Martha Varner

Martha Rose Varner, 91, passed away on Friday, November 21, 2025, at Capstone Assisted Living in Gallatin, Tennessee, surrounded by her family. She was a longtime resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she lived for 52 years.

Born August 5, 1934, in Mounds, Illinois, to Harry and Caroline Williams, Martha was the youngest of three children, preceded in death by her sister Kathleen and brother Roland. From the age of eight she studied piano, and throughout her life she delighted others with her music and her beautiful singing voice—first in the choir of First Baptist Church in Mounds, later through lessons she cherished well into adulthood. She was an active member of the Tulsa Chapter of P.E.O. International Sisterhood, until she moved to Tennessee. She loved animals, flowers, baking, and quilting and passed these hobbies on to her daughters.

Martha’s beauty, inside and out, was admired by all who knew her. One word followed her everywhere: Sweetness.

She met Glenn Austin Varner at thirteen, and on January 14, 1954, they married while Glenn was home on leave from the U.S. Air Force. Their union, though quickly arranged, blossomed into more than 71 years of love and devotion. Together they raised two daughters, whom Glenn fondly calls “the best investments we ever made.”

Martha is survived by her husband, Glenn Austin Varner; daughters Lee Epps (Drew) and Susan Betts (Doug) and grandchildren Kevin Betts (Anna), Caroline Betts Anerin (Denny), Sean Epps, and Evan Epps.

The family is grateful for the compassionate care from Hendersonville Memorial Gardens Funeral Home and the nurses and staff at Capstone Assisted Living & Memory Care and HighPoint Hospice. No public services are planned.

Martha’s epitaph will echo that of her mother-in-law, Nellie Mae Varner, written in 1934:

“She was too good, too gentle and fair, to dwell in this cold world of care.”