Saturday, January 8, 2011

Martha Jane Carver Jan 3,1941-Jan 7, 2011

 

I remember reading an article about the dash. The one above between the birth and death of a loved one. I knew Martha, I called her Marta, during the dash.

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Musta been 1953, I was wandering around the Church Camp Grounds as Preachers Sons are likely to do in the summer when I spotted a cute black-headed girl sitting in a black 1940 ford Tudor. She looked about my age so, being cool, I had to flirt. I learned she was Martha from a town just 5 miles away called Belmont. I flirted, she flirted, we  had a good time, then some gray headed guy came out of Bible class and she was out of my life. The ford drove off. (Sherry says he was not gray headed, but that is what I saw. I though he was her dad, but he was her brother, Doug, who later became a very good friend.)

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Margaret on the left, Martha on the right!

The next spring, dad announced to the family that he was assigned a church in Belmont, NC. That rung a bell, brought up images of a girl named ‘MARTHA’, now I hated to leave Jim, Bub, Guy, and Peter David. I even hated to leave Betty Carswell, a pretty girl up on the South Mt. who did not know she was my sweetheart. This would be the first move (in 5) that I would know someone who lived where we were moving.

Church service Sunday morning, I looked around the crowd, I did not see that pretty girl with the black hair, BUT I did spy one with blonde hair, Margaret. In a few weeks we were going steady. I got to meet Martha, but by that time it was Margaret. But I did become close friends with Martha. She was sweet. She started Dating Vondale, I started dating Sherry, and for about two years us four were an unseparable group. During that time Buddy came into the picture and started dating Margaret.

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(This is Grace on the left and Doug on the right so maybe he wasn’t gray headed! The baby is Joey)

But Martha was always there and sweet. She had a beautiful mother. Beautiful wavy Gray hair. When I started chalk drawings, she wanted one. She kept it in her living room forever.

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Martha was dedicated to her family, she never married. She held the family together for many years. She had a niece, one named Angel. She loved her as a daughter. They were living together with Nicky, Angel’s son when she passed away. Nicky looked to her as a grandmother. She did her best to hold the remaining parts of her family together.

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Something I love about this picture, I was on Parris Island, that  is Martha walking away, with Sherry looking around her. That ‘49 Ford is about 50’ from where that ‘40 Ford Martha was sitting in when I first saw her, this was taken on the Church Camp Ground) What were they doing there? and who were they with????

Martha suffered from Brown-Lung and was on oxygen the last few years of her life. She told me I was the love of her life, Take that Tucker. That might pay for Margaret saying ‘Buddy was the love of her life’, when I thought I was. Hahahaha!

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Marta sitting at the church entrance. This is about five feet from where I first say Sherry, she was going up these same steps in 1954.

For you young folk, with these three couples there was no sex. You know these boys tried. One of the last conversations I had with Marta, she said, ‘you never did convince us, even using scripture!’ (I used the Song of Solomon to try to convince these girls it was OK! HA!). But we boys knew these were Church Girls and there was gonna be no sex without a wedding band. (That is not judgmental, just a fact in this case.) Boy was it a fact!

I just got this e-mail from Buddy:

“No more pain, nothing but peace.  I remember her smile and how she would laugh at my stupid jokes.  May everyone who loved her have a blessed future.  Bud

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One of my favorite pictures of Martha!

The passing of a friend hurts. It is so hard to realize that they are actually gone. She was Sherry’s best friend. The day we left NC this year, she was the last person Sherry visited. Our Birthday card was probably the last mail she received. We loved that girl.

She was upset because she had allowed herself to gain so much weight. She even considered not coming to our 50th anniversary and dragging the

Oxygen. But my girl assured Martha, ‘YOU ARE MY FRIEND’ of course I want you there.

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This is Sherry, Me and Marta at our 50th. She came! She was with us when we got married at the Justice of the Peace in York, SC and she celebrated our 50th with us. She was a steady friend. One happy guy between two sweet girls.

Rest in Peace our beautiful lady, Martha Jane.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

You just cannot say enough about a FRIEND!

For Marta, Fair winds and following seas, and may you have the rest you so deserve.

13 comments:

~mel said...

May you take comfort in knowing an angel is watching over you.

Jack & Sherry ~ You both have been very blessed to have such great friendships in your lives that have withstood the years of time. It just amazes me some of the photos you post of days gone by ... those alone tell the stories ... and the significance of the people in them to you both.
Cherish the memories!

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

What a beautiful tribute to a dear friend. You will always have her with you as long as those wonderful memories are alive. You both have my sincere sympathy and are in my thoughts and prayers.

shirl72 said...

This is a sweet tribute to Martha. The most
I saw of Martha was when I drove up the street I
would always wave. I had alredy left the nest and started working. I was (boys and work) Martha was a sweet girl. She is now out of pain and resting in peace. Love the pictures brings
back memories seeing her sit on the steps of the Church.

Shirl

Ken Riches said...

Sorry for your loss, glad you had such a long time friend.

Fred Alton said...

It's always a bit sad to lose a friend...but the memories are special. I can so relate to hearing the old fashioned ideas about morality. "Horse, then carriage". You can't have one without the other! Sorry for your loss. But Heaven will be sweeter when we get there because of friends like these. I heard the old song yesterday, done by the Speer family, "What A Meeting That Will Be".

Debbie said...

My deepest heartfelt sympathy to each of you as you journey through sorrow and grief of a loved one. I remember you writing about Martha with fond memories and in this beautiful tribute to her I feel your loss of not only a friend but someone who is family. Yes it hurts and there are no words to comfort with such a tremendous loss. I'm thinking of all of you wish I could somehow take your pain away though I know I can't. Martha lives on in your memories, May She Rest in Peace.

Love & Hugs
Debbie

Jean said...

Beautiful tribute to your friend Martha my deepest sympathy to you, Sherry and Martha's Family. Jean

Helen said...

My condolences to you and Sherry and the family of Martha. You all had a friendship that lasted until the end. May she rest in peace. I know you both are in grief at this time. May God lift that burden. Helen

Rose said...

Words are poor things when we suffer the loss of a good friend. Still I want to convey my desire, however, inadequate, to offer consolation.

Sorry to hear about the loss of your dear friend. You posted some lovely pictures and shared great memories you and Sherry will have to cherish.

Hugs,Rose

Paula said...

Jack and Sherry: My sympathy in the loss of your friend. We went to the funeral in Lytle, Texas today for a man from my old small town neighborhood. They showed a home movie of his life. Lots of memories.

Anonymous said...

My condolences.

Dar said...

I couldn't hold back the tears as I read this glorious tribute to your dear loved friend. You very obviously enriched one anothers lives. There is another star in the sky, as you gaze, you will see her and hold her close forever. God be with you and nurture your torn hearts as you remember every second with Martha/Marta. What wonderful friendships you have had and the pictures are wonderful. God's Peace and Understanding, Sherry and Jack.
LoveYaLikeFamily
BlessYourHearts

Sheila Y said...

You two have been blessed with some wonderful lifelong friends. This entry was a wonderful tribute. Sorry for the loss of your friend, Sheila