of Little Rock, AR

September 15, 1929 - September 27, 2021

Marilyn Mathis Webb Buffalo passed away peacefully on September 27, at the age of 92. She was born on September 15, 1929 as the first child of Horace Wynn Mathis and Mary Eleanor Pope Mathis of Cotton Plant, Arkansas. Marilyn and her brother William ''Bill'' grew up on the family farm before Marilyn left to attend school-first to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, followed by the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where she met her first husband, James V. ''Jimmy'' Webb Jr.

After college, Marilyn and Jimmy settled in England, Arkansas, and upon Jimmy's death in 1967 she dedicated herself to raising their five children on her own. She eventually moved to Little Rock and remarried to Vann Buffalo. Marilyn and Vann retired to Scott, where their home on Old River Lake served as the hub and gathering place for an ever-growing extended family. Marilyn was beloved by her friends and neighbors in Scott and for many years she was a dedicated member of her congregation at All Souls Church.

Over nearly a century of life, Marilyn adapted herself to extraordinary challenges with grace and good cheer. She enjoyed family history and genealogy, and was the repository of a great store of collective memories from its many branches. She took joy in country life and loved to be near birds, flowers, and the lake. Her home was a welcome refuge for those that that walked on four legs as well as on two; Marilyn was the kind of woman who always left food for the kitten on the porch and who always took up the lost dog from the highway. She had a trusting nature, and her door was never locked. It was impossible to pass through it without her gently insisting that you have some coffee, tea, or cocoa. Marilyn's constant warmth and generosity made the world a kinder place for those she loved, and she will be remembered for it.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, brother, first and second husbands, step-daughters, Martha Buffalo Baxter and Sharon Buffalo Bowden, and her grandson, James Steven Webb. She is survived by her five children-Susan Webb Cowling (Dan Cowling), James V. Webb III (Cathy Webb), Hallie Webb Lindsey (Bruce Lindsey), Thomas Barton Mathis Webb, Mary Patricia Davis, and her step-daughter Nance Buffalo Siems, eleven grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, and numerous step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to All Souls Church, 4601 Walkers Corner Rd., Scott, AR 72142, or to a local animal shelter of your choice. A graveside service will be held at Mulberry Cemetery in England on Monday, October 4 at 1030. Arrangements are by Roller-England Funeral Home, 501-842-3939.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller-England Funeral Home
202 Stuttgart Highway
England, AR  72046
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com