懷念Martha

打開郵箱，赫然見到瑪莎離世的消息，不禁心裏難過極了，剛剛來美時的往事又一次浮上了心頭。

這一對和藹可親的老夫妻，非常喜歡與中國來的學者們交朋友。他們的家裏常常有中國朋友到訪，我們也去過很多次，夫妻倆總是很有興致地陪著大家聊天。聖誕節去時，他們就專門準備聖誕茶與小點心，並互贈聖誕禮物。老夫妻倆住在一幢兩房一廳的房子裏，剛剛來美時覺得他們的住處非常舒服，很羨慕，沒過上多少年，自己買了房後，覺得他們這樣的房已經有些過於簡易以及偏小了些，眼界又不一樣了，然而對於老夫妻倆崇敬的心情卻始終如一。

老夫妻倆非常仁慈，我們剛剛來時，他們總是體諒到我們的手頭不寬裕，就常常把自己不用的東西送給我們，比如雙人沙發（雖然舊些，質量卻很好），還送長褲，T - 恤等等，雖然我們並不一定缺少這些衣服，然而其心可嘉，感人至深！

已經很多年沒有去看望他們了，電話雖然還常常聯係，畢竟比剛剛來時少聯係了許多，每念及此，心裏總是很覺後悔，也不知為何自己總也沒有抽出些時間去看看他們二老。聊以可慰的是，幾年前曾經專程邀請二老在一家中餐館吃飯，飯後還請二老去我們的新居小坐了一會，當時二老也很高興，畢竟他們是眼看著我們兩手空空地來到阿美麗加的，能有如此新居，也可算是小有成就了。

瑪莎，您好好安息吧，天主的聖殿裏，將會又多了您這樣一位忠實的老者，實是眾人之福，天堂之福，衷心希望您在那裏生活得快樂安康。

From: Robert Sanderson <[e-mail]>>
Date: March 13, 2010 12:21:51 PM CST
Subject: Martha Sanderson obituary

MarthaLavern Masden Sanderson was born March 26, 1925 in Lebanon Junction,Kentucky. She passed away March 12, 2010 at the Pallative Care unit ofUAB.

Martha was predeceased by her parents Sherley Troutman Masden and Carrie Perkins Masden and her brother S. C. Masden.

Survivorsinclude her beloved husband of 61 years Paul E. Sanderson. Alsosurviving are sons Ray, wife Lucia, David, wife Renata and Dr. Robert Sanderson, wife Kim, all living in Birmingham.Three precious grandchildren survive, Lauren and John David Sandersonand Sophia Sanderson, born March 11, 2010. Martha also has twosurviving sisters, Joyce Kunzie of Orange Park, Florida and FayJeffries of Louisville, Kentucky. Several nieces and nephews alsosurvive.

Martha graduated from Campbellsville College and Western Kentucky University. She taught school two years prior to her marriage to Paul and beginning their ministry service.

Marthaand Paul served as Baptist missionaries to Brazil for twenty-two yearswhere they developed a deep and continuing love for the Brazilianpeople.  During their ministry, Martha was very active in the BrazilianBaptist WMU program.  After Martha and Paul returned to the states dueto Martha’s pervasive health problems, Paul served as Pastor of Central Baptist Churchin Talladega.  Following Paul’s retirement from Central Baptist Church,Martha continued in her supportive and active roll in the ministry forGod’s Kingdom.  She and Paul were very active in teaching English as asecond language at Baptist Church of the Covenant, First Baptist Church of Birmingham, and Shades Mountain Baptist Church.  She also played a strong supportive roll in Paul’s interim ministries at Maytown Baptist Church, Tannehill Valley Baptist Church, and as Chaplain of Mount Royal Towers.  Martha and Paul most recently were active members of Berney Points Baptist Church.  Berney Points was their stateside church while on the mission fieldand their home church after retirement.  She also served as surrogatemother and grandmother to many internationals that lived here inBirmingham.  Her home and her heart was always open to those withoutfamily nearby, specially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Services will be performed at Currie-Jefferson Funeral Home Memorial Gardens, 2701 John Hawkins Parkway (Highway 150), Hoover, AL 35244 on Wednesday, March 17, 2010.  Visitation will begin at 12:00 pm with the memorial service celebrating her life following at 2:00 pm.

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