Earl Wayne Floyd was born on October 30, 1935, to William Thurman Floyd and Myrtle Bolin Floyd in Lawrenceburg, Missouri. He grew up helping his dad work the fields and graduated from Ash Grove High School in Missouri. Earl met his soulmate and best friend, Dana, while working at Consumer’s Market Grocery Store in Springfield, and after dating off and on for three years, he asked her to be his forever bride. They married on March 1, 1958, in Morrisville, Missouri. Shortly after their marriage, Earl was drafted into the Army and was stationed in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for training. After basic training, he was stationed at Fort Wolters, Mineral Wells, Texas. Dana joined him there where they remained until his service was complete.
They then moved back to Springfield, Missouri to be close to family and friends. Earl began working as a butcher, and Dana stayed home with their growing family. On January 1, 1965, God led Earl to Rogers, Arkansas, bringing Dana and their three children to a new adventure. The family soon became active members of Immanuel Baptist Church in Rogers, where Earl was a long-time deacon and taught Sunday School. One Sunday after seeing several children playing in the front yard, Earl said to Dana “If I had a bus I would pick up all of those children and take them to church”. It wasn’t long after that morning that Earl played an instrumental role in starting a Bus Ministry that touched the lives of many people of all ages.
After retiring from Lemke’s Wholesale Grocer, Earl joined the Sam’s Club family as Team Leader for the Meat Department in the Springdale Club and then moved to the Bentonville Club to manage the gas station. Earl loved his job managing the gas station because it allowed him to be outside, to meet people and to share his smile, his stories and his love of Jesus. Earl was up at 2:30 every morning so that he could spend time reading God’s Word and praying over his family, his friends, and all those he met along the way before heading into work each morning.
Earl loved being outside and enjoyed taking care of his yard, landscaping and especially his garden. Earl was passionate about sharing his faith and doing life with the Sunday morning small group he and Dana helped begin at Cross Church. He loved spending time with his family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who all loved their Papa and looked forward to tractor rides, sharing ice cream and eating candy bars. Earl’s gift of wisdom and his nurturing spirit uplifted all those that met him, which led so many to seek him out for encouragement or advice. Earl will be greatly missed by all those who knew him and loved him, including his family and friends.
Earl was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Don Floyd, and a sister, Joyce Harriman. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Dana (Pittman), a son, Mike Floyd (Crystal) of Bentonville, daughters, Michele Isringhausen (Dwight) of Lenexa, Kansas and Missy Kelsey (Kraig) of Cumming, Georgia, 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Berl Floyd of Nixa, Missouri; and sisters, Shirley Stewart of Denver, Colorado, Kay Meeker, Springfield, Missouri and Janice Floyd of Nixa, Missouri; many nephews and nieces.
