FURRS COMMUNITY — Martha Ann McFarling Whitten, 82, died Friday, July 15, 2016, at the North Mississippi Medical Center after an extended illness. A service celebrating her life will be held on Monday at 2 p.m. at the Tupelo Chapel of Holland Funeral Directors with Bro. Dickie Rhea and the Rev. James Marks officiating. Burial will follow in the Whitten family plot at White Zion Cemetery in Pontotoc County. Visitation will be held on Monday from noon until service time at Holland Funeral Directors, which is in charge of arrangements.

Martha was born on Jan. 9, 1934, in the Old Union Community of Lee County to Wilbur and Ruby O’Neal McFarling.  She grew up in the Palmetto area and graduated from Shannon High School in l952 as Class Salutatorian. Just a week after her husband of 63-plus years, Joe Whitten, returned from military service during the Korean War, he and Martha married in Bissell on Sept. 20, l952. Martha’s working career included being employed by the Bank of Tupelo (Bancorp South), F. W. Woolworth and she completed her working years as an office assistant/Cotton Broker for the Gus Beane Cotton Company in Tupelo, where she endeared herself to farmers and agriculturalists throughout Mississippi and the Mid-South.  She and Joe made their homes in Lee and Pontotoc counties all their lives. A faithful member of Calvary Baptist Church in Tupelo, Martha taught the Grade 3 Sunday school class for 30 years, was on the nursery staff for two years and was a member of the Adult 6 Sunday school class. She enjoyed Home Demonstration Club work for many years and participated in the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show and Pontotoc County Fair where she won many ribbons and prizes. An avid reader and worker of puzzles, Martha and her family helped organize the Furrs Volunteer Fire Department in the 1980’s. This quiet, gentle soul with a servant’s heart will be missed by all.

Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter-in-law, Janet Ivy Whitten.

Those Martha loved most who survive include her husband, Joe A. Whitten, Jr. of Furrs Community; her children, Rev. Thomas C. Whitten of Houston, Texas; Don Whitten and wife, Laura of Oxford; and Susan Whitten of Furrs Community; randchildren, Joel Whitten of Houston, Texas and Matthew Ueleke of Oxford.

Memorials may be made to Calvary Baptist Church, Loving Hands Ministry, P. O. Box 1008, Tupelo, MS 38802.  The service may be viewed via livestreaming at hollandfuneraldirectors. com.

Condolences may be e mailed to hollandfuneraldirectors@comcast.net.