Martha Colville Gibson Tynes

Martha Colville Gibson Tynes was born December 29, 1934, the only child of Martha Faye Rawls Gibson and Leonard Lewis Gibson, Jr. of Vicksburg. Martha attended St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and then Mississippi University for Women. She was in the first 4th of July parade in Vicksburg in 1945. In 1955 and 1956, Martha played the role of a Can-Can Cutie Dancer in the play Gold In The Hills on the Steamer Spangler paddle wheel boat. An active member of the Issaquena Warren County Hunting & Fishing Club, Martha met Clem Wayne (Jargo) Tynes of Monticello while on a hunting trip. They were married on May 3, 1958 in St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Vicksburg, putting an end to her acting days. The pair set up house in Monticello where they ran Tynes & McPherson Feed Store until 1980. There they raised three children; Melissa Colville Tynes of Natchez, Joseph Warren Tynes of Monticello and Sarah (Sally) Sartin Tynes of Decatur, Georgia. The family was actively involved in the Monticello United Methodist Curch.
Martha and Jargo built a log cabin themselves a few miles south of Monticello, which was host to many holiday gatherings over the years. In the late 1980s, Jargo built a dulcimer for Martha from a kit, which she quickly mastered. She played regularly with the Brookmont Strings Plus musical group. In addition to her musical talents, Martha could also hang wallpaper, weave baskets and spin yarn.
Fascinated by local history and genealogy, Martha was the Organizing Regent of the Harmon Runnels Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was currently serving her fourth term as Registrar for the chapter, a position which all will agree will be hard to fill. She was instrumental in the founding of the Lawrence County Historical Society and the designation of the Gov. A.H. Longino House as a Mississippi Historical Site. In 1993, Martha was elected Lawrence County District One Election Commissioner, a position which she held until recently. She was also a member of the Mississippi Forestry Association and enjoyed spending time sitting quietly in the woods watching the trees grow.
Martha leaves behind her three children, Melissa, Warren and Sally, as well as two grandchildren, Jennafer Chelson Tynes and Joseph Wilson (Will) Tynes and one great-granddaughter, Kaylee Brynn Thornton. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jargo Tynes and her grandson, Clifton (Cliff) Warren Wayne Tynes.
Martha passed away peacefully on December 11, 2017. A memorial service was held Sunday, December 17, at the Monticello United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donation be made to either the Lawrence County Animal Rescue League or the Monticello United Methodist Church.