Martha Sue Humphries Rainey
of Batesville
August 11, 1932 – July 18, 2023
Martha Sue Humphries Rainey, 90, of Batesville, passed away Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
Born August 11, 1932, in Herbine, Ark. (Cleveland County), but reared at Lake Village, Ark. (Chicot County) to Dossie and Eva Burrough Humphries.
She graduated from Lakeside High School, Lake Village, in 1950. She worked for the Chicot Spectator and was Secretary for the Cooperative Extension Service until 1955, when she married the Assistant County Agent, Leo Rainey.
In 1965 they moved to Pocahontas, Ark. She had her two children here, Alan and Nancy. In 1961 they moved to Batesville, Arkansas. She worked as a proofreader for The Batesville Guard from 1975-1983. She called it BC-Before Computers. After her husband started The Arkansaw Traveller Theater at Hardy, Ark., she was the Gift Shop Operator.
Survivors include her son, Alan Leo Rainey and wife, Connie of Cushman, Ark.; daughter, Nancy Sue Bridgman and husband, Johnny of Indianapolis, Ind.; sisters, Hilda Cort and husband, Carl of Temple, Tex., Lorraine Ahart of Austin, Tex., and Cecelia Humphries of Granbury, Tex.; five grandchildren, Nicole Bledsoe and husband, Kevin of Batesville, Tim Rainey and wife, Melissa of O’Fallon, Mo., Josh Hughes of Cushman, Matt Bridgman and wife, Caressa of Indianapolis, Ind., and Adam Bridgman and wife, April of Madisonville, Ken.; step-grandson, Greg Bridgman and wife, Sandy of Batesville; step-granddaughter, Brittney Devazier and husband, Grant of Horseshoe Bend; eleven great-grandchildren, Beau, Lexi, Madilyn, Mackenzie, Eli, Silas, Lillie, Maddie, Izaac, Ezra, and Micah; nephews, Craig Humphries and wife, Pam, Lance Graves and wife, Mary, and Brian Ahart and wife, Lisa; nieces, Jo Linda Sharp and husband, Andy, Cheryl Keel, Debbie Dawson and husband, Bill, and Michelle Cannon and husband, Jim, and Donna Jameson and husband, Chad; several great nephews and nieces; and sister-in-law, Bertha Rainey of Benton, Ark.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Leo Rainey; brothers, Donald, Robert, Johnie, and Doug Humphries and two infants, Arvin and Quentin; and grandparents, Robert Abner and Martha Susan Webb Humphries of Urbana, Arkansas and Jimmy Lee and Martha Estelle (Mattie) Doss Burrough of Rison, Arkansas.
Pallbearers are her grandsons, Tim Rainey, Josh Hughes, Kevin Bledsoe, Matt Bridgman, and Adam Bridgman, as well as her nephews, Craig Humphries, Lance Graves, and Brian Ahart. Honorary pallbearers will be the Elders and Deacons of Harrison Street Church of Christ, Ben Hardaway, Phillip Lloyd, Collie Shaw, Calvin Taylor, Steve Smith, Ted Hyslip, Charles Jordan, James Simmons, Josh Wells, Steve Cargill, Tony Collier, as well as Steve Wells, Paul Mitchell, and Joey Hill.
Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. Friday, July 21, 2023, at Harrison Street Church of Christ with Steve Smith officiating. Burial will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery under the direction of Roller-Crouch Funeral Home.
Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 21, 2023, prior to service at the church.
Memorials may be made in her honor to Children’s Home Inc., 5515 Walcott Road, Paragould, AR, 72450 or Families First Foundation, 307 Judge Smith Drive, Marion, AR 72364.
