Gwinda Mae (Webb) Martindale

Gwinda Mae (Webb) Martindale was born on July 28, 1939, to Carl Dawson Webb and Nettie (McBride) Webb, and passed on to the arms of Jesus on January 26, 2022, in Wister, Oklahoma, at the home of her daughter Tammy, where she was attended by her loving family.

Gwinda married Meredith Lavon Martindale on June 11, 1960. He always believed she was the most beautiful woman around and together they raised four children. She is survived by her children, Jeffrey Morgan Martindale, and Karen; Marsha Lynn Hinchee, and Robert; Randy Milton Martindale; and Tammy Kay Goad, and Shawn. She is also survived by her loving sister, Annette (Webb) Couch, and a special cousin, Renee (Vincent) Miesenheimer, her deeply loved grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a great host of other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Carl Webb Jr., sister-in-law, Rosie Webb, and brother-in-law, Billy Couch.

Gwinda was raised mostly in Muse, Oklahoma, where her mother, Nettie was born, but traveled with her parents to Oregon during the depression days. There in Lakeview, Oregon, is where an athletic, talented, good-looking boy from Antlers, Oklahoma, met an athletic, talented, beautiful girl from Muse, Oklahoma, and began our family’s love story. They were wildly passionate and volatile in private, and very sedate and measured in public. While their children like to think they inherited some of their beauty, and one got their musical skills, none rose above just an ordinary athlete, for which all of them had deep regret.

Gwinda served as the pianist at most of the churches she attended in her lifetime. She loved to serve God in this way. Dad was sometimes the worship leader as well, but about 1977, they decided they preferred different doctrine and worship so rarely attended together after that, excepting revivals and other special occasions. Another way that she served God was she and Meredith continually helped children, the elderly, and others in need in the community. There was always an open place at the table and a bed could be found, if one was needed. They visited the elderly and ill. They always looked for ways to help others.

Gwinda took this servant heart with her into all her jobs including her teaching career, which was spent entirely at Tuskahoma School, where she retired. She was regarded as an excellent teacher and many students have relayed to her children the blessing she was to them. She loved her church family and served as Teacher there often, and was involved with the youth, and programs, most of her life. She was involved in local civic areas in the community as well.

Gwinda was deeply interested in the welfare of others and worked tirelessly for the benefit of those she tried to help. She loved her children and all of her family members dearly and made sure they knew it. She loved her students, too, and tried to help each one find their way to success. She was very proud of them and hoped that she was a good influence. She tried to instill responsibility, and loyalty, in everyone. Her standards were quite high. If she could say anything to you now, it would be what Peter said in Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”.

Gwinda was a regular attender, and often played piano, at many funereal services. When Covid hit, this changed. Gwinda was aware that at many funeral services Covid was spread along with love, hugs, and handshakes. This greatly distressed her, and she did not want this to be the case at hers. Several members of the family currently have Covid, so we have opted for a private family funeral at a later date. In place of flowers or any other kind of tribute, her family would ask you to spread kindness, make that phone call, go out of your way to help someone in no position to pay you back, be there when others need, just love like Jesus did. That is what Gwinda tried to do, be Jesus’ hands, and that relationship with Jesus is what she wanted everyone to have.

Honorary Pall Bearers are Tom Putman, Joe Chrisman, Jim Elrod, Shawn Goad, Robert Hinchee, Bobby Burns, Delton Putman, Leroy Roberts, Bill and Johnny Simmons, Barry Simpson, RC Mears and Kevin Campbell.

Online Guestbook: www.bowserffh.com

About Author