Glenda Norene (Ledbetter) Litaker

After battling two rounds of cancer with grace, strength, and dignity, Glenda Litaker, 76, of Floral, Arkansas, passed away February 7, 2022 at home surrounded by love and family. The daughter of William Pardue Ledbetter and Relma Odessa Adams Ledbetter of Georgia, Glenda left home at 18 for the adventure of playing semi-professional basketball. Over the next two years with the All American Red Heads and one year with the Southern Belles, Glenda played basketball in 48 states and Canada usually against men’s teams not pleased to get beaten by women. With her vivacious, outgoing personality and big smile, Glenda shined in her role as “Twinkles” Ledbetter entertaining the crowd while demonstrating her ballhandling skills.

Playing basketball gave her friends for life, a wealth of amazing memories, and led her to Arkansas and her future husband, Roy Litaker. Roy and Glenda settled in Floral raising three daughters and a son. While Glenda worked in several jobs, she happily spent her final 23 years in the workforce at Walmart retiring in 2011. For the last 11 years, Glenda focused on spending time with her family, friends, and church family. She especially loved spending time with her grandchildren. While she played an active part in working the farm where she and Roy raised cattle, horses, and mules, she always said she was too soft-hearted to be a farmer’s wife. We have so many stories of her bottle-feeding puppies, calves, squirrels, and anything else that needed love. She was the definition of a southern lady – a combination of grace, intelligence, strength, and steel. She was much loved by family and friends who will miss her caring, generous spirit, and most of all, her sense of fun and laughter.   

Glenda leaves behind so many people that love her including her husband of 53 years, Roy Litaker, one son and two daughters of Floral, Alan Litaker (Misty), Sherrie Mansfield (Jim) and Nicole Watlington (Brad), and one daughter of Little Rock, Danielle Nall (Rick), 13 grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.     

Along with her Arkansas family Glenda was blessed with her large, loving Georgia family including her parents, five brothers, Carl Ledbetter (Betty), William Ledbetter (Bobby Jean), Duane Ledbetter (Helen), Douglas Ledbetter (Gloria), and Mark Ledbetter (Joyce) and three sisters, Earline Ledbetter, Lois Hardee (WD), and Relma Bland (Jim), and many, many wonderful nieces, nephews, and other extended family.

To honor her wishes, the family will hold a private family celebration of life here in Arkansas and another in Georgia. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Glenda’s name to Hope Cottage of Searcy, the Heber Springs Humane Society, or Floral Baptist Church at 3950 Floral Road, Floral, AR, 72534.

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