Martha Lou Phillips, age 78 of Malvern, died Wednesday evening, October 14, 2009, in the Malvern Nursing Home. She was born in Curtis , Arkansas on May 29, 1931 to the late Raymond and Pauline Wheatley Holloway. Reared and educated in Malvern, she was the widow of the late Max R. "Chip" Phillips, Sr. to whom she was married on November 24, 1948. He preceded her in death on October 12, 2003. Martha Lou retired in 1995 as manager for the local Road Runner gas station/convenience store, where she had worked for 17 years. Prior to that position, she had been a union officer at the Featherlite Corporation. She was a member of Reyburn Creek Missionary Baptist Church .

She is survived by her children, Max R. "Chipper" Phillips and his wife Louise of Prescott; Mike Phillips and his wife Nan of Russellville; Becky Phillips of Newark; and Phyllis Ray and her husband David of Malvern; one brother, Raymond Paul Holloway of Washington State; one sister Marylene Digby of Little Rock; her grandchildren, Jamie Jaynes, Blake, Bryce, and Ryan Phillips, Geri Burford, Krystal Ray Hayward, Michelle Jostmeyer; step-grandchildren, Laura Sellers and Bryan Ray; great-grandchildren, Christopher B. Phillips, C. J. Lucas, Michael and Brynn Chenowith, Landon and Jackson Phillips, Kaylee Hayward; step-great-grandchildren, Tyler Sellers, Austin, Bryanna, and Sophia Ray, Tyler and Aiden Hayward.

She was also preceded in death by a brother, Billy Jim Holloway, a son-in-law Jim Phillips, and a grandson, Todd Phillips.

Her funeral will be at eleven o'clock Saturday morning, October 17, 2009 in the chapel of J. A. Funk Funeral Home with Brother Todd Bray officiating. Interment will follow in Fairplay Cemetery .

Pallbearers will be: C. J. Lucas, Gerald Chancellor, Robert Jostmeyer, Bryan Ray, Christopher B. Phillips, and Jasper Jaynes.

Honorary pallbearers are the staff of Malvern Nursing Home.

Visitation will be from five until seven o'clock Friday evening at the mortuary.

The family will be headquartered at 235 Nix Road , Malvern.Memorials may be made to Reyburn Creek Missionary Baptist Church .

Online condolences may be sent via jafunkfuneralhome.

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