James Vann Martin

Funeral services for James Vann Martin age 84, of Buffalo were held 2 p.m., Sunday, August 2, 2009 at the Walters Buffalo Funeral Home in Buffalo, Texas. Rev. Johnny Veretto, pastor of the Buffalo Missionary Baptist Church, and Carl Clark of the Corinth Baptist Church officiated the services. Burial was in the Dew Cemetery, Dew, Texas. Walters Buffalo Funeral Home was in charge of all arrangements.

James Vann Martin was born on January 3, 1925 in Freestone Co. Texas to Gerome B. Martin Sr. and Jewell Lee (Vann) Martin. He moved to Buffalo from Mesquite over thirty years ago. He was a WWII veteran in the U.S. Coast Guard. He and his brother, Gerome were washer pitching champions. He retired from the Dallas Fire Department in 1977 after 20 years. He liked the outdoors; he liked hunting, and as a young man, he had cows, and he farmed. He was preceded in death by his parents; infant daughter; three brothers, Riley Martin, Payton Martin, and Gerome Beddie Martin, Jr. Mr. Martin passed away Thursday, July 30th in Athens, Texas.

Survivers include his wife, Bonnie Martin of Buffalo, Texas; daughters, Cleo Freeman and husband, Doug of Buffalo, Texas and Jamie Rylene Kinder and husband, Michael of Angier, N.C.; five grandchildren, Kristi Free- man, Brad Freeman, Clay Freeman, Sarah Kinder and James Kinder; and a very close friend to the whole family, Valerie Pate.

The family wants to say thank you to Rev. Johnny Veretto and Rev. Carl Clark and to The Missionary Baptist Church.

The pallbearers were Gene Martin Woodell, John Wooddell, Michael Kinder, Brad Freeman, Clay Freeman and James Kinder. Honorary pallbearers were Sonny Lathrop, Joe Brotherton, Johnny Stevens, Kenneth Epley, Charles Copeland, and Ernest Copeland.