Martha Ann Ingle

Martha Ann Benefield Ingle, age 84, of Bartlett, TN, formerly of New Albany, MS, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 8, 2025, surrounded by her four loving daughters.

She was born on December 13, 1940 in New Albany, MS, to Jim and Virgie Benefield.

Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 61 years, John Wendle Ingle, one brother, Gerald Benefield; and two sisters, Louise Murphy and Marie Benefield.

Surviving relatives include four daughters: Melinda (Jim) Gardner, Cabot, AR; Wendy (Terry) Faulkner, Millington, TN; Holly (Stephen) Vailes, Arlington, TN; Beverly (Billy) Dunlap, Mason, TN.

Eight grandsons- James (Caroline) Gardner, John David (Elizabeth) Gardner, Shelby Faulkner, Jonathan Faulkner, Daniel Vailes, Luke (Katherine) Vailes, Will (Haley) Dunlap, Sam Dunlap

Four great grandsons- Jed and Emmett Gardner, John Paxton Gardner, Everett Dunlap

One great granddaughter-Kennedy Gardner

One brother-Dan (Barbara) Benefield, along with many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.

Martha, the daughter of a deacon, grew up in the Lone Star community and attended Shady Grove Baptist Church. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at the age of 12 years old during Vacation Bible School and was baptized at Shady Grove.

Martha was a member of Range Hills Baptist Church for many years, taking her children at a very early age to Sunday School and G.A.s where she taught as well. As a faithful servant, she also worked in the church nursery, Vacation Bible School, or wherever needed, including a mission trip to Mexico. After retiring and moving back to her childhood home in New Albany, Mississippi, she became a member of Fredonia Baptist Church where she continued to serve faithfully alongside John. She loved her church family there and developed some very close friendships during those years. She was also a member of the Gideons International Auxiliary actively serving to support John's ministry as a Gideon and playing a vital role in winning others to Christ.

Martha graduated from Ingomar High School in 1959. She was very proud to be a member of the amazing Falcon Girls Basketball Team that won the Mississippi State and Grand Slam Championships in 1958 with an unbelievable 54-0 record! That history-making team has been honored by an exhibit at the Union County Heritage Museum in recent years.

After graduating from Ingomar High School, Martha moved from the country life to the big city and began her career at John Deere Parts Depot in South Memphis. She was employed there for 28 ½ years and then transferred to Dallas for her last eighteen months working as an inventory analyst. She made several lifelong friendships with her coworkers in her years at John Deere. Martha was only 48 years old when she started enjoying retired life on May 26, 1989, after 30 years of service at John Deere.

Before retirement, and when her girls were still living at home, she considered her hobbies as shopping for the girls, cooking, and doing laundry, along with running her taxi service for the girls to ballgames and activities. After retirement, her hobbies included sewing, making baby quilts, cooking, and gardening, including canning and freezer preparation of the produce from the garden.

Upon retirement, she enjoyed traveling with her husband, John, to all 48 contiguous states and Canada. They loved taking the scenic routes on their many road trips to enjoy the beauty of God's creation. Their excursions were sometimes lengthy, lasting up to six weeks, but they would come back home with many pictures and interesting stories of their experiences, including the people they met along the way.

Martha was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She leaves behind an amazing legacy of love and devotion to her four daughters and their families. The family would like to thank her wonderful caregivers and friends who have cared for her since July 2023 after the passing of her husband, John, as well as the staff of Hearthside Senior Living.

A Celebration of Life was held:

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Forest Hill East Funeral Home – 2440 Whitten Rd, Memphis, TN 38133

Memorials may be made to Gideons International or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital