Farris Martin Nelms, 79, passed away on January 5, 2025, in Batesville, Arkansas. She was born on January 22, 1945, in Chester, South Carolina, to Addison Farris Martin Jr. and Eleanor Smith (Holton) Martin, and grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, where she graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and later obtained a master’s degree from Arkansas State University, leading to a meaningful career as a counselor in the Batesville Public Schools.
She married Dick Nelms on August 6, 1966, and together they built a loving family. She enjoyed gatherings with family and friends, traveling, cooking, gardening, and creating special moments with her grandchildren. A devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church in Batesville, she found lasting joy in her faith community.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Betsy Henley. She is survived by her husband, Dick Nelms; her sister, Eleanor Winfrey of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; her children, Frank and his wife, Susan, of Greenbrier, Arkansas, David and his wife, Leigh, of Rogers, Arkansas, Preston and his wife, Ashley, of Batesville, Arkansas, and Beth Pierce and her husband, Jon, of Winston Salem, North Carolina; her 11 grandchildren; and her two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 25, at the First Presbyterian Church, 775 E Boswell St, in Batesville. A lunch reception for family and friends will immediately follow.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the charity of one’s choice.
