Jim Martin

James "Jim" Franklin Martin passed away at his home near Amber, Oklahoma on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, at the age of 74.  He was born May 8, 1946, in Chickasha, Oklahoma to J.R. and Pauline (Wampler) Martin.

Jim was a 1964 graduate of Amber High School where he played basketball, served as the FFA President, and won numerous state and national livestock shows with his cattle. He attended Oklahoma State University for two years but made enough memories there to last a lifetime. He loved telling his family all about his "adventures" in Stillwater. He returned home in 1966 to help manage the family farming and ranching operations, Martin Dairy and Martin Farms, Inc. He enjoyed working alongside his family, especially his Grandfather Walter. Jim had a patient, loving, and gentle spirit.

Jim married the love of his life, Melinda McMeans in Chickasha, OK on January 21, 1972, and together they had two girls, Jamie and Amy. He loved helping the girls with their FFA projects despite the fact that they started showing sheep after he begged them to only show cattle. He would be the loudest voice in the stands during basketball season, giving the girls helpful "advice" during the games, as well as, during the entire ride home. The girls were the light of his life right up to the time that his grandsons, Jackson and Karter, were born, and then everyone could tell that the boys were the real favorites. He would pick the boys up from school and immediately take them to the store for snacks, sometimes making them promise not to tell their mom. He never missed his grandsons' activities and was so proud of them both. Jim loved going to the movies and taking the road less traveled on any family vacation even if that meant ending up on some dirt road in the middle of nowhere. He especially loved his big family vacations with the grandsons so he could take them to do fun things like gold panning, watching the wolves in Yellowstone, and surfing in Hawaii. He loved the extended family trips that included Colorado, California, Yellowstone, Boston, Niagara Falls, Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii. He would plan and navigate each trip with the largest map he could find and then use his keen sense of adventure to find obscure sights along the road. Those side trips always made for the best stories. Some of his best memories were on chartered fishing trips at Lake Texoma, Yellowstone Lake, and Kona, HI with his two grandsons. Jim never met a stranger, nor was he ever lacking a good story to share. He loved his community and the Amber-Pocasset school system where he served on the school board for many years. He was also a strong supporter of the Amber-Pocasset FFA program. A gentle and patient man, he loved the Lord and his church, Chickasha First Assembly. As a young boy, he even sang "This little light of mine" many times for the congregations. Jim loved the Oklahoma State Cowboys and was a season ticket holder. He was actively involved in the Amber Community and other professional organizations throughout his career. He was a member of the Grady County and Oklahoma Cattleman's Association, the OSU Posse, served as the President of the Oklahoma Young Dairy Farmers Association, and served on the Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC) Board of Trustees for eighteen years. He also earned his pilot's license and loved flying with his Dad and brother. He will be remembered as a fun and loving son, husband, father, Papa, brother, uncle, and friend.

He is preceded in death by his father, J.R. Martin; paternal grandparents, Walter and Dottie Martin; and maternal grandparents, George and Maggie Wampler.

Jim is survived by his wife, Melinda Martin, of Amber, OK; daughter and son-in-law, Jamie and Matt Caves of Amber, OK; daughter, Amy Martin of Oklahoma City, OK; grandsons Jackson and Karter Caves of Amber, OK; mother, Pauline Martin of Amber, OK; brother and sister-in-law, Rick and Karen Martin, of Amber, OK; and niece, Keli Elliott and her husband Brad, and their children Logan, Rustin, and Kayslee of Bridge Creek, OK.

Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, November 16, 2020 at the First Assembly of God Church, Chickasha, OK.  Interment will be in the Amber Cemetery, Amber, Oklahoma under the direction of Sevier Funeral Home, Chickasha, OK.

In lieu of flowers and to recognize Jim's desire to always give back to the Amber-Pocasset school system, donations can be made to the Jim Martin Family Memorial Scholarship, c/o First National Bank and Trust Company of Chickasha.