Jerry REX Thurlkill passed from this earthly life to his Heavenly home on December 8, 2024 after a valiant fight with melanoma.
The family will receive visitors from 6-8pm on Wednesday, December 11th at Young’s Funeral Home, 508 Champagnolle Rd, El Dorado. Funeral Thursday, December 12th, at 10am at Mt. Union Baptist Church, 653 Mt Union Rd, El Dorado.
Born to William PERCY Thurlkill and Janie Elizabeth Thurlkill (nee Paddock) in El Dorado on March 13, 1939. He was the first in his family to graduate high school, and his Mom was so proud that she bought him a 22 speedmaster rifle to commemorate his accomplishment.
Rex married Betty Wike in 1958 and together they raised three children. Rex worked for Arkansas Chemical for many years. He went to welding school at El Dorado Oil Belt Vocational Technical School to learn a new trade when the plant went on strike so he would have a skill to support his family. He was a wonderful provider and his family was the most important thing to him. He graduated with honors from the trade school, having mastered many methods of welding. He later ran Percy’s Grocery and Gas Station on Hwy 7 for a few years, the store his father had started in 1949. In 1977, began his third ‘career’ raising chickens. He built 6 chicken houses, mostly with his own hands, and raised 120,000 chickens every 8 weeks until 2009 when Pilgrim’s Pride ceased operations. In 1993, he took over Percy’s again and ran it until the end of 2021 when his son, Todd, took over the family business.
Rex was known as the ‘Biscuit Man’ all over the area and folks came from far and wide for the most delicious biscuits on earth. He loved this title and took great pride in his secret recipe and would grin from ear to ear when a stranger would declare “You’re THE BISCUIT MAN?? I love your biscuits!!”
In 2022, Rex married Cheryl Cossey (nee Anderson) after a decades long best friendship. They had some wonderful adventures in their short marriage, but he found in Cheryl the most wonderful helpmate he could have imagined.
Preceding Rex in death are his parents, his son Jeffrey Rex, his sister Wanda Webb, his brother William Percy, Jr. SONNY, and his sister Yvonne Smith and several precious pre-born great grandchildren.
Surviving him are his wife, Cheryl, of the home, his first wife, Betty, his daughter, Susan Rhodes (Vergil, Jr BUDDY), his son Todd (Leah), his deceased son’s widow, Sonya Thurlkill, Grandsons Dr. Benjamin Rhodes, Jeffrey Rex (BO) Thurlkill (Anna), Kayla Cannady (Nick), Michael Todd, Jr (aka TJ) Thurlkill (Leslie), Sam Thurlkill (Morgan), Dr. Jacob Thurlkill (Anna). Granddaughters Christina Ritter (Brandon), Stephanie Pruitt (Michael), Beth Nabajar (Marcos), Amanda Brown (Josh). Great Grandchildren Madelyn Rhodes, Greyson Rhodes, Sam Pruitt, Kate Pruitt, Nora Pruitt, Joel Pruitt, Isaac Ritter, Josiah Ritter, Lillie Nabajar, Natalie Nabajar, Kinsley Cannady, Karlie Cannady, twin boys Isaac and Logan Cannady, Wrenleigh Thurlkill, Arabella Thurlkill, Spencer (aka Fred) Thurlkill, and Addi Rae Thurlkill.
Pallbearers are Grandsons Benjamin Rhodes, Bo Thurlkill, TJ Thurlkill, Sam Thurlkill, & Jacob Thurlkill as well as nephews Lex Webb, Gabe Webb, and Trent Thurlkill.
Condolences can be expressed online at www.youngsfuneralhome.com for the Thurlkill family.
