Obituary of Martha Dupree Akins
March 16 1940- March 4th 2019
Martha was born in Dallas Texas to parents Frank Weldon Dupree and Florence Elizabeth Dupree who lived in Oak Cliff, Texas. She was hospitalized at an early age with osteomyelitis in her right arm. Her right arm was severely affected, however, she never let that hold her back from doing anything. She was an active child enjoying roller skating at Fair Park with friends and taking care of the Critters that she and her brother Bob would find.. She loved helping her father tend his back yard gardens Her family relocated to Abilene Texas in 1953. Frank worked as a traveling salesman for the Huey-Philp Hardware company. That move was traumatic for a young girl who was used to the greenery of Oak Cliff, when she arrived in Abilene and found it was almost a desert. She and her family attended the First Methodist Church. In 1955 she was invited to attend a Christmas caroling at church hayride sponsored by the Temple Baptist Church in Abilene. It was on that ride that she met her future husband Neal. They began dating in 1956 and were married and 1958 after they each graduated from their respective schools. She attended Abilene High School and he attended Hardin-Simmons University. He went into the army through the ROTC program. She traveled with him to Fort Benning Georgia and then to his first assignment in the Army at Fort Ord California. Their son Mark was born at Fort Ord . After his discharge they relocated to Odessa Texas. It was at Odessa that twins Laurie and Jeff , and Susanwere born. In 1964 they moved to Midland Texas and in 1970 to Denver Colorado. In 1971 they relocated to their present home in North Richland Hills Texas. Martha started a ceramic business with three kilns in the garage and finished Ceramics in the kitchen. She worked at her business for almost 5 years. Later she worked at Classic Cleaners where she made many friends among the customers and met her best friend Susan Thomas and Gene Thomas. Her greatest joy was being able to hold her Great grand children.Martha and Carol became sisters of the Heart. Martha was not afraid to face whatever came her way all those years with her family by her side. She will be missed, but we know she is with the Lord forever. She will be in our hearts and Memories Forever. She passed away shortly before her 79th birthday. She and Neal celebrated their 60th anniversary in September 2018, Their love for each other was remarkable and it was a sustaining force which kept their family together through many stressful times. She never let her illnesses affect her love for her family. She loved springtime and her blooming flowers. She was preceded in death by : Frank and Florence Dupree. She is survived by her husband Ronald Neal Akins and children; Wendell Mark Akins, Jeffrey Alan Akins,Laurie Lynn Sherwin, Susan Rene Crouch; Grand children: Benjamin Sherwin and wife Deborah Sherwin, Michael Sherwin and wife Allison Sherwin, Austin Crouch and wife Megan Crouch, Macie Elizabeth Crouch and Jeremy Brown; Great Grand children: Aeden Sherwin, Violet Rose Brown, Oren Stuart Sherwin; Brother; Bob Weldon Dupree and wife Carol Dupree, and their children; Kevin Dupree and his wife Sandy Dupree, Kerri Hamilton and her husband Paul Hamilton; Cousins: Robert Dupree; Gerald Dupree, Louis Dupree. Benny Dupree, and Sylvia Campbell. She always enjoyed being around her cousins and aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews and her family. She was overjoyed to be with her great-grandchildren.
