01 Jun 2025 Morrilton Mural made in memory of little girl

Posted at 5:38 PMh in Features by

By Mary Eggart

On April 25, members of the Morrilton community and friends and family of Alissa Elizabeth Ann Jones gathered downtown to celebrate what would have been Alissa’s sixteenth birthday. The gathering took place in front of an outdoor mural that has been created to honor Alissa’s life. On May 16, 2011, Alissa was tragically killed when two buildings collapsed in downtown Morrilton. 

The late Alissa Elizabeth Ann Jones.

The mural is of Winnie the Pooh, a favorite book of Alissa’s. Additionally, a dedicated outdoor space for children will be built in front of the mural, and the future Conway County Children’s Library will reside on the other side of the mural wall. The new 5,000 square foot space will be a vast improvement to the 200 square foot space the children currently use at the Morrilton Public Library. The Children’s Library will be divided into two main areas. One will be a large open space that will be used for crafts and other children’s activities. The other side of the building will give them access to a large children’s library.

Artist Miranda Ponder (from left) and Main Street Morrilton President Morgan Zimmerman recieved the Arkansas Heritage Grant that helped pay for the mural.

The Children’s Library and playground are the result of a collaboration between the Morrilton City Council, the Conway County Library Board, Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer and Mrs. Kay Osborne, former owner of the vacant space. Mrs. Osborne, board member of the Morrilton Pathfinders Club, generously donated the buildings to the city for the project. The mission of Pathfinders is to further literacy and ensure that all children have ample access to books and other resources that motivate them to read and learn. Additionally, funds for the building renovations and playground were donated by Mrs. Johnnie Momm who, upon her passing in 2012, generously bequeathed a gift of $400,000 to the Conway County Library; the new library will be named in her honor.  

Morrilton Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer (far left) stands with the family of the late Alissa Elizabeth Ann Jones. The small child loved Winnie the Pooh, which inspired the mural.

Outside the library, there will be a brick column with a plaque dedicated to the memory of Alissa Jones.

“We are taking a tragedy and turning it into a treasure,” the mayor said. “This is well overdue, and I’m glad we were able to celebrate Alissa’s sixteenth birthday with her family and honor her life.”