Wife of Fayetteville's ‘Field of Dreams' builder Sam Perroni, passes at 76
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Patricia Perroni, the wife of Sam Perroni, who built a 'Field of Dreams' baseball field in his Fayetteville backyard, died May 19.
Sam, his true love story with his wife Patricia, and his beautiful ball field were profiled last August on 'The Good Stuff' with Doug Warner.
Each year, Sam hosts a youth baseball tournament with money benefiting the Alzheimer's Association — Arkansas Chapter. Patricia was diagnosed with Alzheimer's shortly after the ballfield was built.
Patricia and Sam's love story first began in high school. To this day, he describes Patricia as 'Pure of heart,' a relationship that began in 1966. They later married in 1969.
Patricia Perroni was 76 years old.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Burial service to be held June 9 for Gravette WWII soldier killed in D-Day invasion
GRAVETTE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — After more than 80 years, a Northwest Arkansan hero is returning home. Private Rodger Dean Andrews, a World War II soldier from Gravette, will be laid to rest with full military honors at 2:00 p.m. Monday, June 9, at Bethel Cemetery in Gravette, according to the Benton County Sheriff's Office (BSCO). His remains, recently identified after decades of uncertainty, will arrive in Northwest Arkansas the evening of Sunday, June 8 and be received by Epting Funeral Home in Bentonville. On Monday, the BCSO Motor Division will escort Private Andrews to his final resting place, joined by Military Honors and the Patriot Guard. The procession will depart Epting Funeral Home (709 N. Walton Blvd, Bentonville) at 1:15 p.m. and follow this route: South on N. Walton Blvd Right on SW 14th Street (Highway 102) Right on Highway 59 through Decatur Right on Bethel Road in Gravette Left into Bethel Cemetery 'Community members are encouraged to line the route and pay their respects to honor the life and service of Private Rodger Dean Andrews, a true American hero,' BSCO said in a Facebook post. HISTORY: Grant Hardin's 12-day escape joins the state's most infamous escapes The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced in a news release on October 2 that U.S. Army Private Rodger D. Andrews, 19, was accounted for on June 5. Andrews was assigned in June 1944 to Company C of the 37th Engineer Combat Battalion in the European Theater. On June 6, 1944, American, Canadian and British forces came ashore on the beaches of Normandy in France during Operation Overlord. The release said that at some point during the battle, Andrews was killed, but due to the chaos, it is not known what happened to him. Private Rodger Dean Andrews' remains were recovered after D-Day but went unidentified for decades. In 2014, his family requested renewed efforts. A belt with his initials helped prompt a review, and in 2019, the remains were exhumed. Scientists confirmed his identity through dental and anthropological analysis. A rosette will now mark his name at the Normandy American Cemetery. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during her remarks at the 2025 Memorial Day Observance at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock that U.S. Army Private Rodger D. Andrews, 18, will be laid to rest at a family plot on June 9, more than 81 years after his death. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Advocates help raise awareness in Harrison County for Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — June is Alzheimer's and brain awareness month, and here in West Virginia, more than 38,000 people aged 65 and older have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or some sort of dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Impact Movement. And as the age of people diagnosed is decreasing, general concern is increasing. Advocates of the cause are helping raise awareness of Alzheimer's and brain health by speaking with local city councils. These advocates were granted a proclamation on behalf of the Harrison County Commission in its meeting on Wednesday, the Clarksburg City Council on Thursday, and will receive one from the Bridgeport City Council on Friday. 12 News spoke with Bill O'Field, Mission Chairman of the North Central Walk to End Alzheimer's, who spoke with doctors from the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute on what some of the key signs of dementia and Alzheimer's may look like. Harrison County commissioners split on future of Sunset Ellis property 'It's normal in the aging process to maybe forget a name or forget where you put your car keys, but then you find them. And maybe later in the day, the seniors say, 'but then I remember that name when I get home. The doctor said that's good.' That's just the normal aging process taking place. But it's when you can't cook for yourself, you don't know how to do your laundry, those are the true signs of Alzheimer's,' said O'Field. O'Field also mentioned to be wary of weight loss and depression, and to maintain a healthy diet and exercise, as a healthy body can help result in a healthy mind. The Harrison County Senior Center offers an Alzheimer's support group in its boardroom at 10 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month. You can call 304-623-6795 for more information. The North Central Walk to End Alzheimer's will also be held on Oct. 5 this year at the Meadowbrook Mall with registration beginning at 1 p.m. and the ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. For more information about Alzheimer's and local resources, you can call 800-272-3900 or click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Madison County honors WWII veterans celebrating 100+ years of life
MADISON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — On June 5, four World War II veterans from Madison County, each over 100 years old, were honored with a birthday celebration at the county's senior activity center. They were just teenagers when they served; only 16, 17 and 18 years old. Many of them weren't drafted but volunteered. Now, eight decades later, they're being celebrated not just for their service, but for their lives. The event was filled with patriotic decorations, birthday balloons and a room packed with friends, family and fellow veterans. 'It was wonderful,' said organizer Jannie Layne. 'This place was packed.' The honorees included 100-year-old Marine Corps veteran Loy Watson, 102-year-old Denton Grubbs, 100-year-old William Bowling and 100-year-old W.J. Combs. 'You know, a lot of these young fellows…. you never know much about the war,' Watson said. 'Somebody then tells you.' Rogers School District auctions tiny house made by students; money to be reinvested in the program Hubert Combs traveled from Tennessee to celebrate with his brother W.J. Combs 'It's about the freedom we enjoy, the freedom they helped maintain,' said Hubert Combs, a veteran himself. Over sweet tea, birthday cake and heartfelt speeches, the day was both a tribute and a reunion. The original celebration expanded beyond the four centenarians, as 10 to 12 other veterans in attendance were also honored. 'It makes me makes me cry, makes me so emotional to think about all the things that these men went through and their families went through,' Layne said. 'We got to honor them in a little way to say thank you.' The celebration served as a powerful reminder of what journalist Tom Brokaw famously called 'the greatest generation any society has ever produced.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
