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Alta Mae Cline, age 78, of Belleville, Arkansas, passed away peacefully at home Saturday, Oct. 18. She was born March 5, 1936 in Donaldson, AR to the late Cecil and Elsie Tarkington McDade.
Alta is preceded in death by her husband, Boyd Dale Cline; parents; grandson, Damon Lynn Graves; sister, Martha Jean Matthews; stepbrothers, Tim McKim, Bennie McKim; and stepmother, Birdie McDade.
In 1954, she met the love of her life, Boyd “Arkie” Cline, and after a short monthlong courtship, they married. In 1956, they, along with their daughter Kathy, came to San Manuel, where Boyd worked at Magma Copper Company. A few years later, they had two boys, Dale and John.
She was a strong Christian woman and soon became a member of the Missionary Baptist Church in Little Hollywood in Mammoth. Having been raised on a farm, she was an excellent cook and baker, so she went to work at the San Manuel High School cafeteria and was well known for her many breads, rolls and mini burros. Even at home, she fed countless friends and family, Her cornbread, biscuits, chocolate gravy, coconut cream pies, fried potatoes and sweet iced tea were just a few of the things she was well known for. Her kids didn’t believe anyone could make chocolate milk like her.
When she wasn’t cooking or baking, you could find Alta sewing on a handmade quilt. Each quilt had special meaning because she would use scraps of clothing that held happy and special memories. She turned each quilt into a story. She loved to quilt and it showed in each stitch she sewed. Her quilts are spread over many states and will be cherished.
She enjoyed her kids and attended many baseball games and events, cheering them on. She was also known to jump in there and skin a coyote or bobcat when they wanted her to. She could do it better than the guys She was also known to crawl under a car and help to do the mechanical work or stab a transmission without worrying about getting dirty or greasy. She was a woman of many talents.
After 30 years at Magma, Boyd retired and they moved to Belleville, AR, where they enjoyed settling into their brand new home. One of her first priorities was to find a new church home, so she soon became a member of the First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Danville. She found retired life too quiet, so, she went to work as supervisor and cook at Chambers Memorial Hospital in Danville, where she worked for the next twenty years before retiring permanently. During the time she worked at Chambers Hospital, she cooked the yearly Thanksgiving meal for the Chambers family. Part of that family included Jerry Jones, who is the owner of the Dallas Cowboys football team. One very big highlight during those meals was when Jerry autographed jackets, hats and other memorabilia for her.
After retiring, she enjoyed another big highlight in her life, and that was her great-granddaughter Gemma. You could find them snuggled up together in the recliner, taking a little nap, pretty often.
Alta is survived by her three children: daughter, Kathy (Jerry) Gray of Havana, AR, son, Dale (Deborah) Cline of San Manuel and son, John (Johnnie Marie) Cline of Belleville; granddaughters, Krystal Cline of San Manuel, Erin Chappell of Havana, AR; grandsons, Johnathan (Amy) Stone of Dover, AR, Joseph Stone of Belleville; great-granddaughter, Gemma Stone of Belleville; brothers, John Thomas McDade of Malvern, AR, Marvin McDade of Donaldson, AR, James McDade of Midway, AR; sister, Loraine Swinnea of Birmingham, AL; stepbrothers, Alton McKim of Donaldson, Darren McKim of Donaldson; stepsisters, Hazel Potterfield of Cain, AR, Jen Cotton of Hurst, TX and Kay Flector of Hot Springs, AR.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24, at the Danville First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Danville. Services officiated by Rev. Kenny Vosburg. Burial was at Upper Spring Creek Cemetery in Belleville. Visitation was held from 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m., before the services at the church.
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