FRANKLIN - Martha Carpenter Crawford, 84, passed peacefully Jan. 24, 2022, into the comfort of her Savior’s Eternity. She was surrounded by the warmth of love from her husband and three surviving children, Kim, Allen and Mandi.
A private family service was held Saturday, Jan. 29. A celebration of life will be held in the springtime.
Martha was born Sept. 3, 1937, in Augusta, Georgia, to the late Jiles Porter Carpenter and Angie Gibson Carpenter. She was predeceased by her daughter, Pamela Dellinger, and brother, Brooks Carpenter.
Martha graduated from Myers Park High School in Charlotte in 1955. She went on to graduate from Brevard College in 1957, where she met and later married Emory Crawford on Aug. 30, 1958.
They moved to Greensboro where she worked as office manager for Graybar Electric while her husband finished his college degree at Greensboro College. They moved to Franklin where they were active as Methodist youth counselors at Franklin First Methodist. Martha was office manager at Zickgraf Enterprises, Franklin Machine Shop while Emory served as operation manager of Nantahala Lumber Company.
They began their family of four children with Kim, being born in Sylva, then Allen, born in Franklin, and Pam and Mandi, born in Winston-Salem, where the family had moved in 1963. They continued being active in youth ministry at Ardmore Methodist Church.
Martha and Emory founded Builders Harbor, Inc. in 1969. They were active in bringing the family-oriented Ace Hardware brand to Sherwood’s Ace Hardware in Winston-Salem in 1974, Ace Country Hardware in Rural Hall, Macon’s Ace Hardware (a brief partnership with Mac Bryant) in Franklin, and Beechtree’s Ace Hardware in Davie County. They continued their love of youth ministry at Oak Grove UMC when they moved to Davie County in 1970.
Martha retired from Sherwood’s Ace Hardware with the acclamation of being “Mother Hen” to the loving employees. Her plethora of friends and dedicated customers will remember her gentle, caring, unassuming personality shared, so graciously, with all she met. Martha was a warm, loving, compassionate, empathetic, family-oriented wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
She is survived by her husband, Emory Crawford; daughter, Kim (Lynn), her children Mathew (Jenny) and Sloan; son, Allen (Rene), his children Sydney (Brandon), and, Kloi (Buddy); son-in-law, Mark, his children Travis (Megan) and Nikki (Andrew); daughter, Mandi (Dennis) her children Dalton (Katherine), Jenna, and Carson; great-grandchildren, Jolene “JoJo,” Avery, Ripley, Emersyn, Addyson, Lacey, and Crawford; nephews, Mitchell (Starr) and Michael; the James and Martha Gibson families; and the Crawford families.
Martha’s faith in God, and His messenger, Jesus Christ, has strengthened all who were within her realm of influence, throughout her life.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations of love be made to Trellis Supportive Care of Winston-Salem Hospice, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC, 27103 or the Shriners Hospitals for Children, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL, 33607.