Martha Lyn Hooper Reno

Martha Lyn Hooper Reno, 76, passed away Wednesday, June 23, 2021 in a Chattanooga Hospital. She was born to Earl and Billie Jenkins Hooper in Georgetown, in 1944.  She was their miracle child, and her grandpa and grandma Walter and Annie Cofer Jenkins proclaimed her to be the “most beautiful baby in the world”, and invited people outside of Speck Hospital in Cleveland to come and see her.  Martha gave her heart to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ when she was a young child at East View Methodist Church.  She was baptized by immersion in an outdoor ceremony close to the Hiwassee River.  A Baptist church was baptizing close by and the same time.  Later, with her husband Harold Reno, she joined North Cleveland Baptist Church and was baptized again.  The reverend Byler explained that her first baptism was acceptable, but there might be some members at North Cleveland who would question it.  So, she agreed to be baptized again.

 In 1964, Martha met Harold Reno at Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, and they fell in love.  They were married on August 27, 1965 at her home church East View Methodist in Meigs County, and Harold’s father, the reverend W.L. Reno, preformed the ceremony.  Martha and Harold were blessed to be married 55 years and able to visit many places. 

Martha was an elementary school teacher at Prospect Elementary in Bradley County from 1966 until 1972.  After she received her Master’s Degree in Library Science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1976 she became a full-time librarian.  At first, she was the part time librarian at Michigan Avenue Elementary, and then full time at Trewhitt Elementary and Hopewell Elementary.  She retired after 30 years in education.

Survivors include her husband Harold Reno; niece and nephew, Diane and Danny Reno; friends, Annette and Rodney Carden, Emily Carden Justice and husband, Blake, Sydney Carden Crago and husband, Andrew.

The funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at Fike-Randolph & Son Funeral Home with the reverend Jimmy Caywood and the reverend David Evans officiating.  Interment will follow in Cofer Cemetery with Poochie Johnson, Ricky Smith, Bill McConnell, Rich Hooper, Sean Szpur, and Danny Nelson serving as pallbearers. 

Her family will receive friends from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. prior to the service on Saturday. 

We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Reno family guestbook at www.fikefh.com.