A Service of Resurrection and Thanksgiving to God for Garth A. Martin

Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church

A Service of Resurrection and Thanksgiving to God for Garth A. Martin

January 18, 2024

Garth Martin was born January 11, 1930, in Beebe, Arkansas. He was the son of two educators, Howard and Edith Martin. He was a graduate of Beebe High School (valedictorian), Beebe Junior College, and Hendrix College. It was at Hendrix that he met the love of his life, Joann Berry. They were together for 70 years, and would become well-known and beloved figures in the business, public school, Methodist, cultural, and political worlds of Little Rock. Garth often said marrying Joann was the best decision he ever made.

Garth spent 50 years in the commercial insurance industry in both company and agency ranks, becoming a well-known and respected professional in the Central Arkansas insurance community, and served on national committees for the CPCU and CIC organizations.

After his retirement from the insurance industry, Garth served for many years as an active volunteer for various organizations, including St. Vincent Infirmary, Meals on Wheels, Heifer International, and the Clinton Presidential Library.

Garth was extremely active during his entire life in church, civic, and political activities. He was one of the longest term members of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, where he served on multiple governing committees including the Board of Trustees and the Board of Stewards. He served as a representative of the church in multiple overseas mission trips. Garth and Joann were also involved in the church’s youth programs, and their legacy is memorialized by the PHUMC Martin Youth Endowment.

Highly active in the community, Garth served on a number of boards and committees for organizations as varied as CARTI Foundation, Wildwood Park for the Arts, YMCA, Family Service Agency, St. Vincent Auxiliary Board, and Pulaski County Democratic Party. He was a founding board member of the Little Rock Racquet Club. In education, he served on the Hendrix College Alumni Board and the ASU-Beebe Development Council. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of ASU-Beebe.

Garth was an accomplished and multi-talented athlete. He competed in football, basketball, and track in high school, junior college, and at Hendrix. After his own playing days, he encouraged, taught and supported his three sons, who all went on to play sports in high school and college, and then did the same for his grandchildren. He continued to stay active physically throughout his life, mostly recently as a regular member of the Hays Center in North Little Rock.

Garth was also a proud member of the National Guard, serving his country as a young man and later in life as a member of the Air National Guard. Garth was predeceased by his wife Joann Berry Martin, with whom he shared 70 years of a wonderful life filled with family, culture, politics, and travel throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East. One of the more memorable trips they took was a two week journey around China. They were quite active in the Arkansas Democratic Party and attended both inaugurations of President Bill Clinton.

He is survived by his three sons, Doug (and wife Melanie), Greg, and Rick, and their eight children, Cory Grummer (Jacob), Brett Martin, James Martin, Haven Hamilton (Michael), Kye Masino, Jeremiah Martin, Jonathan Martin, and Walker Martin. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Rhett, Lane, and Martin Grummer. For all of these descendants, as well as his many cousins, Garth was the bulwark of the family, the man they could always rely upon. He was quite proud to be the patriarch of the ever-growing clan.

Throughout his long life, Garth’s deep faith, devotion to service and community, and love for family never wavered, it only grew, and his memory will continue to influence many lives now that he is gone. He will be greatly missed by family and a multitude of friends.

Memorial donations can be made to the Martin Family Youth Endowment at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, 4823 Woodlawn, Little Rock AR 72205, (www.phumc.com/giveonline/), to Hendrix College, or to a charity of your choice. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com

A Service of Resurrection and Thanksgiving to God for Ludwig H. “Lucky” Meinholz

October 2, 2024

Ludwig Hugo Meinholz passed away peacefully on July 9, 2024, at the age of 82. He was born on December 25, 1941, in Hannover, Germany to Rudolf and Margarete Meinholz. Ludwig immigrated to the United States in 1963, and years later became US citizen. He worked as a Marketing Director at Riceland Foods. Although he spent more years of his life in the US, Ludwig travelled back home to Einbeck, Germany almost every year to visit his mother who lived to be 109 and still tended to her flower garden. He also attended reunions and festivities with his classmates and sisters every year until he could no longer travel due to illness. Growing up in Germany, Ludwig played soccer in school and was an avid fan of international soccer games. He especially enjoyed watching when Germany was playing. Ludwig's hobby was wood working, this was very important to him and gave him much joy. He told fascinating endless sad stories of his travels, experiencing post World War II, that would melt the hardest of hearts. Ludwig was the most sensitive, kind, compassionate, and sweetest loving man you would ever meet, he will be dearly missed. Ludwig was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Meinholz; two sisters, Erika Colius of Canada; Almut Sohnemann of Germany; his niece, Stefanie Winters of Germany; stepson, Chad Mowrey (Ashley); step grandchildren; Olivia; Ava; and Eleanor. Ludwig was a member of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church. He was a member of Fathomers Sunday School Class and a member of the Gospel Mission of the Philippines for many years. Ruhe in Frieden Auf Wiedersehen, Lucky. (Rest in peace and goodbye, Lucky.)

A Service of Resurrection and Thanksgiving to God for Kathleen (Kathy) Leota Churchill

August 16, 2024

Kathleen Leota Churchill, 81, of Little Rock, Arkansas passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 6, 2024 surrounded by her loving family and friends. In Kakky fashion, she waited until ''the party'' arrived for her to join hands with her Lord and Savior. She always said, ''She worked her entire life to join Him.''. Kathy was predeceased by her parents, Leo and Leota Wilson; her son, Kevin Churchill and her older sister, Loretta Secrest. Left to carry on her bubbling spirit, tremendous faith and never- give-up attitude is her husband of almost 61 years, Spence Churchill; daughter, Kristin Trulock of Little Rock; favorite, and thank goodness, only son-in-law, Greg Trulock; daughter-in-law, Kimberley Churchill of San Diego; six grandchildren, Carly Davis (Jace), Walter Trulock, Wilson Trulock, Emma Churchill, Joy Churchill, Joshua Churchill; sister, Judy Carlson and sister-in-law, Elisabeth Churchill. Just on May 30th, her first great-grandchild, Landon Rhodes Davis, was born to her delight. Numerous cousins, nieces and nephews were a big part of her joyful times, along with so many friends she loved seeing and being with whenever possible. Kathy grew up in a humble and happy background as the youngest of 3 daughters to Leo and Leota Wilson. She was born in Torrence, California on October 21, 1942. She spent her younger years in Orange County, California, until she wanted to see if the grass really was blue in Kentucky, where she enrolled at the University of Kentucky after spending one year at Fullerton Junior College. On the first day on campus, she met her husband-to-be, a counselor in the men's/women's dorm. He was the first person to offer to change her light bulbs. He has been around for 60 years to change whatever she needed. Spence and Kathy lived in Southern California and Northern California where their son & daughter were born, before moving to Arkansas in 1971. As a couple, they loved to travel within the USA and abroad with two other special couples. As sweet of a lady as Kathy was, she could voice some ''zingers'' your way without any warning. If you ended a conversation with her without her unique giggle, you might be in trouble later. Kathy had many nicknames throughout her life, including Positive Polly, Mama Church, Honey and Babe. Her most treasured was Kakky, which her grandchildren called her. She thought each of them personally hung a little slice of the moon. There was such respect, fun and love going in both directions between them and that was always present. Kakky never missed a grandchild's activity! All the grandchildren's friends knew they could count on her to cheer for them, too. During her battle with cancer, the thing she missed most was not being able to help other people, which always made her day. To help other people, she served as a PTA President, Board Chairman at church, board member at Youth Home and Citizens Fidelity Insurance Co. She also helped establish the Arkansas Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation and volunteered at Home for Healing, WPRCI Auxiliary and CCFA. Throughout her life, she was our family's example of putting others before ourselves. We will always remember her for all the things she lovingly did for us. It is hard saying goodbye to someone we love so much. We wish to extend our appreciation and gratitude to Kathy's health and hospice care providers for their excellent attention to Kathy's needs: Dr. Tu, nurse, Angie Ford, Sandra Jones, Shannon Greer, Tiffany Hadden, Kayarrah Muldrew, Jan Stewart and Katherine Allen. Each doctor she met was told, ''I am going to beat it.'' She did beat it because she knew at the end of her journey of over two years battling stage 4 cancer, her Lord and Savior would be waiting for her with open arms. She led her life loving the Lord, loving her family, loving people and loving life. She had beaten cancer three other times, so there was no quit in her. She was a people person who would talk to anybody and win them over because they could tell she had an interest in them no matter their walk of life.

A Service of Resurrection and Thanksgiving to God for Bonnie Jean Kelley

July 20, 2024

Bonnie Jean Kelley, 87, of Little Rock passed away June 25, 2024. She is preceded in death by her parents, Janie "Francis" Stell Kelley and Charles "Morgan" Kelley; brothers Joseph David "J.D." (Joan) Kelley and Charles Morgan "Jr." (Jean) Kelley; sister-in-law Audrey N. Kelley; niece Kathryn "Michelle" Kelley Borghi; nephews Mark Jones, Danny Kelley, and Darrell Kelley. She is survived by her two sons, James Alfred "Jimmy" McDaniel, Jr., and Eric Anthony McDaniel (Chad Rodgers); granddaughter Lauren Elaine McDaniel; great- granddaughter Adalyn McDaniel; great-grandson Lucas McDaniel; brother Billy Kelley; sister Martha Kelley (Dale) Lauhon; nephew Michael (Judy) Kelley; nieces Camille Kelley (Dusty) Gates and Deanna Kelley (Jeff) Foster; a host of loving family and her beloved dachshund, Hans. Bonnie was born and raised in Hamburg, Ark. In high school, she was consistently the top scorer on the girls basketball team. She also earned the nickname "Sarge" as an acknowledgment of her ability to organize and lead, which followed her throughout her life. After graduation, Bonnie married her high school sweetheart, James McDaniel, and moved to Little Rock. She began her career as a secretary with Interstate Wholesale. She later became a licensed beautician and opened "Bonnie's Hair Fashions" on 65th Street in Little Rock. Women from all over town would come to the salon for their weekly up-dos. During her marriage to Jim Morrow, "Sarge" put her business acumen to work at Morrow Insulation helping to elevate the company to a leader in the local industry. She ended her career as the manager of Cambridge Place where she was valued and loved by all her neighbor friends. Bonnie had boundless energy in her every endeavor. In her late 70's, she moved to Hillcrest next door to Eric and Chad where she quickly became the Matriarch of their block. Cherished memories were made caring for her great-grandchildren and even teaching them to count with dominos and spell with magnetic letters. Bonnie's life was fulfilled with her love of family and joy of gathering with friends. She was always the life of the party. Bonnie balanced a career, family, friends, church, and civic work. Her faith was the foundation of her life of love and service. Always fashionably dressed, complete with perfect hair and makeup, she generously gave of her time, talents, and resources. She never missed a ball game, recital, school meeting, church social, or choir rehearsal. Always seeing the best in people, her minister described her as a "true peacemaker." Her energetic and fearless determination remained with her to the end. Our lives are richer because of Bonnie.