Thelma A. Ring

Thelma Adyle Martin Ring, age 82, passed away February 6, 2025. 

Born January 7, 1943 at Nashville’s Vanderbilt Hospital to Eva Tennessee Harper Martin and Archie Lee Martin, Sr., Thelma lived her earliest years in Franklin, TN along with her five siblings. 

 In 1956, at age 13 and after a family move to neighboring town of Spring Hill, new transfer student Thelma walked into her Spring Hill School classroom where Johnny Ring, also 13, realized he had just met the girl he wanted to marry. 

Johnny and Thelma were engaged at 16, married at 18, and remained devoted to one another during their 63 years of marriage. 

 Thelma was a wonderful mother to the late Louise Ring Maynard (Bruce) and surviving Lissa Ring McHugh. She was beloved Memommy to grandchildren John McHugh and Keeley McHugh, and Grandmother to twins Tabitha and Timothy Maynard. 

 Thelma remained close friends with her five siblings all their living days and was preceded in death by brothers Archie Lee Martin Sr. (Anna) and Alfred Martin (Harriett) and sisters Azilee “Toby” Smith (Glyn) and Dorothy McIntosh (Ted). Surviving younger brother is Dorris Martin. 

 Thelma was a hardworking farmer’s wife, a great country cook (her biscuits and gravy a family favorite), a blue ribbon seamstress, and a beautiful soprano singer who loved hymns and anything Elvis. 

 She enjoyed reading, learning, teaching and was community minded. In 1970 she formed and led Spring Hill’s first interracial Girl Scout troop. A few years later, she joined friends in transforming The Freedmen School into Spring Hill’s first community library. Over the years she taught thousands of youth about farm life during school field trips to Ring Farm. Her love of history and exploration led to her and Johnny touring every state in the US and traveling to Europe, with Italy and Hawaii being her favorite destinations. 

 Thelma enjoyed hosting family and friends in her home, and for more than 20 years she and Johnny opened their Ring Farm to the community for camping, cookouts, weddings, cross country meets, field trips, and fall fun with corn mazes & wagon rides. 

 She was an animal lover, and her most recent pets included llamas, goats, sheep, two donkeys, a miniature horse, Pinky the pig, and Spunky the cat. 

 Thelma was a member of the Church of Christ and lived out a life of faith and service to others. 

 The family gives special thanks to caregivers at The Lantern at Morning Point Franklin and to Thelma’s devoted friend for 50 years, Gayle Alley.

The family will be receiving friends and visitors at Spring Hill Memorial Funeral Home on Monday, February 10, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM, with one hour of visitation prior. To follow, Thelma will be laid to rest next to her husband in the Memory Hill Garden in Spring Hill Memorial Park.

The care of Ms. Thelma Adyle Ring and family has been entrusted to the staff of Spring Hill Memorial Funeral Home. To share words of comfort and condolences, please visit www.springhill-memorial.com