Elizabeth Abraham Deal, resident of Blytheville from 1923 until 2002, died Wednesday May 30 in Washington state where she lived her last five years with her first-born son James, lawyer and mortgage broker (BHS 1965).  

As a child Elizabeth wanted to be a doctor. She didn’t make it herself, but her second-born son Chad Logan Deal (BHS 1969) did. He is a rheumatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, and a noted authority on osteoporosis. 

Elizabeth was born in Clarkesdale, Mississippi, January 27, 1917. She moved with her Lebanese immigrant family to Blytheville and attended Immaculate Conception School. Father and mother Chadad and Helen Abraham owned a dry goods store at Railroad and Ash. They built the Abraham Motel at 1020 South Division, remodeled in 1964 by Elizabeth and her husband Jimmie into the Drummer Boy Motel and Restaurant. Today it is the Wilson Funeral Home.  

Elizabeth dropped out of high school because Chadad wanted her to get married early. Elizabeth was not interested in the boys he introduced her to and returned to Blytheville High School and graduated in 1937 at age 20. 

At this point Elizabeth wanted to be a nurse but did not know how to apply, so she put all 12 years of her report cards in an envelope and sent them to the Catholic nursing school in Jonesboro. She was accepted, but Chadad would not consent, saying “No daughter of my is going to empty bed pans and scrub naked men.”  

However Chadad was willing to send Elizabeth to Draughon’s Business College in Memphis, where she met Jimmie Deal, then a drummer and singer in a Dixieland band. After dating less than a month, they took a drive to Blytheville to meet Elizabeth’s parents. As they were passing through Marion on Highway 61, Jimmie said, “This is Marion. They say Marion is a good place for marrying. Do you want to get married?” Their 63 year marriage was a happy one. 

During World War II, Jimmie and Elizabeth lived in California. Returning to Blytheville, they ran The House of Charm, Deal’s Sewing Machine Exchange, Deal’s Fabric Center, Deal’s Custom Decorators, and Deal’s Drummer Boy Restaurant & Motel. 

When they retired, Elizabeth pursued her life-long desire to be a healer and attended Cotton Bowl VoTec. At age 63 she became an LPN. She was amazed that she could study complicated scientific topics and learn them. She worked for almost 20 years at Beverly Senior Home with sick, disabled, and elderly patients, realizing her dream to care for others.  

We wondered why a 60, 70, or 80 year old woman would continue to work. It was not just work for her; it was the realization of her calling. Elizabeth had spent so many years wishing to be a healer, and given that she had started so late in life, she did not want to miss one minute and never wanted to stop.  

Husband Jimmie achieved success intervening in Middle South Utilities (now Entergy) rate cases. He saved Blytheville rate payers millions of dollars. He was so good that Middle South offered to hire him with a huge salary. Jimmie declined. When he died at 85 in 2000 “Deal for Mayor” was still painted on his garage on Division at Hearn. 

Jimmie and Elizabeth attended the Church of Christ. After Jimmie Died Elizabeth attended the Methodist Church. In her old age Elizabeth returned to the Catholic Church.  

Elizabeth was witty and wise. She advised her sons, “When someone pays you a compliment, say thank you, and believe him.” She also said, “When someone gives you money, say thank you, and accept it.” At a time when racism was a common and daily vice, Mom taught her sons a respect for all.  

Elizabeth encouraged her sons to go to college and financed their tuition out of the coins that piled up in the cigarette and soft drink vending machines at the Drummer Boy.  

Elizabeth retired the second time in 2001 because of health problems. She moved in with Jimmie and his wife Emelyn, who became like a daughter to her. Her last five years were happy ones. Chad and his family visited Elizabeth frequently, and thus she drew her family together. 

Elizabeth was never a complainer, even when she was in pain. She was good at getting people to laugh.  

As she was dying we reminded her that she was a big success, that she fulfilled her childhood ambition, went to college, became a nurse, and raised up a doctor and a lawyer. I reminded her, “If you had not believed in me, I would never have believed in myself.”  

Elizabeth is survived by her sons and by nieces Sandra Manning Kennemore of Conway AR (BHS, 1964) and Yvonne Manning Marshall of Charlottestville VA (BHS, 1968) plus many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Longtime Blytheville resident James Robert Deal died Saturday morning, March 11, 2000, in Baptist Hospital in Memphis, after visiting with family and friends and hearing them sing hymns and read psalms to him.  He was 85, and his heart just gave out.

Jimmie Deal’s first calling was to music.  As a teenager in Memphis he was recognized as a virtuoso violinist until an infection put him in the hospital for a year.  It was the Depression, and his family could not afford a full-size violin for him.  He later became a highly regarded drummer and singer in dance bands during the ‘30s and ‘40s, but he gave up being a professional musician because he felt it was “no life for a married man.” 

Jimmie’s next calling was his marriage to Elizabeth Abraham in 1938.  They moved to California, where he worked on the railroad and in Hollywood as a set designer.  He was very good to his wife.  He was called to preach the gospel, and he served as a Church of Christ preacher, full-time and part-time, for many years.  With a growing family, however, there wasn’t enough money in preaching, so he went into business.  He and Elizabeth ran Deal’s Fabrics, Deal’s Interiors, and the Drummer Boy Motel and Restaurant.  Business was not his calling. 

Numerous times, Jimmie intervened in utility rate cases, receiving no compensation whatsoever and neglecting his businesses, but saving Arkansas residents millions of dollars.  He was recognized by Middle South utility gurus as knowing more about their books than their own economists.  Once they offered him a fat salary to come over to their side.  He turned them down.  Jimmy was allowed to interrogate witnesses before the Public Service Commission, a privilege rarely accorded non-attorneys.  This was Jimmy’s last and most important calling, his crusade for “the little man.”

Jimmie circulated petitions to force the City to municipalize its electric service, which could have cut rates in half, but the forces against him were insurmountable.  Because of Jimmie, state law was changed to make it virtually impossible for cities to buy out their electric companies.  Jimmie ran for mayor and for city council, always showing well, but never coming close to winning.  He was not part of the political elite. 

Jimmie accumulated adversaries.  Electric company employees feared they would lose their jobs if the city took over the electric company.  His businesses were boycotted.  During his last race for mayor, gray-bearded and 76 years old, he offended a county park board employee, who formerly had worked for the electric company.  The man became enraged when he concluded (incorrectly) that Jimmie was gathering petition signatures on the fair grounds—a constitutional right, by the way.  The man fisted Jimmie in one eye, knocking him out of the race.  Jimmie sued his assailant and the park board, and I tried the case.  The Little Deal stood up for the Big Deal, and we won a judgment against them.  “We should have listened to Jimmy,” is what many say of him. 

Jimmie Deal fell ill just after Christmas.  He declared to Elizabeth a week ago that it was a “good time to die,” and the kidney dialysis machine was disconnected.  Fortunately, I was able to spend time with Dad just before he died.  I sang hymns and read scriptures to him, assisted by Mom and Billy Boone—whom Jimmie regarded as his third son.  I reminded Jimmie of the many people who admired him and the good he had done.

How do you measure success in life?  Jimmie died solvent but certainly not wealthy.  For Jimmie, however, there is a more relevant balance sheet.  His success was on a personal and spiritual level.  In every thing he did his aim was to be Christ-like.  Jimmie treated everyone he met with respect.  He was generous to all, including needy tenants and employees.  He was ahead of his time in rejecting racial prejudice.  He did not take himself too seriously and laughed easily.  He stood by his convictions despite the financial cost.  And so I regard the life of Jimmie Deal as having been a great success. 

We shed tears together at the last.  I took his shoulders and told him numerous times, “Jimmie Deal, you did well.”

Jimmie Deal, you did well.