Martha H. French

Martha H. French, 87, of Kansas City, Missouri, died on February 11, 2007 at Kansas City Hospice House. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 15 at the McGilley Midtown Chapel. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri. Friends may call at the chapel on Wednesday from 6:00 to-8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Salvation Army.

Martha was born on January 20, 1920 in Waycross, Georgia to Joseph E. and Etta Maude (Redmond) Watkins. They moved to Kansas City after Mr. Watkins retired from the Salvation Army in the 1950’s. Her family was her highest priority, taking care of her parents until they passed on. She then helped raise her grandchildren while her daughter started Manny’s Restaurant with her husband, Manny Lopez, where Martha was affectionately known as “Sarge” or Frenchie”. She raised her family with a great faith foundation. She was a member of First Calvary Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, Martha was preceded in death by a brother, Joel Watkins; and two sisters, Katherine Agin and Reba Griffin. She is survived by her son, Arthur Glenn Lundgren, of Garnett, Kansas; daughter, Vivian Lopez and her husband, Manuel “Manny”, of Roeland Park, Kansas; a brother, Joseph Watkins, Jr., of Cheyenne, Wyoming; 2 sisters, Mary Shepherd of Kevil, Kentucky and Esther Edwards of Prairie Village, Kansas; 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Oh dearest mother, we love you so much!