Erma Jean Sax Hicks, 81, of Bonanza, Arkansas passed from this life on July 23, 2024 in Mount Ida Arkansas. She was born October 28, 1942 in Altus Arkansas to Ed and Clara (Soerries) Sax. She was preceded in death by her husband, Cyril Hicks; youngest son, Jeffrey Hicks; her parents, Ed and Clara Sax; her brothers, Alvin Sax and Louie Sax and her sisters, Bernice Sax and Marcella Melton. She is survived by her son, Phil and Teri Hicks of Greenwood, her sister, Emily and Bernie Schroeder of Shawnee Kansas, six grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, a truck load of nieces and nephews, whom she absolutely adored.
She was born and raised on St. Mary’s Mountain in Altus, Arkansas. After the 8th grade, she attended St. Scholastica and graduated in 1960. After graduation, she went to work for the Better Business Bureau in Fort Smith and later worked as an Executive Secretary at Riverside Furniture. One afternoon she was having lunch at Ed Walker’s Restaurant and met the love of her life, Cyril. In December of 1968, they married and overnight, she became the mom of two little snotty nosed boys who thought she hung the moon.
In 1977, she and Cyril moved to Benton, Louisiana and together, they built a beautiful horse farm. For years, she worked as a horsemen’s bookkeeper for Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, LA, where everyone loved her and called her Miss Erma. She was a Notary Public for the state of Louisiana for years and she did the bookkeeping for their auto sales business and she helped friends with their bookkeeping needs. She loved accounting and she loved those horses! In 2019, she and Cyril moved back to Arkansas to spend her retirement with her family.
She will always be remembered for having a smile on her face, a great laugh and being the best cook in the world. She was deeply loved by everyone who knew her and she will be terribly missed!
Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Monday, July 29 at McConnell Funeral Home Chapel in Greenwood. Viewing will be Sunday from 1 – 7 p.m. at the funeral home, where the family will visit with friends from 5 – 7 p.m. Interment will be at Carolan Cemetery in Ione.
To share a memory or leave a message for the family, please visit www.mcconnellfh.com.
