Obituaries
Martha L. Van Arsdale
Naomi Offord
December 7, 1933 - January 16, 2012
1919-2012
S
ervices for Naomi
Offord were held Jan.
27 at New Direction Com-
munity Church.
She was born on Aug.
23, 1919, in Paris, Texas,
to Preston and Sarah Bald-
win, the second child from
this union that eventually
grew to be thirteen chil-
dren.
Most of her youth was
spent in Paris, where she
met a young man named
Johnnie Offord whom she
married and they moved to
Portland, Ore., and had
four children.
Naomi was a devoted
mother
who
worked
domestic jobs throughout
her life but her main pur-
pose was raising her
children.
Offord resided in the same home for over 51 years. She was well
respected and cared for throughout the whole community.
Offord is survived by two daughters: Linda Offord and Ruby & Hus-
band Thomas Reid; Grandchildren: James & wife Letitia Perry, John &
wife Annie Perry, Lowell Jackson, Brandy & Husband Aaron Foreman,
Preston Reid, Jason Reid, Teressa Hartley and Arianna Reid; Great
grandchildren: Johnae Perry, John Perry Jr., Jamaal Perry, Jasmine
Perry, Chantanay Perry, Cherisse Perry, Xavier Perry, Duvante Perry,
Anthony Perry, James Perry, LaShanda Perry, Lavascia Jackson, Ange-
lo Jackson, Johnette Jackson; Great-great grandchildren: Danaya,
Jamaal PerryJr., Neamia Perry, Samia Perry; Sisters: Charlene James
and Virginia Crockett; Brothers: Charles Baldwin and Robert Baldwin;
and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
M
artha Lea Van Arsdale passed away in her home,
with family by her side on Jan. 16, 2012. She was
born on Dec. 7, 1933 in Camden, Miss., to Drew and
Lula Bell Van Arsdale. She was one of a family of thir-
teen.
Martha married Herbert Hoover Oliver when she was
just 16 and in 1952 they moved to Portland, Ore., to start
a better life. Herbert had just gotten a position with Pacif-
ic Railroad. They had six children together. After getting
divorced, Martha met the love of her life, Jimmy Lock-
hart and they had two children.
Martha worked as a teacher’s aide for the Portland Pub-
lic Schools. She was also a foster parent, taking care of
more than 15 children over the years. She had been a
member of Sharon Seventh Day Adventist Church since
the 50’s, she liked to fish, cook and enjoyed traveling,
visiting family back in Mississippi and Texas, going to
Canada often and she had also been to St. Thomas ,Vir-
gin Islands which left her speechless.
Martha is survived by her daughters, Balinda Beltran
(Alejandro), Beverly Stone Miller (Lee) both of Vancou-
ver, WA; Diane Birgman of Portland; her sons John Olive
(Gloria) of Vancouver, WA, Herbert Olive (Darlene) of
Portland, OR and Brian Lockhart (Rachel) of Covington,
WA; three stepchildren, Florentino Beltran, Ruby Beltran
and Eddie Beltran. She also has 21 grandchildren, 24
great grandchildren and 7 great-great grandchildren.
Preceding Martha in death is her son, Bobby Lewis
Olive (Bobo) who, in 1985, was shot and became Ore-
gon’s first heart donor; her daughter Lorraine Marie
Olive in 1997 and her first husband Herbert Olive in 1990.
It is the family’s wish that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Donate Life Northwest: PO
Box 532, Portland, OR 97207, 1-800-452-1369,
www.donatelifenw.org
A memorial service for Martha was held Jan. 22, 2012, at Sharon Seventh Day Adventist
Church. Arrangements under the direction of Davies Cremation & Burial Services, Vancouver,
WA.
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February 8, 2012 The Portland Skanner Page 13