Site InformationWelcome to the Family Roots website. This site contains the genealogical information on the Martfeld, Eyl, Bell and Hensley families: The Martfeld and Eyl families of Wilfred M. Martfeld and Inez Merle Eyl Martfeld, (Barbara Martfeld Bell’s parents) of Rogers, Arkansas; the Bell family, (Monty Bell’s paternal family) of Springdale, Arkansas; and the Leta G. Hensley family (Monty’s maternal family) of Springdale, Arkansas. This database consists of at least 315 different family names. Our hope is you may find some of your ancestors in these pages.
The Martfeld/Eyl StoryWilfred Melvin Martfeld and Inez Merle Eyl Story
Bill and Merle, that is Wilfred Melvin Martfeld and Inez Merle Eyl, met in 1939 or 1940 while Bill, our father and hereinafter referred to as dad, was working on a highway construction project in north central Nebraska. Never hearing any romantic storyies from either mom or dad on exactly how they met, when dad was paving highway 20 across Nebraska he probably stayed at the hotel in Merriman with the world famous two story outhouse he used to talk about when we were kids. They married in April 1941 and their first child was born in November. They lived in a trailer following the construction teams as dad moved from one project to another.
Merriman, NE School House September 2006 
Emmet, NE June 2018 Dad was born in the hay country of Emmet, Nebraska on June 9th, 1917 to John S. Martfeld and Josephine M Pruss. John S. sold hay to the US military during World War I.
Mom was born on November 6th, 1914 in Merriman, Nebraska, the daughter of Edward Fredrick Eyl and Evelyn (Eva) Mary Green who ran the drugstore in Merriman.
As a result of World War II, dad joined the Navy Construction Battalion in 1942 and was assigned to the 60th Seabees. He shipped out to the south pacific from Camp Rousseau, Port Hueneme, California on 25 March 1943 and arrived in Brisbane, Australia 25 April. Dad was sent from Brisbane to Woodlark Island (Muyua Island) for duty supporting the war effort against the Japanese. Mom and and son John, moved to Avoca, Arkansas to be near her parents who had retired from their drugstore in Merriman and moved to a better climate.
Dad was discharged from the Navy in St. Louis, Missouri on 14 November 1945 and joined mom in Avoca. They lived the rest of their lives in and around Rogers, Arkansas raising a family that grew to 7 children.
Bill’s WWII Service Memorial page
Bill’s Individual Page
Merle’s Individual PageMom passed away on January 11, 2000; dad joined her once again and finally on July 16, 2001.