Martha's story, page 2

Let me tell you something about my early life. I was raised in a Christian home. My dad was a Free Will Baptist preacher. He would go preach in North Carolina Mountains and mom, my sister (Louise), my brother (Jimmy), and myself stayed at home in Caroleen, N.C. 

I remember mama carrying me in her arms and my brother and sister walking by her side. Church was an important part of our lives and later, in my teen years, I taught the small children in Sunday school and was voted to be the pianist when I could only play one or two songs. Boy, it was scary! I also began taking care of Aunt Ann’s children, when I was thirteen and a half years old, while she worked. We had some good times and we would have birthday parties for each other.