November 6, 1935-December 14, 2025
Dr. Martha Ann Rolingson, age 90, died December 14, 2025 in Galveston County, Texas.
Martha Ann was born in Wichita, Kansas to William Robert Rolingson, Jr. and Mabel Grace Rolingson. The family lived in several Kansas and Oklahoma towns before moving to Denver, Colorado in 1946. She graduated from South High School, Denver, and from the University of Denver. She earned advanced degrees in anthropological archaeology at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and she taught at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Rolingson worked most of her career with the University of Arkansas’ Arkansas Archeological Survey in various positions. She was research archeologist at Toltec Mounds State Park near Little Rock, 1976 to 2005.
Martha Ann moved to Alvin, Texas in 2006. She was active in First United Methodist Church, Alvin, and did volunteer work with the Alvin Library League. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Margaret Rolingson and nieces Beth Besson and Roxane Rolingson.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas for melanoma research at www.mdanderson.org or to Alvin Library League, P.O. Box 1524, Alvin, TX 77512.
4 thoughts on “Dr. Martha Ann Rolingson”
We love you Martha!
Martha Ann became my aunt at age 16 in Denver where we both lived for the early years of my childhood. I moved to Texas with my parents and she went off to various colleges. As a teen and for the rest of my life, I was in awe of her achievements. She was a part of a small cohort of women archaeologists who broke the glass ceiling for the women who followed after. She published books and books were written about her. She worked for many years at the Toltec Mound archaeological site. The name of the site was erroneous, applied because the mounds reminded those who later “discovered” them of the pyramids in Mexico. It was the Plum Bayou people she studied. Although, ironically, artifacts from trade with groups in Central or South America did turn up in her research.
Martha moved to Texas to live near her family for the past 20 years. I am grateful that I was able to have a close relationship with her, an aunt I loved and admired. She was my “Aunty M.”
We were honored to have made her acquaintance. We will miss Martha.
I first met Martha in 1990 at the Arkansas Archeological society annual training program held at Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park (now Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park). She was very welcoming to an archeologist new to Arkansas. A long professional and personal friendship developed with Martha and 3 other women involved in the Archeological profession spanning those intervening years and extending beyond her retirement .Martha was greatly respected and admired for her scholarship and professionalism. Her research contributions to Arkansas prehistory are legendary. She was a true inspiration, but also a good friend with a wonderfully wicked sense of humor. I am deeply saddened to lose such dear friend but so privileged to have been among the many she included in her circle of friends. She will be missed by many.
Rest in peace, dear Martha.