Alice Rebecca Aarant Combest Carney, daughter of the late Minor Anthom Aarant and Mary Annie Long Aarant, was born on July 22, 1917, at Chidester, Ark., and died in the Springfield Rehab and Health Care Center at Springfield on Wednesday, March 22, 2006, at the age of 88.

Mrs. Carney was a former nurse and long-time resident of Dexter.

She was united in marriage to James H. Carney on Jan. 23, 1938, at Dexter. Mr. Carney preceded her in death on March 14, 1995.

Survivors include two sons, James D. Carney and Kenneth L. Carney, both of Dexter; three daughters, Phyllis Stewart of Dexter, Brenda Eldred of Springfield, and Rebecca Carney Stuart of Lake Havasu, Ariz.; one brother, Leonard (Junior) Aarant of Sikeston; 15 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Besides her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by one daughter, Linda Fulkerson; one stillborn son; two grandchildren; four brothers, Herbert Aarant, Loyd Aarant, Harold Aarant, and Hoy Aarant; and three sisters, Mildred Stevens, Lillian Aarant, and Frances Jowers.

Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Saturday, March 25, 2006, at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26, 2006, in the First General Baptist Church in Dexter with Rev. Kenneth Biggs officiating.

Interment will follow in the Dexter Cemetery.