Rose Elizabeth Martin

Rose Elizabeth Johnson Martin, Harrah, OK, age 88, was born on October 15, 1915, in Ardmore, OK. She was the daughter of James T. ?Bose? and Olive Goodman Johnson. She left this life on December 23, 2003, in Midwest City, OK. Elizabeth spent her childhood growing up in the Dougherty and Sulphur area and her loyalty to the area remained strong until her death. She attended Business College in Ada, OK, and furthered her education at Murray State College. After a long courtship she married her high school sweetheart, LeRoy Martin, in Kansas City, Kansas on July 10, 1943. While her husband, LeRoy, served in the Army, she was very active during World War II, also. She worked at various jobs across the nation, from a department store clerk in Miami, Florida and Washington, D.C. to Douglas Aircraft in Midwest City and somehow found time to serve as the elected City Clerk of Sulphur, Oklahoma. After the war, they settled in Del City, Oklahoma and she finished her degree in teaching at Central State College in Edmond and began her long teaching career at Star Spencer Elementary. In 1961, the couple along with their 2 daughters Deborah and Rebecca, moved to Harrah, Oklahoma and joined the First Baptist Church. She continued teaching the 1st grade at Russell Babb Elementary School in Harrah where she remained until retirement in 1976. After retirement, she and LeRoy spent the winters in Port Aransas, Texas where they made many new friends and enjoyed fishing, shelling and going to flea markets. Elizabeth was a lifetime member of the Red Rose Garden Club of Harrah and remained active until her death. She was a member of the Senior Bowling League at the Planet Bowling Alley. She enjoyed going to garage sales, playing Bingo and was an avid OU Sooner and Dallas Cowboy football fan. Elizabeth was a strong and determined woman. According to the odds, most surviving spouses of over 30 years, only live 6 months on the average. She not only lost her husband of 56 years, LeRoy, but shortly after had to bid farewell to her life long friends and sisters-in-law, Virginia Vann and Helen Maroof. She always had a ?can do? attitude and a will to go along with it. As far as she knew there was nothing she couldn?t do. She was insistent of people doing and being the very best. Elizabeth never had a ?casual day?, always dressing to the nines and looking her very best whenever she was out and about. Most people who were fortunate to cross paths with her were amazed to find out her true age. She was often mistaken for being in her mid 60?s, not her late 80?s. Romans 12: 6-10 ?Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly; if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.? Anyone who knew Elizabeth, knew her gift was teaching and she exercised it daily. Her love of children and gift of teaching were perfectly suited for elementary education. Many children passed through her classroom during her 30+ years of teaching and she had a special love for each and everyone of them. She always encouraged people to do and be their very best and practiced what she preached. . . .she never did anything half-way. Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents, ?Bose? and Olive Johnson, two half-brothers, T.W. and Dewey Johnson, one half-sister, Gertrude Cooper and her spouse of 56 years, LeRoy C. Martin. She is survived by a sister/cousin, Elizabeth Davis of Dallas, Texas; two daughters and their husbands, Deborah and Gerald Tomlinson of Tuttle, Rebecca and William Summers of Harrah. She was known as ?MaMaw? to 3 granddaughters and their spouses; Nicole and Bill Brown, Shawnee, Jennifer and Joel Petteys, Lakeside, California, and Allison Tomlinson, Oklahoma City; 1 great-grandson, William Brown, III, whom she got to see turn 1. Numerous nieces and nephews knew her as ?Au