To request a copy of this photo for your own personal use, please contact our state coordinator. If you are not a family member or the original photographer — please refrain from copying or distributing this photo to other websites.
Thank you for visiting the Arkansas Gravestone Photo Project. On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in Arkansas, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 9/27/23 • Approved: 9/27/23 • Last Updated: 9/30/23 • R1504361-G1504360-S3
Bill
September 17, 1928 - August 29, 1975
Norma
December 19, 1931 - May 30, 2021
KEMP, Norma Jean Phillips Martin passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on Sunday, May 30, 2021. During her final years, she fought dementia with the same grace and dignity she lived her entire life. Norma was born in Swink, Colorado on December 19, 1931, to Carl and Vivian Phillips. Shortly after gradating from high school she attended beauty college in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. That was a significant step toward her future because that is how she ultimately met the first love of her life, Bill Martin. The entire family owes a debt of gratitude to Bill's Aunt Jenny who, deliberately playing matchmaker, arranged for Bill to take her to the "beauty shop" for her appointment to have Norma "do her hair." Norma and Bill raised their family of four children in Dallas. Bill passed away in August of 1975. After his passing, Norma began working at Cliff Temple Baptist Child Development Center. Very quickly, she was promoted to Director of the Development Center. She truly looked forward to going to work every day to spend time with the children who attended, including some of her own grandchildren.
In the summer of 1978, Norma found the second love of her life, Von Kemp. They married on Oct. 26, 1978, and were happily married until his death 32 years later. During their marriage they traveled, worked on home improvement projects together and loved spending time with their grandchildren.
Norma's greatest talent (other than being a wonderful wife and mother) was sewing and at one point, she had 20 clients she sewed for personally, including the wife of a state representative. In later years, her sewing became even more creative, and included making life size dolls. Many of us have some piece crafted with love that she made especially for us.
Norma was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, husband Bill and second husband, Von.
She is survived and greatly missed by her son, Bill Martin, three daughters, Brenda Martin Morgan (Dr. Bob Morgan), Carla Martin Geiger (Mark Geiger), Lisa Martin Trammell (Craig Trammell). 8 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.
A viewing will be held on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Restland Funeral Home located at 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75243, followed by a memorial service at 5:00 p.m. The family invites all their and Norma's friends and relatives to a reception, following the service, at the home of Bob and Brenda Morgan.
Photo courtesy of Frances Allen Titsworth
Contributed on 9/27/23 by Billsully060
Email This Contributor
Suggest a Correction
Record #: 1504361