DeWitt Era-Enterprise, 2012 S. Main, Stuttgart, AR (2025)

10/10/2025

Junior Ricebirds Shutout Junior Dragons 40-0 at Dragon Stadium.

10/10/2025

7th Grade Ricebirds Defeat The 7th Grade Dragons, 28-14 at Dragon Stadium.

10/09/2025

Maranda Austin Shrum, 95, of Stuttgart went to her heavenly home on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at Crestpark of Stuttgart. She was met by the “love of...

10/09/2025

Please join us in offering our deepest condolences to our columnist/reporter Bill Shrum, in the loss of his Mother.

Maranda Austin Shrum, 95, of Stuttgart went to her heavenly home on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at Crestpark of Stuttgart. She was met by the “love of her life”, Charley Shrum whom she was married to for 58 years. Others to meet her were son, Rodger Shrum; infant son, Randy Clay Shrum; her parents, Henry and Hettie Austin; brothers and sisters, Katie McGhee, Kirby Austin, Alvin Austin, Shirley Murphy, Wilma Young, Birtie McDaniel and J.R. Austin; and two wonderful friends, her husband’s sister, Margret Shrum Bounds and Esther Simmons.

Maranda was born on a farm five miles southeast of DeWitt in the (then) Little Cubie or Kubie Community which is now called Sunnieside. After graduating from eighth grade in 1943, she began working for George and Mildred Rowland in DeWitt was a nanny to three small children. In 1949, she met Charley and that all changed.

After moving around for four years and working they moved to Stuttgart in 1953.

Maranda was the first waitress for the Colonel and Mack Owens at the Rice Bowling Lanes. She then began working in grocery stores -- Jimmy’s Grocery on East Second St., Speedy’s In and Out at 2107 S. Main St., then in 1974 she was offered a job by the Munford Company to manage their new store (Majik Market) at the corner of Fifth and Buerkle streets (the old Rhodes Pipe Company). She made it into a thriving business, then in 1980, gas pumps were added. In 1992, because of the management which was now under the EZ-Mart name since 1989, she retired from there. Three months later she was asked to come to work at the To***co Store at 2107 S. Main St. in Stuttgart where she stayed until the summer of 2000.

Dad began driving a truck full of Lennox air conditioners at this time. This couple went everywhere and saw everything if they weren’t in their Winnebago going to all the VFW dances.

She is survived by a son, Bill Shrum of Stuttgart; granddaughter, Melissa Shrum Spence and her husband Jeff and their son Moss of Conway; and many nieces, nephews and friends who knew her when she worked in the stores.

Graveside services will 10 a.m. Friday at Almyra Cemetery by Turpin Funeral Home of Stuttgart.

Please go to www.turpin-co.com to sign the online guestbook.