Florence Marie Montgomery Risinger was born July 13, 1938 in Morrilton, Arkansas, to Paul Mongomery and Corene Lemley Montgomery. She graduated from Morrilton High School in 1956 and attended Hendrix College.
She was a member of the Clarksville Church of Christ and was active in teaching children’s classes and participated with youth work. Her organization of the area-wide Ladies’ Days for women around this part of Arkansas, the Monday Night Ladies’ Outreach Group, and the Senior Citizens Third Friday Fellowship were her passions. She was a homemaker and worked in sales for Sears, Sterling Stores, and was manager of the first Dollar General in Clarksville.
She is preceded in death by her parents, four brothers, and two sisters.
In June 1957 she married James Clyde Risinger and they enjoyed 69 years of marriage Family from this union were Rin Hester and husband Ken of Clarksville, Ralyn Herron and husband Dave of Bentonville, Arkansas, and Rob Risinger and wife Jennifer, also of Clarksville. Grandchildren include Rachel Ford of Bentonville, Arkansas; Kelsi Flinn (Richard) of Colorado; Brianna Arrington (Brett) of Clarksville; Jace Herron (Dani) of Bentonville, Arkansas; Robert Risinger (Angela) of Manchester, New Hampshire; Maci Gavin (Kaleb) of Bentonville, Arkansas; and Hali Herron, also of Bentonville, Arkansas. Great-grandchildren Jude Flinn, Eloise Flinn, Lizzie Arrington, Liam Arrington, Thomas Jacobs, and Emma Jacobs.
Family always played the most important role in Florence’s life. As a demonstration of love and to celebrate family, she prepared a meal for them every Thursday night for 44 years – family members often invited friends or work acquaintances.
Other surviving family include a brother, John Montgomery of Russellville, Arkansas and a sister, Beverly Paladino of Morrilton, Arkansas.
Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Friday, October 16, 2026, at Clarksville Church of Christ. Funeral services will follow visitation, beginning at 2:00 p.m, with Jake Chism and Richard Flinn officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in Clarksville.
Pallbearers are Robert Risinger, Jace Herron, Kaleb Gavin, Richard Flinn, Brett Arrington, and Robert Peterson. Honorary Pallbearers are Ken Hester, Keith Dooley, Galen Ballard, and Bobby Moore.
Florence wrote this out in 2018 with a caveat that if it embarrassed her kids, they could change it to their liking; however, her comment was that the “facts seem to leave out the living of life and I did enjoy my time here on planet Earth”, so the decision was made to leave it as she requested to best express her life in her words.
