By Marilyn Miller
“It’s crazy…there’s a part of me that feels like I have a bigger responsibility now…that I should do even more to represent my city,” said Jodie Waller Martin, recipient of Minden’s “Woman of the Year” Award for 2026, which is sponsored by the Young Women’s Service Club.
Like Graham Walker, Jodie was almost a no-show (Walker was flying through the night to be home for his son’s birthday the next day). The owner of Geaux Fresh Bistro was catering the Greater Minden Chamber of Commerce Gala VIP Reception. She was actually at the Minden Civic Center that morning setting up for the event when she got a call from her mom. Her stepdad had collapsed and was on his way to the emergency room in Tyler, TX.
“So I said, okay mom, I’ve just got to get this job ready and I’ll come over. And so I went back (to the restaurant). And they all knew. EVERYONE KNEW BUT ME. So I said, ‘Hey ya’ll, I may have to get you set up and then high-tail it to Texas, depending on what’s going on with my stepdad.’ And everybody was just flippin’ out.”
Jodie still didn’t know anything about winning the award, but as it turned out, her stepdad was fine, so she was present when they called her name later that evening and she was “really glad I washed my hair.”
“I had no idea what was happening, and they tell me I have go give a speech. So, I was up there looking around and I said, “God, do you want to help me here?” He obviously did.
About 30 years ago, while she was walking downtown (she worked for the late David Specht, Sr. and the newspaper was located nearby,) She often left work and walked, and this time she got to thinking about Fibrebond Corporation and Claud Walker and how the family owners “poured into their employees.”
Jodie was truly happy that Claud Walker accepted the award of Minden’s “Man of the Year” 2026 on behalf of his son, Graham, right after she received her award.
“Isn’t it amazing how the Lord weaves threads…and back then I had said, man, if I could do something in any capacity like they set up (at Fibrebond) to impact and pour into their employees. I considered it a huge honor and interesting that the Lord would give me an opportunity beside the very people that don’t even know that part of what they did 30 years ago was a foundation for me.”
The only negative part of the night was the absence of Jodie’s father, Mike Waller, who passed away in July of 2025. Jodie’s late father, sisters and brother are the reason Jodie elected to go into business in the Minden area. “They are all entrepreneurs in this area,” she said. Jodie wasn’t born in Minden, but she considers that she’s lived here all of her life.
Nearly 12 years ago, she became an entrepreneur herself, establishing Geaux Fresh, operating out of her own house, catering and making meals to go, using labor from her church. In 2015, she purchased the location of Geaux Fresh Bistro, which formally opened in Nov. 2016. Aside from Fibrebond, 1stKings 17 and 2ndKings 4 inspired her idea for Geaux Fresh. The Lord had already told her that Minden would be her community. A few years later, her restaurant became the “Business” earmarked for a remodel on an episode of HGTV’S “Hometown Kickstart,” which brought a lot of attention to Minden.
In 2018, when one of Jodie’s dear friends, Jordan Gray, came out of Teen Challenge, she wanted to pioneer a transition home for the girls coming out of Teen Challenge. That would become the Generation House, founded by Jordan’s parents, Paul & Ginger Gray, pastors of the Christian Church at Minden.
“As soon as Jordan said that, something went off in me,” Jodie said. The House was walking distance from Geaux Fresh, so she offered any young lady finishing Teen Challenge a job. It was their choice, and most of them took her up on it. It remains staffed like that today. Twenty-four have worked there since 2018. Jordan served as the first director of Generation House, which is directed by Angela Wallace today.
Jodie thought in 2026, she’d be able to step back from some stuff, to put more focus on her family. Her husband, Devin Martin, has a thriving business, Security Pro and 318 High Speed. They’ve been married 26 years, having met when they were both attending Rhema Bible Training College in Oklahoma in the early 2000’s. Jodie is a 1989 graduate of Minden High School.
The couple’s son, Alex, is a Junior at Mississippi State University, double majoring in Political Science & Religious Philosophy. He and his fiancé, Anna Grace Harris, will marry soon. Ava, a Senior at Minden High School, is the youngest. She is captain of the Louisi-Annes, 2025 Homecoming queen, 2025 MHS “Darling,” a Student Council member, and is getting ready to compete in the 2026 Miss Louisiana Teen Pageant in two weeks.
“Work will always be there…boards will always be there, but I only have this small window left for this season,” Jodie said of getting her son married and her daughter graduated and moved into college. “I’ll take a nap in September,” she joked.
Jodie and her family are members of the Christian Church at Minden. She and Devin are both elders. She leads the Sunday morning corporate prayer and helps with hospitality. She works with the Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry project and is on the Board of the Generation House.
Her husband’s interest in cycling soon got Jodie involved, and today one of her favorite things is cycling Caney Lake. Obviously, her family is a major favorite thing. In fact, they spent last weekend replanting all of the flowers from her dad’s funeral service.
Another favorite? She still enjoys walking in downtown Minden.
“I get my inspiration from the Lord on my walks,” she smiles. “He’s the restorer. Love God. Help others. Do our part.” That could absolutely be the motto of the Martin family.