Vicki Martin is a retired Illinois land surveyor who made the move to Arkansas with her husband Kevin 18 Years ago. Being a avid reader, Vicki lost no time introducing herself to the staff of Searcy County Library. She started volunteering at the library and soon became President of the Friends of the Library group.  Having proven herself, she was offered a position working the library circulation desk, then promoted to head of the library genealogy department.  In this capacity, she became intrigued with the 2014 book “Gone to the Grave" By local author Abby Burnett. She became increasingly curious about the lives and deaths of the hill people of Searcy County and the Ozarks. From this love of the people and community came the program "Death and Dying in the Ozarks.

Death and Dying in the Ozarks is a glance back at death around the turn of the century involving religion, rituals, customs and superstitions.  This was a time when death was not just a family loss, but one that the whole community shared in and assisted with.