Marty told me last Sunday, “My level of pain is about a 10.” When I stopped by, he didn’t sugarcoat it. I could feel how heavy the week had been for him.
After church, Brenda—my mother-in-law—made him a full to-go plate: mashed potatoes, broccoli, corn, macaroni and cheese, rolls, and topped with a big pork chop. Maybe that simple to-go plate can bring him some temporary relief from the pain.
Marty has had a tough row to hoe after his car accident. But he’s not alone, and he’s still fighting. The old adage “Cowboy Up” comes to mind.
Marty’s Passion for History
History isn’t only found in dusty, leather-bound volumes or behind the glass of big-city museums. In Smyrna, it lives in memories, in old structures, and in the tall—but true—stories passed down by people who refuse to let the past fade away.
Longtime Rutherford County insurance agent and prominent community member Marty Luffman crosses the finish line of the Smyrna’s Top Gun Night Run 6K on Sept. 20 using his walker and support from Judge Brittany Stevens (left). Luffman was severely injured in a 2021 car crash and traveled most of the racecourse in an electric wheelchair. DAN EPRIGHT
At the center of that effort stands Marty Luffman.
As a historian, Marty doesn’t just study history from a quiet distance; he has lived it, breathed it, and worked to bring awareness to the importance of history.
Edmund Burke once said, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”
Preserving local history in a rapidly growing town like Smyrna isn’t an easy task. Old landmarks yield to new developments, family farms turn into subdivisions, and the stories that once echoed across front porches risk getting lost in the noise of today’s modern life.
That’s where Marty has ‘Cowboyed Up.’ Whether he’s given talks, helped unearth forgotten details about Rutherford County, Smyrna and La Vergne’s past, or leading efforts at local historical sites, Marty brings a steady, workhorse work ethic to the job. “Cowboy Up” isn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s the mindset required to dig through archives and champion local preservation when it would be far easier to let things slide into memory.
Marty Luffman stands with Smyrna and Old Jefferson Historian Toby Francis at the road naming honor ing Rutherford County Historian Ernie Johns. The event was held in the Gilsville Parking lot. Sadly, Ernie fell just days before the road naming surprise breaking his hip and going into a nursing home.
My favorite scripture is found in Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.” In fact I liked it so much that is was my state license plate.
I’d like to ask for 100 folks to pray for Marty. My prayer each morning is that he will regain his ability to walk again.
