Martin, Martha

MARTIN

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 16:57:23

Martha Martin

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.531)
MARTHA MARTIN is one of the self-reliant women of Valley Township, who, after the death of her husband, Robert Martin, has successfully carried on the farm and reared her family. Robert Martin was born in County Antrim, Ireland, and was the son of James Martin, who was born at that place, and was a farmer by occupation. He married Susan TAYLOR, and they were the parents of four children: Daniel, James, Robert and Jane. The father lived to the age of eighty-seven years, dying in his native place. Both he and his wife were members of the Presbyterian Church. His son Daniel married and was the father of five children, and also died in County Antrim. The remainder of the children came to America.

Robert MARTIN, a son of the above, and the husband of our subject, was born about 1832, on his father's farm, who had been born, reared and died there. At the age of seventeen, wishing to better his fortune, he came to America, landing at Philadelphia. He learned the trade of ingrain-carpet weaver, at which he worked until about 1860. In 1856 he went to Illinois, and June 3 was married to Martha McBRIDE, of Fulton, Illinois, and the daughter of John and Elizabeth McBRIDE. The father, a Scotch-Irishman, was born in County Antrim, Ireland, and after marriage moved to County Derry, about three miles from where James Martin lived. In 1842 he came to America, settling at Philadelphia, where he worked at his trade of weaver, which he had learned in Scotland. He died in Philadelphia about three years after his arrival. Mr. and Mrs. McBride were the parents of five children: Isabel, Mary J., William, Ellen and Martha. The mother also died in Philadelphia, previous to her husband's death, and they were both members of the Presbyterian Church, in which the father was an Elder and a devout Christian.
Martha was a little girl of about six years when her parents died, and she was brought up in Philadelphia by a married sister, Mary J. THOMPSON, wife of Daniel Thompson, who moved to Fulton County, Illinois, where she lived three years, until her marriage to Robert MARTIN. They then returned to Philadelphia, remaining until 1862, when they settled on a farm in Ontario, Canada, remaining until 1871, and in that year they came to their present home. When they settled here it was wild land, and they first lived in tents, but by industry and economy this faithful pioneer couple converted their farm into fine, fertile land, and to which they have added until Mrs. Martin now owns 160 acres in her own right, and her sons have 240 acres more, making in all 400 acres of splendid farm land. January 16, 1880, Mr. Martin died, since which time his widow has carried on the farm and brought up her family. She possesses good business ability and is an excellent manager. She is the mother of seven children, viz.: Mary J., deceased in infancy; Ella J., also deceased in infancy; William J., of Hancock, was married to Margaret J. DOOL, and they have one child; Robert J. was married to Louisa E. BAIR; Daniel T. married Mina BRITTON; Annie E. married Albert PETERSON, this county, and Emma M. Both Mr. and Mrs. Martin were members of the Presbyterian Church, and the former assisted in organizing the Knox Presbyterian Church, in which he was an elder until his death. In his political views he was a Republican, and he had an honest ambition to have his family in comfortable circumstances, and to grow up good, moral and industrious men and women, with Christian principles. He was a kind father and loving husband, and his descendants may well revere his memory. Mrs. Martin has, in a measure, since his death filled his place, and has instilled in her children the same principles of truth and honesty.