Fayette lost one of its most beloved citizens last week. Martha Rogers Holman passed away on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, at the age of 95.

Martha was born in Jefferson City in 1925 but lived the majority of her life in Fayette. The daughter of D. C. Rogers, former Mayor of Fayette, she grew up in Fayette with her four siblings.

Martha went on to attend Central Methodist College, graduating in 1947. During her college career, she was a drum major for the Eagle marching band, an honor student, and was crowned Homecoming Queen. She belonged to Pi Kappa Theta social sorority and Phi Beta Fraternity for the Creative and Performing Arts, and served as the alumna adviser for Tau Chapter. In addition, she belonged to the writing group for women, Scrawlers (later Scribblers and Scrawlers).

She majored in mathematics, received the Demaree Prize as the highest academic student as a freshman, was recognized Who’s Who Among College Students, and graduated cum laude.

She would later earn a Master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Kansas.

Martha’s time away from Fayette was spent in various places around the world. Following college she toured Europe. She also lived in California, Texas, and Kansas while married to her first husband, Bob Bricker.

Once back in Fayette, Martha married an old college friend, Lt. Col. Bill Holman, in 1986. The two were inseparable ever since and were pillars of the community for decades. Together they traveled the world and became staunch supporters of everything Central Methodist, especially basketball.

“Bill and Martha had been supporters of the team going on almost my entire time at Central,” said CMU men’s basketball coach Jeff Sherman, who is now in his 36th year as head coach.

Bill and Martha were court-side at just about every basketball game, at home or away. And they were hard to miss, especially Bill with his large white megaphone.

But the Holmans were more than just Eagle fans. They helped look after the players and acted the part of the grandma and grandpa away from home. “If they found a kid was struggling, they would help him out. They were just so amazing to our kids.,” Sherman said.

Over the years Martha served as a surrogate parent on Senior Nights for probably a dozen players whose parents were unable to attend. She and Bill attended awards banquets, practices, and other team events. 

When it came time to renovate the locker rooms in Puckett Field House, Bill and Martha chipped in to make it happen. A plaque dedicated to the Holmans rests on the wall outside the locker rooms. It bears an image of the two cheering on the Eagles, Martha with her pom pom and Bill with his megaphone.

“They were just a part of us,” Sherman said. “The Holmans are among the highlights of my career.”

The men’s team would even clean up Bill and Martha’s yard on North Church Street as part of its annual service project.

Lady Eagle basketball coach Mike Davis recalled a story of when both the men’s and women’s teams were both playing in national championships—the men in Idaho, and the women in Illinois. Bill and Martha found a way to attend both tournaments in person, despite a little car trouble along the way. 

Apparently, their car broke down in St. Louis while crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois. Bill got out and pushed the car the rest of the way across while Martha steered. Despite the difficulty, they both laughed about it that night while visiting the team.

“They were two of the nicest people ever,” Davis said. “They were a really good part about Central.”

Sometime in the 1990s, Bill and Martha began handing out Blow Pops to Central players after games. “Only when they win,” Martha once explained. The gesture continued for decades and became a badge of honor for those victories. 

They truly became a part of the program and the players’ lives,” said Davis.

Bill passed away in December 2012. In January of 2013, CMU held its first annual Blow Pop Game. Martha served as an honorary coach for both games. On January 6, the day after Martha passed away, the athletic department handed out Blow Pops at the first home basketball of the new year, and Coach Davis shared a few words with the crowd between games.

Bill’s megaphone is now enshrined in a trophy case at Central bearing the autographs of scores of CMU student-athletes. Each year, one player for each of the men’s and women’s teams receives a scholarship in honor of the Holmans.

Since the news broke of Martha’s passing, Sherman said he has received a slew of private messages from former players who lovingly remember Martha. “It’s a somber time. It’s a tough time. She made us all better.”

The Holmans’ enthusiasm for Central Methodist didn’t end with athletics. They were involved with the funding of at least three different Hall of Sponsors scholarships, the William S. and Martha Rogers-Holman Scholarship, the Daniel C. and Emma Dixon Rogers-Holman Scholarship, and the Rogers-Holman Family Scholarship. Additionally, they supported Central’s academic programs, the annual fund, and the many activities involving the arts on campus.

“Their value can’t be measured,” Davis said. “They can’t be replaced.”

A celebration of Martha’s life is planned in Fayette on June 6, 2021, her 96th birthday. A full obituary appears on Page 3 of this newspaper.