Martha Ann Holder

Frierson, La-A celebration of the life of Martha Ann Smith Holder will be held at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 6th, 2015 in Rose-Neath's Southside Chapel, 2500 Southside Drive, Shreveport, La 71116. Officiating will be Brother Lynn Mitchell. Guests will be welcomed to join the family for visitation at Southside from 5:00 until 7:00 pm on Monday, January 5th. Martha was born in Naborton, Louisiana to Grover C. and Freda Bell Smith on December 30, 1932. She attended Byrd High School in Shreveport where she was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in 1950. After high school, she attended Draughn-Norton Business School. For seventeen years Martha was employed by Beaird Industries as an executive secretary. On November 3, 1950, Martha married, Roland Holder, her husband of sixty-four years at Caddo Heights Baptist Church in Shreveport. She continued her career with Beaird Industries while Roland served his country in the Korean Conflict. In 1958 they formed Gentry & Holder Floors, Inc., where they provided all types of flooring installations for both residential and commercial applications. By 1967, the business was flourishing and Martha left Beaird Industries to become full time business manager for Gentry & Holder. The company eventually specialized in commercial hardwood with a focus on high school and college gymnasiums. She remained active in the business in a semi-retired capacity for the last several years. Martha and Roland moved their family to Frierson, Louisiana in 1964, to enjoy their love of the outdoors and raise their children in a more rural environment. They still enjoy raising cattle, hay and developing their farm. A lover of the outdoors, Martha was happiest there providing her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to experience fishing, animals, gardening and outdoor life. Martha and Roland are members of the Frierson Baptist Church and enjoyed serving their community in many different capacities. Martha was preceded in death by her parents, Grover and Freda Smith. She will be forever missed by her husband, Roland Holder, one sister, Belinda Hamelback Fread of Shreveport, one daughter, Sherry McClure and husband, Milton of Shreveport, two sons, Lee Holder and wife Rebecca, and Paul Holder and wife Leslie, all of Frierson. Her grandchildren are Daniel McClure and wife Alicia of Bossier City, John McClure and wife Lori of Shreveport, Heather Lovejoy and husband Micheal, Jennifer Sites and husband Jacob, Amy Dunn and husband Kevin, Emily Canady and husband Sam, Bailey Holder and fiancé, Brooks, and Hailey Mason and husband Hunter. She will also be missed by 9 great-grandchildren, and her very special cousin, Mrs. Letty Burns of Shreveport. The family would like to thank the many people of have provided care, friendship and support through the past several years and especially most recently. Those include Shreveport Internal Medicine and Dr. Mark Alan Brown, Dr. Michelle Self and Hospice of Shreveport-Bossier. A very special thank you to Willie "Nickie" Bush, Queena Cooper and Linda Samuels for their dedication and effort in providing the best care that anyone could ask for.   Honoring the life of Martha as pallbearers will be Daniel McClure, John McClure, William Averitt, Brad Morgan, Johnny Pearce, and Jerry Pylant. Rose-Neath Southside 2500 Southside Drive 318-687-1256