Anna Gerrald Templeton

Anna Gerrald Templeton, 84, died February 27, 2026 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Anna was born on November 3, 1941 in Atlanta, Texas, to E.C. Gerrald and Mary Sprayberry Gerrald, and had one sister, Linda Sue Gerrald. She was raised in the rural community outside of Rodessa, Louisiana and graduated from North Caddo High School in Vivian, Louisiana in 1959. She married Randell Templeton of Fouke, Arkansas on June 14, 1963 and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2013, two months before Randell’s death. She is survived by her children Keith Templeton (Frea) of Howe, Texas, and Leslie Templeton (Robert Jarvis) of Little Rock, Arkansas; two grandchildren, Conrad William Jarvis (Lucy Orosco) and Hugh Templeton Jarvis; and Terri Hammond, with whom she enjoyed a 52-year friendship and sisterhood.

Before her marriage, Anna worked at ArkLa Chemical in Shreveport, Louisiana; after her marriage, Anna worked at the University of Arkansas Art Department while Randell attended law school. After Keith and Leslie were born, Anna raised her children and channeled her considerable talents for getting things done into her children’s elementary school, serving as room mother every year her children attended Geyer Springs Elementary School, President of the school PTA and President of the Pulaski County Special School District PTA, and member of the Arkansas State PTA Board. She was a den mother to her son’s Cub Scouts troop and the troop leader to her daughter’s Brownies and Girl Scouts troops. Anna returned to paid work at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she was the administrative assistant in the Office of Testing Services and later the Dean of Students’ Office. She continued her education by taking one course a semester while she worked at UALR. Randell convinced her to leave UALR to become the administrator at his law offices, with both of them retiring from paid work in 1996.

Anna was an avid reader, patronizing school libraries, bookmobiles, and public libraries in every town she lived in, and participating in the Book Gals book club in her 70’s and 80’s. She was a decades-long member of Geyer Springs United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, organized wedding and baby showers, participated in the United Methodist Women, and worked in her retirement one day a week in the church office for three different pastors. She volunteered at the GSUMC Food Pantry for 30 years, treating the clients with warmth and respect. Anna was an enthusiastically active and involved grandmother, known as Granna, enjoying Conrad and Hugh at every stage of their lives.

The family is grateful to House of Three for caring for Anna for the last 19 months and to Gentiva Hospice for easing her through her end of life.

A visitation will be held at Smith Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Court, at 2:00 on Saturday, March 14, 2026, with the funeral service following at 3:00. In lieu of flowers, consider making a donation to the Geyer Springs United Methodist Church Food Pantry at 5500 Geyer Springs Road, Little Rock, AR 72209, or to the Central Arkansas Library System, 100 Rock Street, Little Rock, AR 72201, in Anna’s memory.

Please visit www.smithfamilycares.com for the online obituary and guestbook.

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