Martha Velvin

Martha Ann Velvin of Maumelle, Arkansas, formerly of Pine Bluff Arkansas, died October 21, 2020 three weeks short of her 91st birthday.  She was born in Little Rock November 10, 1929 to Lee Roy & Helen (Wilson).  Martha leaves behind her only child Linda Lee Velvin Narisi and a granddaughter, Jennie RaeLeigh Narisi.  Martha was preceded in death by her mother, Helen (Wilson) Gilbertson and stepfather, Ernest Talbert (Gil) Gilbertson and her sister, Mary Helen Weser. She graduated from Pine Bluff High School in 1947. She was married to Harold Edger (Snooky) Velvin in 1948.

Martha was employed by the Pine Bluff Arsenal for 38 years.  She started as a stenographer and typist(G-3). Later she worked as the assistant to the Adjutant and ended her long career as a logistics manager (G-11).  This lead to a wonderful, busy and exciting retirement life of traveling, hiking and grandmother extraordinaire.

Before retiring Martha became an avid enthusiast for the great outdoors especially in Arkansas.  After retirement she hiked almost daily and not just in Arkansas. She became a member of the Ozark Society where she developed long lasting friendships with many of its members.  She served as the treasurer for the Ozark Society for 11 years and help lead hikes, build and repair trails throughout the state and joined in the many efforts to preserve and protect the Buffalo River National Park areas of which she dearly loved.  Martha always picked up trash on every hike near or far, long and short that was left on the trail.  She usually carried a trash bag with her to collect litter as she walked, but she still would picked up trash even if she forgot the trash bag. Grand-daughter RaeLeigh and daughter Linda are in the process of creating a biodegradable trash bag bearing a tribute slogan to their Granny and Mom hoping to carry on Martha’s enduring efforts to keep the hiking trails pristine. These bags will be given to friends, hiking group enthusiasts and others interested in Arkansas trail preservation.

Martha traveled and hiked all of the western states, including Alaska & Hawaii, as well as Canada. She hiked with a friend, a group, a caravan or sometimes all by herself.  She always sent post cards back to friends and family. She often took lots of pictures and recorded detailed journal notes of many of her excursions.

In the 1950s Martha enjoyed square dancing with folks in Pine Bluff.   This was replaced with square dancing on horseback, more commonly known as the Quad-drill which was done at the Pine Bluff Saddle club in the ‘50s & ’60s. She also was a great swimmer and water skier at Lake Ouachita. While married to “Snooky”, Martha lived in Pomona,California; Pensacola, Florida; and Fort Worth, Texas. She learned the art of glass blowing from her husband during their marriage. She enjoyed a good card game of “Pitch” or a board games with her other retired friends when weather was not good for outdoor activities.  When in her late 70s and 80s she really enjoyed walking a mile and a half to the Senior Center in Maumelle where she participated in fitness activities, hikes, yummy lunches and an afternoon of beanbag baseball three to five days a week.

Martha was a dedicated mother who was always available to drive a car full of giggly girls to the movies, to Girl Scout activities and meetings, school events, and many vacations to Disneyland and beaches in Florida.  Along with the Saddle Club, Linda and Martha participated in 20 mile trail rides that lead to a wooded camp area where horseback riders spent the night and then got up the next morning and rode 20 miles back the next day.  Martha did so much more than just feed, clothe and provide an education for Linda.

Not only was Martha a wonderful mother to Linda, but she was a devoted  grandmother (Granny) to RaeLeigh. She was always there when they needed a third party to have fun swimming, attending festivals, shopping, camping, etc.  Martha learned to snow ski in her late sixties just to keep up with the granddaughter!

Martha was always young at heart and was game for most any adventure including white water rafting in Colorado during her late 60s and early 70s.  Martha talked Louise and Bobbie Joe into riding on donkeys all the way down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in one day.  The only way out was to ride again the following day back up on the donkeys with the saddle sores not allowing them to forget the the previous day’s ride!

Martha was a super cook.  Her cornbread was superior to any restaurant.  Her homemade  “angel biscuits” melted in one’s mouth and her rolls were better than any dessert ever served.  Her fried green tomatoes and okra were addictive.  Every spring and summer Martha bought or picked her own fresh Arkansas grown strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and peaches and after eating a few of them, she would freeze the rest so that she could serve them to family and friends throughout the winter months. She was a master cake and pie chef as well.  She loved ice cream.

She regularly supported the local police charities, the Boys Ranch, the Sierra Club as well as the Ozark Society’s projects.

Walking and doing as many activities as possible kept Martha strong and healthy enough that she did not need to take any medicines before she fell on April 6th. After her fall she was unable to be physically active. Martha was known as the “woman who walks” at the Good Shepard campus. She walked the Big Dam Bridge, Emerald Park and Two Rivers Trails as often as Linda could break away on a nice day to drive her (because of macular degeneration she could not drive for the past 6 years) to these locations. She last walked the Big Dam Bridge the first of March 2020 before the pandemic locked down which isolated the residents at her assisted living facility March 13th.  Before March 14th Martha was fortunate to have Mr. Larry Davenport come to her assisted living facility to accompany  her on walks outside to the long boardwalk that lead to a beautiful mirrow lake where they fed the giant catfish. Together they walked all the surrounding campus of Good Shephard every day that the weather allowed.  A big “Thanks” to Mr. Larry.!

A special thanks from Martha’s family goes to all who took part in assisting Martha after she was unable to live alone in her own home in Maumelle.  This includes the staff at Brookdale at Chenal Heights assisted living (1 year), staff at the assisted living in the  Roberts Building at Good Shepherd (3 years), and Memory Care (3-4 months) in the Good Shepherd community.

In lieu of flowers family suggest making a donation to the Ozark Society Foundation in Martha’s memory. Donations can be sent to:  Ozark Society, P.O. box 2914, Little Rock, AR 72203 (direct to Legal Funds in the memo line on checks) or go on line to the Ozark Society Foundation Endowment Fund

Arrangements by Smith North Little Rock Funeral Home , 1921 Main St, North Little Rock, AR 72114, 501-758-1170.