Jimmy Ray Havens

Jimmy Ray Havens, 89, was born at home on October 4th, 1936, in Lonoke, Arkansas. Jimmy went to be with his Creator on May 9, 2026. He was tired and ready to leave his earthly home in Greenbrier, Arkansas to live at his new address Heaven, City of Gold.

As a child, Jimmy finished the 8th grade in Lonoke to work full time with his family. He was raised to work in the fields with his siblings and parents at the very young age of 6 years old. He picked cotton at this age with a promise from his dad that after he picked a hundred pounds, he was allowed to stop work and play for the rest of the afternoon. He continued doing this with his family and not returning to school. He enjoyed farming and driving tractors from daylight til dark in the crop fields as growing up in his teens.

Jimmy later married the love of his life, Janis, and together they raised four children. He had already left Lonoke with his family and lived in Helena/West Helena, Arkansas and worked as a carpenter and a self-made mechanic and then later worked at Bechtel Power Plant located in the outskirts of Helena. During this time, many of his siblings were moving and Jimmy decided to make a move with his family, also. While living in small places for short periods of time, he finally planted his family in Greenbrier, Arkansas in 1969. He was still doing carpenter and mechanic work. He sought out and found the Nuclear One Power Plant in Russellville, Arkansas and started working as a pipe-fitters welder and retired from there.

Not being retired for long, he took a job at the City of Greenbrier in the Water Department and later retired after putting in 14 years there. Jimmy also was in the National Guard serving active duty during the case of the Little Rock nine. He was very proud of his service, and his family are still proud of this. He truly wanted to join the service branch Navy or Army but didn't weigh enough. Someone told him to go home and eat lots of bananas to reach the right weight amount for the National Guard and so he did and it worked!!

All these years of work, when the weekends came, he was drag racing. He loaded his wife and kids in their family car and headed to Carlisle, Stuttgart or Newport and raced!! Yes, he raced the family car a long time before actually investing in a race car!! He never missed work in any of his jobs and never missed drag racing either on Sundays as it became his very serious sport and very expensive hobby. He absolutely loved drag racing!! He was his own engine builder and mechanic and there were many late nights in his shop working on race cars after a long day at work. That didn't matter. It became his passion with Janis and kids going with him almost every weekend!! Janis would fry chicken, make potato salad, open Showboat pork and beans and serve it all with a fresh loaf of light bread on a large quilt that she took to the races where her beautiful and good lunch was served to her family at the dragstrip. In Jimmy's home, he housed hundreds of trophies that he had won through the many years that he raced. He liked to brag a little bit about winning 28 races in a row in the 65 Ford Fairlane family car. Jimmy's sons, Marty and Scott, became racers and shared the same love for drag racing that their dad had. Jimmy's family are still to this day lovers of loud fast cars. 17 years ago, his grandson, Chad, started racing in a 1964 1/2 Mustang that Jimmy had given him. Jimmy was Chad's crew chief all these years, teaching him all about the sport that has now become Chad's passion and hobby. In all 17 years of Chad's racing, Jimmy never missed but one of Chad's races and was just too sick that day to go. The only racing Jimmy did these past six years or so was the Father's Day races and Old Timers races at Centerville Race Track, never losing any that he was entered in and proving that he was still a winner!!

Another love of Jimmy's was enjoying life these last eight years after losing Janis, going to many beautiful places with his kids. He loved Silver Dollar City, Branson, going out to eat at the Wagon Wheel in Greenbrier on Friday nights where many meals were shared there with Todd and Sara or Quitman Fish House. Jimmy loved fishing with one of his best friends, Tim Leach, riding side x sides with his kids, vacationing In New Mexico and Colorado and doing anything else that was suggested by his girls!! He never turned down a road trip or visiting in afternoons with neighbors or Randy and RJ Goodnight at their fabrication shop!!

Jimmy was preceded by his wife of 61 years, Janis; and his parents, JH Havens and Frances Havens; and many of his 18 siblings.

He is survived by his four children, Connie, Marty (Dana), Scott and Wendy (Bud); he leaves behind and was so proud to have 9 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; and his remaining siblings, Leon Havens, Faye Hall, and Paul Havens. Jimmy will be missed by all Family and Friends.

Jimmy’s funeral service will me Monday, May 18th at LifeSong Baptist Church, in Greenbrier, at 12:00 pm, with a visitation an hour prior, at 11:00 am. With the burial immediately following at Pleasant Valley Cemetery.