirksey, Cherry Valley, California, a sister, Carmelita Roper, Imboden, Arkansas, seven grandchildren, Cindy Forbis, Charles Howard Witte, Danielle Nava, Joelle Taylor, Case Miner, Alex Miner and Cale Hunt and four great grandchildren, Jana and Carson Forbis and Alena and Leah Nava. He is preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Dayle Looper and a brother, Jim Kirksey. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fisher House Program for Veterans,1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 600, Rockville, MD 20852.