Obituary

Martha Smith Reyer Knight

March 16, 1943  -  January 4, 2026

Martha Smith Reyer Knight, age 82, formerly of Poplarville, MS and Bogalusa, LA, left this life on Sunday, January 4, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. Visitation will be Saturday, January 10, 2026 from 10 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. at Serenity Missionary Baptist Church in Poplarville with services immediately following at 1:30 p.m. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

In her lifetime she was a loving and devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, and friend. She was a faithful member of Love Baptist Church. She loved serving her Savior, Jesus Christ, as a pastor’s wife and by witnessing to those who didn’t know Him and leading them to Jesus. In addition to loving Jesus, she loved her family and friends deeply. She lived her life showing that love to others in countless ways (there are numerous testimonies of her eating food off children’s plates, so they could have dessert or be excused from the table). She worked for Poplarville School District as a cafeteria worker and school bus driver. She was “Mawmaw” to many students, as well as to her family. She also worked as activity director for Poplarville Nursing Home and was an “Outstanding 4-H Volunteer”. She is loved by and has touched many people in her lifetime. She will be greatly missed.

She was preceded in death by her birth parents, Paul Smith and Edith Malley Smith; her adopted parents, Elder Hubert Tynes and Edith Tynes; her first husband, Alton L. Reyer; her second husband, Elder Lavelle Knight; seven siblings, Tommy Smith, Lavelle Smith, Faye Skipper, Alice Pullen Jones, Jerry Ann Seals, George H. Byrd, and Billy Earl Tynes; and two infant sons, James Sydney Reyer and Alton Leo Reyer, Jr.

She is survived by seven children, Connie (Gary) Darden, Ginger (Kevin) Eavenson, William (Kristy) Reyer, Kathy (Greg) McKenzie, Wanda (Doug) Freeman, Naomi McCormick, and Percy (Michelle) Knight; 18 grandchildren, Missi (LaWayne) King, Alton James “AJ” Odom, Lacey (Keith) Edwards, Brandee Darden, Abby Eavenson, Amanda Eavenson, Shelby (Andrew) Purser, Shelly (Patrick) Sharff, Sherry (Kole) Davis, Mike (Stephanie) Carroll, Stephen (Stephanie) McKenzie, Jason (Ashlea) McKenzie, Becky (Tony) Mount, Chris (Blake) Hunt, Shelly (Connor) Sullivan, Payton Knight, Caroline Knight, and Azure Dunham; 23 great grandchildren, Naomi Odom, Aliyah Dunham, Raelee Dunham, Sawyer Eavenson, Alex Eavenson, Ashleigh Eavenson, Brogan Purser, Harrison Eavenson, Declan Edwards, Liam Sharff (due in May), Drake Carroll, Maddye McKenzie, Tanner Mount, Landon Hunt, Nate McKenzie, Analyn McKenzie, Silas McKenzie, Cooper Hunt, Hensley McKenzie, Shepherd McKenzie, Aria Sullivan, and Millie Sullivan; one sister, Rose “Rosie” Brown; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express our sincerest thanks to her team of doctors and their staffs, the hospital staff, home health workers, and hospice workers who have cared for her through the years and have become family.