Martha Jean Basinger

Martha Jean Basinger (Knight), age 88, of Cabot passed away, Tuesday, December 13, 2011 in Searcy, Arkansas. She was born in the historic town of Grafton, West Virginia, on October 3, 1923. Her mother was Mary Roach, a homemaker, and her father, Robert Knight, worked on the B and O railroad. She had four sisters, Mary, Alice, Ruth, Helen, and two brothers, Raymond and Bud. She graduated high school in Grafton in 1940, just before World War II. She worked in a department store there during the war and decided to join the Air Force in 1949 to become a WAF. She met and married Glen Basinger while stationed at a base near Niagara Falls, New York, in 1950. She left the military after 2 1/2 years and enjoyed life as a homemaker. They had three children, Janet, Phillip, and Melinda. They enjoyed a life full of travel during Glen's military career, stationed in air bases across the United States. Before Martha's husband retired from the Air Force, they lived in Spain for three years and lived in Germany for another three years. Her husband retired in 1976 in Jacksonville, Arkansas. They decided to build a home in Bee Branch, Arkansas, that same year. They lived there until 1980 when they decided life in an isolated home in the hills was not what they wanted. They decided to move closer to Jacksonville where family and friends resided. They bought a home in Cabot, Arkansas, and became members of Faith Missionary Baptist Church. Glen passed away in February 2008, and life became lonely for Martha. She moved to Harding Place in Searcy, Arkansas, in February 2011, and was comfortable until she became ill in October 2011. She missed her many friends and church life. Her only living sibling is Helen Lawrence, from Masontown, West Virginia. She is survived by her three children, Janet and her husband, Steven Estes of Cabot, Phillip and his wife Yolanda Basinger of Conway, Melinda Basinger of Ward; three grandchildren, Candace Larkin (Estes) of Searcy, Katelin Estes of Cabot, and Wyatt Basinger, of Conway; two great grandchildren, Micheal and Steven Larkin, both of Searcy; sister, Helen Lawrence of Masontown, West Virginia. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, December 15, 2011 at Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Cabot with Pastor Brent Summerhill officiating. Interment will follow at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock. The family suggests memorials be made to Hospice Home Care, 1300 S. Main, Suite 1, Searcy, Arkansas 72143. Please sign the online guestbook at www.moorescabotfuneralhome.com. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore's Cabot Funeral Home. (501) 843-5816.