A Celebration of Life Service was held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service in Grenada for Mr. Sayles Allen Martin Jr., 87, of Grenada, who died on Friday, Oct. 11, in Humboldt, Tenn. Burial followed in Woodlawn Memorial Park. Bro. Danny Aldridge officiated. Aubrey Brannom, Samuel Walgren, Josh Simmons, Mike Lawrence, Reid Stanford, Erma Lee Steed and Johnny Caldwell delivered personal eulogies, while Bobby Alford, Dusty Rainey, Dot Proctor, Sheila Barfield, Jimmy Hamilton and Carl Clark provided musical arrangements. The family received friends from noon until service time on Saturday, Oct. 19, at McKibben and Guinn.
Sayles, known as “Buster” to his family and “Bushy” to many of his friends, was born on April 30, 1937, in Scobey, the son of the late Sayles Allen Sr. and the late Ruth Elizabeth Jackson Martin. He was a graduate of John Rundle High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Mississippi State University. While at Mississippi State, Sayles played on the basketball team and was proud to have played on the same team with Bailey Howell. He also honorably served in the Mississippi Army National Guard from 1960 to 1966.
Mr. Martin enjoyed a long, successful career that spanned more than 38 years as an industrial engineer. He started his career with Lyon and remained at the same location as the business evolved to Rockwell International, Randall Textron and ultimately retiring with Textron. A man deeply committed to his faith in Jesus Christ, Sayles was a member and deacon at Hardy Baptist Church. An accomplished musician, he could play almost any instrument he touched. He was particularly proficient in playing the fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin and piano. Sayles was in a rock-n-roll band in the 1950s called the Hi-Fi’s and they were booked solid for two years with Neal Wrenn as their leader. In the 1990s, he rejoined forces with Mr. Wrenn and others to comprise the Good Times Express. They entertained all over with funny humor and good music.
Sayles found great enjoyment in growing a tremendous vegetable garden each year and found even greater pleasure with sharing his harvest with family and friends. He was married to the love of his life, Sylvia Harvey Martin, for 55 years, during which they enjoyed these hobbies together. Throughout his life, he was a happy man, a complete joy to be around, a friend to all who knew him and a stranger to none. This world will have a hole in it without him, but we pray that the hole will be filled with all of his love that he selflessly gave unconditionally to everyone he met. May all of the beautiful music that he blessed us with leave a song forever in our hearts.
In addition to his parents; his wife, Sylvia Harvey Martin; one daughter, Kimberly Shea Martin, and one brother, John Martin, welcomed Sayles into Heaven.
Survivors include, his devoted daughter, DeLynn Walgren (Craig) of Milan, Tenn.; one brother, George Martin (Barbara) of New Albany; three beloved grandchildren, Aubrey Brannom (Payton) of Milan, Tenn., Maggie Walgren of Milan, Tenn., and Samuel Walgren (Erin) of Guthrie, Okla.; one great grandchild, Lynella Ruth Brannom, and a host of nieces and nephews.
Samuel Walgren, Payton Brannom, Johnny Caldwell, Michael Culp, Bill Haltom, Larry Harvey Jr., Mike Lawrence, Harry Lott Jr., Chris Martin, Tracy Martin, Josh Simmons, Reid Stanford, Norris Taylor, Scott Taylor and Stanford Taylor honored Sayles by serving as pallbearers and carried him to rest in the Woodlawn Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to Hardy Baptist Church in Grenada.
Online condolences can be expressed to the family at www.mckibbenandguinn.com
McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service in was in charge of arrangements.
