Martha Jean Kehoe

Martha Jean (Loftis) Kehoe, known as "Marti", passed from this world on November 10, 2010. Martha was born to Luther Clinton and Ola Carlene (McKim) Loftis on September 8, 1940 in Lonoke County, Arkansas. After graduation from North Little Rock High School in 1958 she enlisted in the Women's Army Corp. She completed Basic Training at Fort McClellan, Alabama and then received medical training at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. In 1960 she married James Joseph Kehoe in Cedar Town, Georgia and then completed her training as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Little Rock Vocational School. While working at Memorial Hospital in North Little Rock she obtained her Registered Nurse Degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. After twenty years at Baptist Hospital, Martha completed her career at Easter Seals Children's Residential Center as the three to eleven shift supervisor. The job at Easter Seals was the "love of her life job" other than her avid interest in History and Genealogy. Martha was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and served as the Regent of the Maria Van Buren Chapter for four separate terms. She was also past President of the North Little Rock Heritage Seekers Genealogy Society; past board member of the Ancestors Unknown Genealogy Group; a life time member of the Arkansas Genealogy Society and maintained memberships in the Preservation Alliance of Arkansas, the Van Buren County Historical Society, the Cleburne County Historical Society, the River Valley Genealogy Society, the Pulaski County Historical Society, and the Quapaw Quarter Association. Further she was a member of the Clan Cian (Ireland surnames of Both Loftis and Kehoe). Martha is preceded in death by her father Luther Loftis, her mother Ola Loftis, her brother Harold Loftis and sister Wanda Lee (Loftis) Whitaker. Martha is survived by her only daughter and also love of her life Susan (Kehoe) Ringo, her son-in-law, John Paul Ringo, grandson Jason Ringo, granddaughter, Jessica (Ringo) Beck and her husband James Beck and five lovely great-grandchildren, Jonathan Ringo, Alex Ringo, Annabelle Beck, Ariel Beck and Addyson Ringo. She is also survived by her brothers Carroll and Richard Loftis and sisters, Barbara Lee, Debbie Raines and Brenda Morgan, nephews, Stephen Dee Parsley, Matthew Lee, John Eric Morgan and niece Stacey Treece. Martha was an avid reader and researcher in addition to her patronage of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and other theatrical productions. She nurtured the children of her family members and was passionate about her daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who brought her so much joy in the last days of her battle with cancer. She will be missed as she loved people and was greatly loved in return. Funeral services will be held at the Chapel of the North Little Rock Funeral Home on Friday, November 12, 2010, at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at 1 p.m. at the Quattlebaum Cemetery in Bee Branch, Arkansas where five generations of family currently rest. Visitation will be held Thursday evening, November 11, 2010 from 6 to 8 p.m., at the funeral home, 1921 Main St., 758-1170. Online obituary and guest registry at www.nlrfh.com.