William Claude “W.C.” Arendale, 86
Published 10:48 am Tuesday, February 21, 2023
William Claude “W.C.” Arendale, 86, passed away Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.
Funeral services were Friday, Feb. 24, at the First Baptist Church in Batesville with the interment at Magnolia Cemetery.
Dub was born Oct. 26, 1936, to the late Ollie Claude Arendale and Edna Ruth Smith. After graduating from Crowder High School (all around athlete playing all available sports) and Northwest Mississippi Junior College (playing football and basketball), he completed one year of civil engineering at Mississippi State University and joined the U.S. Marine Corps.
Dub completed his commitment to the U.S. Marine Corps, was honorably discharged, and landed a summer job with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) in Batesville, where he remained and retired after 43-years. At his job, Dub was given increasing responsibilities ranging from Survey Crew Chief, Bridge Inspector, Chief Bridge Inspector, Superintendent, and Senior Certified Engineer Technician.
Dub became a Christian early in his life and knew he wanted a strong Christian partner so he married his long time grammar and high school sweet heart he first met at 5-years old, Meda Jean Watts. Dub and Meda were married 65-years where he was a devoted husband and loving father, an outdoorsman, sportsman (a little league baseball coach, and high school football/basketball official), and hunter; raised large gardens, livestock, dogs, and show horses.
At one point, Dub was considered a professional show horse trainer (Racking and Walking Horses) and won 11 world championships riding/showing various horses in different classes and facilitated his children to win 2 world championships in different classes. In addition, Dub bred, raised, and trained numerous dog breeds and excelled with beagles.
His greatest accomplished beagle was American Kennel Club (AKC) Field Champion — John Henry, a dog well known throughout the southeast and most beagle clubs in the area.
Dub is survived by his two children, Connie Arendale (daughter) and Michael Arendale (son), and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Meda Jean Arendale, and three sisters: Billy Jean Stephens/Sossaman, Bonnie Joe Brister, and Berna Dean Sanders.
He was loved and respected by many and will be missed by all.
