ROGERS — Martha Goodwin,

age 85, passed away peacefully at home in Rogers, Ark., on December 8, 2023. She was born September 10, 1938, in Hamilton, Mo. to Howard Clark & Ida Louise (Swaithes) Cashatt. Martha was the youngest daughter of 10 children.

She had a deep-rooted passion for both her Lord and of music, having learned to play the piano on JC Penney’s lap as her father Howard was a foreman on his farm in Hamilton, Mo. She was a member of the First Christian Church in Rogers, Ark.

Martha continued her studies after Kidder Institute in Kidder, Mo., at a community college in Tyler, Texas. Her children had the incredible opportunity to watch their mother be a strong role model of what a woman and mother could be — and only limited by their imaginations. She had been a nanny in her younger years and choosing ultimately to work in the medical field most of her life in Medical Records. She worked in many hospitals and nursing homes across the country; our family moved whenever Mom received promotions in Missouri, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma. She was most proud of the students she taught at Brown Mackie College in Kansas City, where she taught medical terminology, pharmaceutical terms, and medical transcription. She understood and valued medical research as well, as she was diagnosed with glaucoma in her 60’s. She was lucky enough to participate in glaucoma research with Dr. Steven Vold in Fayetteville, Ark., and helped him pioneer glaucoma treatments that helped preserve her vision longer. Martha had an amazing work ethic — her family had literally three retirement parties and gave her two beloved dachshunds named Lightning and Thunder. She had so many retirement parties because she would get bored and go find another job!

Martha was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, treasured son, Don L. Russell, and bonus daughter Sally Olsen.

She married the late Wayne Russell and from this union had three children she loved dearly: Lisa Carole (Carlos), Wanda Jane (Lloyd) and Don L. (Mary). She then married the late Samuel Weston and had the privilege to love bonus daughter Catherine Carroll and from this union, she had two daughters, Samantha (David) and Tamara (Joe). She then married the late Clarence “Ray” Latham and had the privilege to love his children Sandy Cayce, Steven Latham, and Sally Olsen. She got even luckier to marry “the best man she’s ever known” in the late Robert “Bob” Goodwin and deeply cherished his children Lisa Mills, Gary Goodwin, and Randy Goodwin. She was also treasured and cared for deeply by Samantha’s best friend, Anglea McNett, whom Martha loved from the first time she met Anglea 25 years ago. She is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to Vicki Fendler, June Crowley, Mckenzi Dail, Samantha Scalici, Comfort Keepers, Visiting Angels and Theresa Corder & Circle of Life Hospice. We couldn’t have made it through the last few months without your support.

Visitation will be 5 – 7 p.m. Friday December 15, 2023, at Nelson-Berna Funeral home in Rogers, Ark. Services will be 1 p.m. Saturday at the First Christian Church in Rogers. Interment will be at Benton County. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Circle of Life Hospice, 901 Jones Road, Springdale, Ark., 72762. To leave an online condolence please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com.