Martha Louisiana Edmonds

Martha Louisiana Edmonds was born on September 4, 1943, in Sulligent, Alabama. She was the oldest of three children born to Bertha Hollis McGee, and together they were raised in Detroit. Martha met the love of her life, Monzie L. Edmonds, while they were in high school, and they married on December 23, 1960. Their union of over 50 years was blessed with three beautiful daughters; the love she had for her girls meant everything to her.

Martha was a born mama, and not simply in the sense of bearing children. She was a mother in the way she loved every child who crossed her threshold, with a spirit that was protective, comforting, guiding, and deeply loving. She had a way of making children feel safe and held, caring for each one as if they were truly her own.

She and Monzie enjoyed opening their home to family and friends, and Martha was always more than ready to prepare what she would humbly call “a little something,” though everybody else knew it was a feast. With dish after dish made with love, she filled bellies and hearts, nurturing all who sat at her table. Whether it was beans and cornbread or zucchini bread, her food carried warmth, care, and the kind of love you could feel. And when the meal was done, she was often right there insisting that you take something home for later, which most people gladly did.

Martha had a love for card games that ran deep. Blackjack, Canasta, Gin Rummy, Pinochle, Bid Whist, Hand and Foot, Euchre, Poker, Bridge. You name it, she would try it, and she was going to do her very best to master it.

She also loved to travel and see the world with her husband. Later in life, they purchased a home in Arizona, becoming snowbirds, enjoying warm winters in a place they both loved. Martha could find her people anywhere, and it was no different there. Building a community became part of the joy of that season. After her husband’s passing, that same community surrounded her with love as she kept on living, laughing hard, enjoying herself, and partying like a teenager (…and keeping her hair and nails done!)

If you knew Martha, then you knew she was there for the people she knew and loved. Whether she was lending a listening ear, sharing a laugh, or offering a verse of Scripture, she created a safe place where people could come just as they were and know they were welcomed, cared for, regardless of their situation. She wanted to lighten your load, and if she could help in any way, she would do so without hesitation, always thanking God for blessing her with the means to be a blessing to someone else.

Martha’s love for God was evident in the way she lived and in the way she loved. When she said He was the head of her life, she meant it, and the woman she was bore witness to that every day.

Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Monzie Larry Edmonds; her mother, Bertha Hollis McGee; and her youngest brother, Thomas Dewey McGee. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughters, Desiree (Darwin) Terry, Donyale (Kevin) Blount, and Dyanna (David) Socia; and her brother, Robert James McGee. She was a proud and loving grandmother to nine grandchildren and a cherished great-grandmother to nineteen great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends who became family. Martha’s legacy of love, faith, and kindness will live on in all who knew and loved her. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM at UAW Local 1700, 6440 East 14-mile Rd. Warren, MI 48092.