of Mountain Home, AR

February 20, 1930 - August 9, 2024

Cleo Ralph Wyatt was born on Feb. 20,1930 in Wild Cherry, Arkansas to the parents of W.O. and Dora Wyatt. He was predeceased by his younger sister, Monda Lee (Wyatt) Hough and his younger brother, Vadon Wyatt. As a young boy, Cleo worked in the fields with his father and whenever he could, he would sneak away to walk through the woods to his favorite fishing hole at Brushy Creek. He caught more than a perch there, but learned determination and tenacity to keep casting in the creek, keep casting in life, to never give up.

Cleo was adventurous and at the age of 15 dropped out of high school and headed to Eugene, Oregon where he logged timber. He eventually returned to northern Arkansas and was drafted into the Army in 1953 after the end of the Korean War and the beginning of the Cold War. His duty took him around Europe and beyond where Cleo proudly served in Company B, 4th Engineer, Battalion C with the rank of corporal.

In 1955, just released from the Army and home from overseas, he walked into the Bassham Cafe in Salem, Arkansas and immediately upon seeing a pretty girl, he sat down next to her at the booth and said to himself, ''I'm going to marry that girl someday''. That girl was 19-year-old Hazel Jean Scribner who at first ignored the handsome 25-year-old veteran. But Cleo was brave and asked her out on a date. She informed Cleo he would have to first get permission from her parents who lived at Fairview. They agreed on a date for the next Saturday. When that day came, Cleo did not show up! Back then in 1955, the Scribners did not have a landline and there were no cell phones or text messages, only the mail carrier and letters. The next day a car drove up to the Scribners with Cleo riding in the passenger seat. He had asked a buddy to drive him to see Hazel. Cleo was wearing a patch on his eye and explained to Hazel he had injured his eye at work and couldn't see to drive. All was forgiven. He had not stood up Hazel! And with that, what a love story began. Cleo and Hazel dated for a year and married on April 14, 1956 in Melbourne, Arkansas at the preacher's house.

Now that Cleo had ''caught his girl'', he then dared what few people at his age of 26, would do. He went back to 9th grade at Salem High School to earn his diploma. Not only did Cleo attend class with teenagers, he even performed in the class plays. He definitely stood out in the Halloween production as the tallest, at 6' 3'' and very distinguished looking in his black suit.

A few years later, Cleo and Hazel would move to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma where they lived for 30 years. Cleo worked for PSO Electric Company as a lineman until his retirement. His coworkers loved to tease him and called him ''Arkie.'' He and Hazel were very active with the Broken Arrow Church of Christ and were the first to greet newcomers and invite them out for lunch or over to their home for dinner. While Cleo and Hazel never had children, they loved their nieces and nephews as their own.

Cleo enjoyed many passions in his life. On most Saturdays he spent sunrise to sunset fishing on a lake somewhere. That tug of the line gave him a thrill and a big grin, especially when he reeled in his biggest bass that weighed more than 8 pounds. If he didn't come home with a stringer of fish, he certainly came home with a stringer of fish tales of the one that got away and he told anyone who would listen, especially Hazel. If he wasn't fishing, he was playing his mandolin at home or with a group of friends. He loved tinkering with old watches and clocks that no longer worked. He even bought an old watch shop from a man and set up his own shop in the garage next to his Champion Bass Boat. This was before the Apple Watch was invented and the passage of life still actually ''ticked'' to the sound of time. Last year, Cleo was trying to set an old watch to exactly 11:15 p.m. while sitting in his favorite chair, watching Family Feud with Hazel.

How Cleo loved his motorcycle and his black leather jacket! Yes that's right. He and Hazel were members of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association for many years. On weekends, they and other motorcyclists would ride the backroads, stop for lunch and even go to church service on Sundays. What a sight to see as they sat down in the church pew in their motorcycle gear, but they were devoted to God and didn't want to miss worship or meeting new people. Most of all during their motorcycle days, Cleo loved to be close to Hazel, to feel his dear wife's arms wrapped around him when they cruised down the road with the roar of the wind and the motor. Hazel often fell asleep sitting behind him. Cleo kept telling her ''Dear, you've got to stay awake!''. He didn't want his bride to fall off the motorcycle as they sped down the highway.

Cleo never forgot his Arkansas roots and in 1999, he and Hazel moved back and lived in Mountain Home. He was a devout Christian man and a member of the College and North Church of Christ for 25 years. At age 94. he leaves behind many beloved family members, friends, fishing buddies and ''uncaught fish''. And he leaves behind the best catch of his life, his beloved wife, Hazel, age 88, who sat day and night with him while he was sick, feeding him strawberry milkshakes and holding his hand until he took his last breath on Friday, August 9 at 4:45 a.m. at the Hospice House in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

Today, Cleo's bible still lays open on the dining table at home to the last chapter he was reading. He had underlined the words ''faith'' and ''aboundeth''. (II Thessalonians 1:3.) Those words had stirred something in Cleo for all these years. And just like the boy who fished at Brushy Creek so long ago, Cleo had faith that he would catch a fish and faith that if he lived a Christian life he would go to heaven. Before he died, when asked who was his best friend, he said ''Jesus''. Can't you just hear Cleo now telling Jesus, ''Grab a pole and let's go fishin'.''?

Hazel and family wish to thank the team from Hospice of the Ozarks. They treated Cleo and her with such loving kindness, tenderness and compassionate care. If anyone wishes to make a donation in memory of Cleo, the family requests that donations be made to the Hospice House of the Ozarks in Mountain Home, Arkansas and the Children's Home in Paragould, Arkansas.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller Funeral Home
Highway 5 North
Mountain Home, AR  72654
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com