Vernon Sylvester Patton's Obituary
Vernon Sylvester Patton, age 72, of Ozark, Arkansas, passed away Sunday, September 14, 2025, in Springdale, Arkansas. He was born April 14, 1953, in Rogers, Arkansas, the son of Euel Sylvester and Nina Dean Ferguson Patton. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Vernon was an extraordinary man with an incredible work ethic and a passion for life. He held a number of different jobs over the course of his career with the U.S. government, working for both the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His first job after graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in agriculture was operating a living history farm at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. He worked the historic farm in the tradition of the mid- 1800s, utilizing draft horses and period equipment. From Gettysburg, Vernon embarked on a journey with his wife and their firstborn son across the country to Albuquerque, New Mexico, taking a job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It was in New Mexico that Vernon and his wife got the surprise of adding twin boys to their young family. After leaving Albuquerque, Vernon, his wife, and three sons spent a short time in Ponca City, Oklahoma, before moving back to Arkansas, where he took a job with Pea Ridge National Military Park as a Park Ranger. Vernon later moved into USDA food inspection for several years before transferring to Idaho to work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in soil conservation on a reservation. Vernon and his family then made a final move back to Arkansas, where he eventually retired as a USDA Food Inspection Officer after 33 years of service with the U.S. government.
In addition to his extensive career with the U.S. government, Vernon was a remarkable entrepreneur. In 1987, he founded the Ole Applegate Place Arts and Crafts Festival in Bentonville, Arkansas, drawing hundreds of thousands of people each year to his 60- acre farm for one of the most acclaimed arts and crafts festivals in the nation. After almost two decades of producing nationally recognized events in Bentonville, Vernon set his eyes on a beautiful property in the Arkansas Ozark National Forest, where he, his wife, and three sons founded Mulberry Mountain. The 400-acre property provided an unparalleled canvas for his and his family’s vision of creating a lodging, camping, and events resort in the Ozark Mountains. For the past 20 years, Vernon worked closely each day with his loving family. Even in his last days, he was doing what he loved most, working his land with his family and preparing to launch another great vision.
He leaves behind his loving wife of 54 years, Patricia Darlene Patton; his three sons, Dewey and his wife, Amber Patton; Jeremy Patton; and Todd Patton; three cherished grandchildren, Greggory Patton, Eva Patton, and River Patton; his brother, James Patton; and his sister, Janice Shofner.
A visitation will be held 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home Rogers. A private graveside will be held at Bentonville Cemetery under the direction of Nelson-Berna Funeral Home Rogers.
The family welcomes flowers sent to Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Rogers, Arkansas, or donations in Vernon Patton's memory to the Ozark Highlands Trail Association https://ozarkhighlandstrail.com/donate/.
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