Faye Martin Thompson, aged 93, peacefully passed away at Baptist Hospital on Wednesday, September 27, 2023. A graveside service in her honor is scheduled at Crittenden Memorial Park on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 11 a.m.
Born on September 11, 1930, in Lepanto, Arkansas, Faye was the daughter of Bessie Martin and William Martin. Following the devastation of a tornado, her family relocated from Lepanto to Harrisburg. Faye attended a one-room schoolhouse up to the eighth grade before moving in with another family to attend Harrisburg High School. In 1950, she earned her diploma, a remarkable achievement despite secretly marrying her beloved Gene Thompson in March of that same year. Although societal norms at the time didn't favor married women pursuing education, Faye's determination led her to graduate. She immediately assumed the business aspects of the family farm, a role at which she excelled. The couple commenced their farming journey with a few acres of leased land and a team of mules, eventually expanding to farm over 40,000 acres in Arkansas. In an era when women weren't often recognized as farm leaders, Faye served as the backbone, all while raising two children, Deborah, born in 1953, and Kenneth "Kenn E." Eugene, born in 1958. She was a devoted and caring mother, and her children cherish memories of skiing and fishing in the St. Francis River, with Faye fearlessly protecting them from water moccasins. In 1978, she, Gene, and their family were honored as the Cross County and State Farm Family of the Year.
Faye was not only an energetic and devoted grandmother and great-grandmother but also a cherished part of her children's households until her last days. Earlier this year, she continued her decades-long tradition of dressing up as the Easter bunny-a testament to her exceptional talent as a seamstress and her dedication to bringing joy to her family. She used her sewing skills for a noble cause, creating Halloween costumes for premature babies at LeBonheur Children's Hospital.
Throughout her life, Faye was a faithful member of Parkin First United Methodist Church, contributing her talents as a bookkeeper, Christmas decorator, and organizer of numerous fellowship dinners. Her passion for nourishing loved ones and her community extended to preparing countless banquets for Farm Bureau and the Wynne Chamber of Commerce, as well as crafting over seventy trays of her famous Thanksgiving dressing for local families each year. Faye also compiled and edited a community cookbook, "Mounds of Cooking," in support of the Parkin Archaeological State Park, featuring many of her cherished recipes. Even in her later years, she embraced her culinary passion by immortalizing her beloved recipes in a KZitem channel, "Southern Cooking with Faye Thompson," with her son, Kenn E., serving as the videographer.
Faye is survived by her son, Kenn E. Thompson, and his wife, Jane Thompson, from Wynne, and her daughter, Deborah Ferguson, and her husband, Scott Ferguson, from West Memphis. Her memory is carried on by her five cherished grandchildren, Catherine Ferguson and her husband, Murtaza Mogri, Scott Ferguson and his wife, Juliana Echeverri Escobar, Caroline Ferguson Irlanda and her husband, Ryan Irlanda, Kent Thompson and his wife, Katie Thompson, and Mary Elizabeth Thompson, along with three great-grandsons, Sam Thompson, Charlie Thompson, and Thomas Ferguson, and one great-granddaughter, Mary Catherine Mogri. She is also survived by her sister, Veletta Martin.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Faye Thompson may be made to the LeBonheur Children's Hospital Foundation at P.O. Box 41817, Memphis, TN 38174-1817. You may share your condolences and memories online at www.rollerfuneralhomes.com.
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