Memories of Martha Evaline Wilson Forrester

The following statements are stories that I have gleaned from others who had memories told to them or they personally witnessed about our ancestor, Grandma Martha Forrester.

Callie Hash Parks, daughter of Aunt Lelia Bina Wilson Hash remembered hearing her mother talk about going over to see her mother, Martha. Aunt Lelia lived in close proximity and visited her often. This one particular day, Andrew Forrester (Lelia's stepfather) had gone to North Carolina with a girlfriend, Lela Grubb Christian, who became his second wife (in 1903, before Martha died in 1904!!!!!!). When he returned Martha had gone out to the barn and saw Andrew's horse. On the saddle was Lela Grubb's umbrella. Martha picked it up the best she could in her weakened condition and said to her daughter Lelia Hash, "If I had enough strength I would rip it up." Poor Martha must have been rather debilitated by her cancer by this time.

Cousin Mickie Evans said Granny Callie Anderson talked about her mother Martha Forrester having a hard life. With what she endured you know she must have.

Mamie Milam Graybeal, youngest daughter of Aunt Luna, said that when she was a small child her mother had a trunk at their old homeplace. Inside of the trunk were a bonnet and some dresses that belonged to Grandma Martha. Mamie said that she and her siblings were afraid of the trunk, because the clothes inside belonged to a dead person. Tragically, the trunk burned in a fire when the Milam homeplace burned down in the 1930s.

Aunt Geraldine Forrester Leonard told me that her mother Lela Grubb Christian Forrester helped take care of Martha while she was ill and then cleaned her body and laid it out to prepare for burial.

Louise Forrester March stated that she remembered Lela Grubb Forrester spoke of Martha sitting in her rocking chair a lot by the fireplace when she was ill.

Margaret Wilson Duncan, Uncle John Wilson's daughter, told me she remembered seeing Martha standing in her father's yard when Martha still lived in NC. She also remembered making a trip to Grayson County, VA with Uncle John and Aunt Rebecca to see her Aunt Matt before she died.

Cousin Sandy Gentry told me she recalled Granny Callie Forrester Anderson telling her about Grandma Martha making some corn pones for a man for breakfast. She seemed to think Granny implied the land was not owned by the Forresters but by this other man. Grandpa Andrew Forrester had left her by this time.

Some children of Uncle Luther Forrester stated that their Aunt Gincy Wheatley Anderson remembered seeing Martha sitting near the fireplace hanging her undergarments to dry. She bled a lot (I am thinking due to ovarian or uterine cancer) and had to constantly wash out the blood.

Cousin Mamie Forrester Gum said her father, Uncle William Clinton Forrester, told her two things about his mother Martha. "She was very strict and thought children should be raised a certain way to grow up right. However, she wasn't mean. If my mother was alive and she asked you to do something you did it right away."

My mother and her mother both told about Granny Callie Anderson as a young girl standing on a chair to roll out biscuits for her mother who was very sick at the time.

Aunt Frances "Frankie" Wilson Osborne recorded that her sister Martha Forrester was one of the deceased sisters unable to attend the Wilson Reunion on 18 August 1918. Sometime later there was another reunion, and she once again remembered her sister's absence by name.

Finally, Uncle Wayne Forrester, Lela Grubb Forrester's son by Andrew, stated that he was told that Martha was kind of fussy and thought things should be done her way. Andrew thought she was too demanding and too sickly to remain with her. She was after all nine years older than he. Also, Martha may have been like her mother Caroline Greer Wilson, who was known as being very contrary.