Raymond L. Parsons, 79, of Charleston died Sunday, April 20, 2008, in a Fort Smith hospital. He was born Nov. 12, 1928, in Logan County to the late Robert Parsons and Harriettie Moore Parsons. He was shop foreman for the Basin Bit Co. in Pocola, an Army veteran of the Korean War. He was also a member of the County Line Mule Riders and of the Midway First Assembly of God. Officiating the service will be the Rev. Bill Van Meter and the Rev. Angelo Florenciano.

Funeral will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2008, at First Assembly of God with burial at Horn Cemetery in Midway under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Funeral Home of Paris.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy of the home; one daughter, Donna Strozier of Hackett; four sons, Chuck Parsons of Ratcliff, James Parsons of Dardanelle, Curtis Privett of Paris and Adrian Privett of Inola, Okla.; two stepdaughters, Deborah Gregory of Paris and Tamara Panick of Guthrie, Okla.; one stepson, Charles Reeves of Guthrie, Okla., and Bill Cooper of Muldrow who Raymond loved as a son; one sister, Linda Mason of Ozark; two brothers, Lindell Parsons of Midway and Delmas Parsons of Paris; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Jason Shelton, Shannon Gilliam, Carl Powell, James Atchison, Jim Stubblefield, and Charley Armstrong.

Honorary pallbearers will be the County Line Mule Riding Club.

The family will visit with friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.