Martin, a beloved sister, mother, grandmother, and aunt, is survived by her sister, Dorothy Hanvey; sister-in-law, Margaret Jean Ballard; daughter, Priscilla Young Brazelton; granddaughter, Elizabeth Brazelton Cayce (Jonathan) and great-grandsons, Nathan and Todd Cayce; daughter-in-law, Erica Kosal, grandson Braxton Young and granddaughter, Annalise Young; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Vester Mandiver Martin, Sr. and Cora McAdams Martin; her sisters, Mattie Katherine “Kay” Ellis and Sarah Gambill; her brother, Vester Mandiver Martin, Jr.; and her son, Jim Young.
Born November 21, 1933, in Anniston, Martin was always quick to point out that the community she and her tight-knit siblings called home was really Oxanna, and that was where their shared sense of sometimes-quirky humor originated. She graduated in 1952 from Anniston High School, where she was a member of the marching band, playing the flute. In her later years, she was active in helping to plan the high school’s “Grand Reunions,” which were attended by any and all who had been out of school 50 years or more.
Her more than 40-year career was spent with Alabama Power Company; she worked in a variety of departments, including on the switchboard, in billing, and as a secretary in the engineering department. It came as no surprise to anyone familiar with her high energy level and commitment to service that she became active with the company retiree group, the Alabama Power Energizers. She also was active over the years with the Anniston Credit Women’s Association, Pilot Club, and AlaBenton Genealogical Society. And, she loved to dance! At parties, in social dance clubs with friends, and especially at wedding receptions, she was ever-vivacious, graceful, and gracious.
Martin was a lifelong Methodist, worshipping at Carpenter United Methodist Church until it closed in 2013, and since then at McCoy United Methodist Church. At Carpenter, she served on the administrative board, taught children’s Sunday school, was a member of the United Methodist women, and was choir director. She lived her faith in service to others, and was well-known in the community for always being willing to help those in need, regularly giving people rides to doctors appointments and the grocery store.
She combined her musical talent, her faith, and her love of family by often playing the flute and singing in church, accompanied by her sister Dorothy on the organ and her brother Mandiver as he sang. She loved family gatherings, in particular Thanksgiving, when her large extended family would gather to give thanks, tell stories, and make music together, including her favorite hymn “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.”
Visitation for Martin will be Sunday, December 29, 2019, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. at Gray Brown-Service Mortuary, 1320 Wilmer Avenue, Anniston, Alabama, 36201. The funeral service will be held Monday, December 30, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. at McCoy United Methodist Church, 2600 Brighton Avenue, Anniston, Alabama, 36207. She will lie in state one hour prior to the service. The Rev. Sheree Elliott will officiate, and Martin’s nephews will serve as pallbearers.
Donations in Martin’s memory may be made to McCoy United Methodist Church or to a favorite charity.
