Martha Jo Pierce

Martha Jo Hawkins Pierce, age 78, of Fordyce, died May 16, 2013, at the Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock. She was born Feb. 13, 1935 in Fordyce, Ark. She was a member of Beech Grove Baptist Church in Fordyce. Martha is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Candy Hawkins; brother, Marlin Hawkins; and sisters, Sue Walton and Nanita Bedford. Survivors include her husband of 59 years, Marlon E. Pierce Sr.; daughter, Susan Pierce of Little Rock; son, Marlon E. Pierce Jr., his wife, Katie, and son, Finn, of Bloomington, Ind.; and sister, Murline Craig of Bethesda, Md. Visitation will be Sunday, May 19, 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Benton Funeral Home in Fordyce. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Beech Grove Missionary Baptist Church, with Rev. Nathan Petty and Rev. Glenn Knight officiating. Burial will be at Stoney Point Cemetery in Bucksnort, Ark. The family would like to thank special friends Leon and Shelba Adams and the staff at Arkansas Heart Hospital for their attentive care during Martha's illness. Arrangements by Benton Funeral Home in Fordyce. To sign the online register visit www.bentonfuneralhome.net.