Martha Reeves Costen Fortinberry, 92, a loving mother, grandmother and friend to many, died March 18 at Yalobusha Nursing Home, Water Valley, Miss.
Born August 31, 1912, in Blytheville, Ark., Mrs. Fortinberry was the wife of the late Toxey T. Fortinberry, of Water Valley, and the only child of the late attorney Samuel Cutler Costen and Louise Griffin Costen of Memphis, Tenn. Mrs. Fortinberry attended St. Mary's Episcopal Girls School in Memphis and was president of her class for five years. A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in home economics, Mrs. Fortinberry also attended Southwestern University and the University of Arizona, and was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. She was a former Mrs. Water Valley and a member of the Eastern Star.
Mrs. Fortinberry was for many years a Sunday school teacher known for her faithful attendance at the First Baptist Church in Water Valley. She enjoyed reading the bible and preparing her Sunday school lessons. An avid reader, Mrs. Fortinberry was seldom without a book or other reading material at hand. She also loved traveling the world with her late husband, meeting new people and experiencing other cultures. Always popular with adults and children, Mrs. Fortinberry was an animal lover, especially of horses and dogs. She delighted in Southern cuisine and was renown for her preparation of pot roast and rice.
Mrs. Fortinberry gave birth to nine children in eleven years, and is survived by seven daughters and two sons: Sylvia Lowe of Water Valley; Irene Wine of Los Angeles, Calif.; Martha Fortinberry of Jackson, Miss.; Toxie Ann Filberth of Hollywood, Fla.; Sabrina Whelan of Miami, Fla.; Marjorie Barnard of Springfield, Va.; Mary Lu Vaughn of Brandon, Miss.; Tom Fortinberry of Jackson, Miss.; and Luther Fortinberry of Los Angeles, Calif. Survivors also include 15 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, March 25, 2005 at Seven Oaks Funeral Home, Water Valley. Services will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday, March 26, 2005 at the funera1 home with burial in Pinecrest Cemetery near Water Valley.