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Martha (JOHNSON) Bottom
Martha (Johnson) Bottom was born near Lick Creek in
Union County, Ill. January 27, 1871 and passed away at West Plains,
Missouri March 27, 1958, aged 87 years and two months.
Most of her girlhood was spent on the family farm
west of Goreville, Illinois. On October 12, 1898 she was
united in marriage to N. E. Bottom. Immediately after her
marriage she left with her husband for Nebraska where all of her
children were born. To this union six children were born, all
of whom survive. They are Myron Curtis, Knoxville, Tenn;
Merrill Drumond, Marion, Ill.; Mrs. Merida Oliver, West Plains, Mo;
Morris Ernest, Independence, Mo; Mrs. Mildred Honeycutt, Knoxville,
Tenn; and Milton Fletcher, Elco, Ill.
She is also survived by four daughters-in-law, two
sons-in-law, 13 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren; one brother, B.
F. Johnson, Goreville, Ill., two sisters, Mrs. Sarah Roberts, Makanda,
Ill. and Mrs. Jennie Jones, Terry, Montana; and two nieces.
She endured the hardships of pioneer life in
Nebraska as the wife of a small town editor and minister of the
Gospel. She was converted at an early age and while rearing
her family, Sunday morning was always a busy time hustling the children
to Sunday School and then getting ready for church services.
She lost her husband in 1928 and much of her time
from then until failing health caused her to rest, was spent in helping
care for her older brother and sisters. Her greatest joy was
in the study of the Bible and she loved to talk of the scriptures and
their promises. Her admonition to all of her children every
time she saw them was to "be good." Even during the last days
of her illness, she talked about the scriptures to other patents in the
hospital and told them she was ready to go. Thus ends the
life of Martha Johnson Bottom.
Truly a good woman has gone to her reward.
Funeral services were held at the McCarty Funeral
Home in Anna, conducted by the Rev. Eugene Black, pastor of Aldersgate
Methodist Church, Marion, Ill., assisted by John Ritchey, pastor of the
Elco Methodist Church. Interment was in Ebenezer Cemetery
near Lick Creek.
Pallbearers were Ivan Wilson, Lowell Corbit, Vern
Gurley, Ralph Gurley, Leroy Roberts and Cleve Bullock, all of near Lick
Creek.
Contributed by: Granddaughter Anna Bottom Newell |
