Eunice Swafford Tate, age 96, of Malvern, died early Sunday morning, March 2, 2008, at her home. She was born in Ico, Arkansas (Grant County) on September 14, 1911 to the late Marvin and Sarah Drucilla Tabor Swafford. Moving with her family to Malvern in 1921, she continued her primary education here and graduated from Malvern High School in 1931. Eunice attended Southern State College (now Southern Arkansas University) in Magnolia for two years before receiving her B.S.E. degree from what is now the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She pursued her Master's degree for a time, but married and started her family instead. She was the widow of the late J. Cecil Tate, to whom she was wed on June 8, 1941 in the First Methodist Church in Malvern, by her pastor, Dr. W. C. Watson. Mr. Tate preceded her in death in January of 2000. Eunice retired from the Malvern Public School System in 1972 after a lengthy career teaching Home Economics at Malvern High School. A longtime member of First United Methodist Church, she attended the Wesleyan Sunday School Class, and was active in church Circles. She loved to sew and to knit, was a wonderful cook, and loved to grow flowers.

She is survived by two sons, John C. Tate and his wife, Cynthia, and Philip Allan Tate, all of Malvern; by a grandson, John Allan Tate and his wife, Paige; and by two great-grandsons, Tyler and Baron Tate.

Eunice was also preceded in death by a sister, Cassie Swafford; by two brothers, Horace and Edgar Swafford, and by a granddaughter, Andrea Tate.

Her funeral will be held at three o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, March 5, 2008, in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church with Dr. F. Gladwin Connell officiating. Interment will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be: Don Presley, Gerald Skinner, Hugh Day Welch, Dale Horn, Chris Walthall, Dickie DeJarnett, Bob McKee, and Phil Clem.

There will be a visitation on Tuesday afternoon from five until six-thirty at the J. A. Funk Funeral Home.

The family will be headquartered at 1729 East Page Avenue in Malvern.

Memorials are requested to the First United Methodist Church.All members of the Tate family extend our appreciation to Katherine Burns and Stormie Dunn for your devotion to Mrs. Tate during the final year of her life. Your work became a labor of love that brought comfort to all of us. May other people in need of care be blessed by your kindness.

Online condolences may be sent via jafunkfuneralhome.com.