Helen Robson Walton's death on April 19 left Arkansas without one of its most generous philanthropists. The 87-year-old widow of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton was remembered as the "strong woman behind a strong man."

Aside from her wealth, she was listed in Forbes magazine the month before her death as the 29th richest person in the world, with an estimated $16.4 billion fortune,she was widely known in Arkansas for her largesse.

She supported education and the arts and family and children's programs. She also was active in the state and nationally in the
Presbyterian Church.

She helped start the company that became the world's largest retailer with a loan from her father and she pushed for profit
sharing for its employees.

Other notable Arkansans who died in 2007 included two federal judges the first black and the first woman to serve on the federal bench in the state a former state lawmaker remembered for defying Governor Orval Faubus, the founder of a major poultry
breeding and processing company, the first woman to run for governor, a former state Supreme Court justice, and former President Bill Clinton's stepfather.

The list also includes athletes, journalists, judges and lawyers, business figures, a musician, and a longtime lawman.