Nellie Ruth Fisk Martin

Nellie Ruth Fisk Martin, age 80, passed away Thursday, August 13, 2026, at her home in Pope, MS.

Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Sunday, August 16, 2026, at Trinity Lighthouse Church in Crowder, MS with the interment to follow at Crowder Cemetery. The family will begin receiving friends Sunday at 12:00 P.M. prior to the service at the church.

Nellie was born December 23, 1945, in Yazoo City, Mississippi to the late Clayton and Ruby Rogers Fisk. Nellie’s life was a testament to resilience, devotion, and the simple joys of family and everyday wonders.

Nellie’s presence was of guidance and unconditional love to everyone around her. Through the years, she created a home always filled with laughter, delicious food from her garden, and the comfort of cherished traditions. Her legacy lives on in her children—Linda Rikard of Pope, MS, Regina Redwine of Crowder, MS, Rita Russell of Batesville, MS, Malissa Hester of Pope, MS, Thomas Martin of Enid, MS, Eugene Martin of Crowder, MS, and Luke Rikard of Crowder, MS—who each carry forward her values of kindness, perseverance, and the close bonds of kinship. Nellie’s nurturing spirit was evident not only in her role as a mother but also as a grandmother to 13 grandchildren, great-grandmother to 33, and great-great-grandmother to 9, each of whom brought unmeasurable joy to her days.

Nellie found happiness in life’s simple pleasures. She would often lose herself for hours watching westerns, especially her beloved Gunsmoke, or catching up on episodes of Days of Our Lives—her favorite soap opera. She relished the challenge of crossword puzzles and never missed an opportunity to test her skills with a new clue. Family and friends remember her gathering around the screen for game shows, laughter echoing through the house, and she was well-known for her competitive edge when playing first generation Nintendo games. Her vegetable garden, abundant and carefully tended, was a source of pride—feeding those she loved and delighting her grandchildren with its harvest each season.

Nellie’s world was grounded in strong family ties and lifelong relationships. She is lovingly remembered by her sisters: Carolyn Hutchinson of Crowder, MS, Bobbie Ellis of Grenada, MS, Esther Rose of Batesville, MS, and Jo Ann Bailey of Michigan. The Martin family wishes to honor not only her memory but also those who have gone before her—her husband Charles Lonzo Martin, her devoted parents Clayton Fisk and Ruby Rogers Fisk, and her siblings Mary Martin, Joyce Namore, Ruby Fisk, Betty Ann Byford, Mattie Mae Austin, Alice Faye Pettaway, David Fisk, William Fisk, Clayton Fisk, Jr., Jamie Fisk, Gary Fisk, Cecil Fisk, and Billy Fisk. While their absence created holes in her heart, their memories remained ever-present in her stories and her daily life.

Though Nellie faced her own share of losses, her strength and the warmth of her soul endured, guiding her family through both sunshine and storm. She leaves behind a legacy defined by love, laughter, and the countless ways she brought comfort and happiness to all who knew her.