Margaret Anne Martin's Obituary
Margaret Anne Doland Martin was called to heaven on Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Bentonville, Arkansas, at the age of 89.
Anne was born in Franklinton, Louisiana, on December 26, 1936, to Robert Owen Doland and Nona Mack Doland. Shortly thereafter the family moved to the small town of Lake Arthur, Louisiana, where Anne and her sister, Carolyn, lived through high school. Both of her parents’ families lived in Lake Arthur, and she grew up surrounded by her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Her father had a nickname for everyone, and hers was “Granny.” The origins of that nickname vary depending on whom you ask, but it seemed to fit her well for various reasons. She was known by all in Lake Arthur, and among family, as Granny from about the age of six.
She was a beautiful young lady but often regarded as a tomboy due to her passion for athletics and other outdoor activities, particularly fishing and crabbing at the nearby park by the lake. Anne later taught her kids to use cane poles and corks in the same spot where she learned to fish. She was an excellent athlete and played high school tennis and basketball for the Lake Arthur Tigers.
Anne was involved in many clubs and activities, including Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America, Louisiana Girls State, District Rallies, and newspaper. In addition to other honors, she was voted most popular as a sophomore and served as Queen of FFA, Carnival (Mardi Gras), Homecoming, and the Cane Fair.
She attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute in Lafayette (now ULL) and later worked as a secretary in the petroleum industry. After relocating to Lafayette, she was known as Anne, but in Lake Arthur, and amongst family, she would always be Granny. While working in Lafayette, she met Fines Martin, the love of her life, whom she married on November 26, 1961.
Anne became the CEO of the home. That was quite a task as Fines’s career in the oil and gas business meant they moved to another city every few years until they finally settled in the Houston (Kingwood) area in 1982. His career took them to Lafayette, New Orleans, New York, and Houston multiple times each.
Anne was the primary caregiver for their three children: Laura, Jeff, and Tim. Her mission was for them to be safe, well-fed, clean, healthy, well-mannered, compassionate, and well-educated. She enjoyed cooking Cajun food and other Southern recipes she learned from family and friends. Anne loved frying fish the family caught, as well as pot-roasting and making duck gumbo with birds Fines and the boys brought home. Her crabmeat au gratin was loved by all, and her cornbread dressing was a favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Family was always most important to Anne and Fines. They loved hosting the entire family for Thanksgiving and Christmas and really cherished getting everyone together. A collector of stuffed animals, figurines, and holiday decorations, Anne delighted in decorating the home for all the holidays, especially Christmas.
Fines and Anne enjoyed summers at their condo in Destin, Florida, in the 1980s and 1990s. In later years they rented a home in the area each year so the kids and grandkids could get together for an annual family vacation.
Anne was a people-person with a warm, welcoming, ever-present smile, and she never met a stranger. She always kept abreast of how everyone and their families were doing. She was an engaging storyteller with a great sense of humor and liked to share stories about her family as well. Accounts of her early years in Lake Arthur, including the time her date for a school dance picked her up in a pirogue during a flood, were some of her favorites. Goofy and memorable acts were often memorialized in stories that would eventually be shared time and time again.
Tennis was her favorite hobby, and she played well into her later years. She played several days a week at Red Lerille’s in Lafayette and later at Kingwood Country Club, where she met some of her dearest friends. The annual tennis ladies’ trip to Destin was a highlight for her.
Her closest friend was her sister, Carolyn. They spent hours talking on the phone daily, sharing stories about the kids and grandkids and discussing what they had seen on the news. Also like family was Fannie Daniels, who started working for Anne’s parents at the age of 13 when Anne was a young child. The two kept in close touch throughout their lives.
Anne and Fines were a generous couple and always had compassion for anyone who could use a helping hand. They gave to various charities but really preferred to assist individuals and families directly or make their lives easier. This included people they knew and others they simply learned about through family and friends.
Anne was preceded in death by her parents, Bob and Nona; her husband, Fines; and her sister, Carolyn. She is survived by her daughter Laura and husband Andy; son Jeff and wife Gaylynn; and son Tim and wife Malia; grandchildren Kelley (Tom), Chris (Hadie), Courtney, Jon, Wade, and Scarlett; and great-grandsons Ben, Drew, and Wes. She was thrilled about the upcoming arrival of her fourth great-grandchild in December.
Our Granny was a true matriarch who will be dearly missed by her family and all who knew and loved her. We are grateful to all who helped with her care upon her move to Arkansas.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes you to make a donation to the charity of your choice or to do something in her memory to help someone you know.
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