Martha J. Thomas

Martha was the fourth child born to Willam McKinley and Etta Jane Whitt Royster on January 21, 1925, in Roxboro, North Carolina. She was raised on a farm in the country.

 She received her education from 1st through 7th grade in a one-room school with a teacher who taught all the classes. After completing 7th grade Martha attended Person County High School, where she graduated in 1945.

 After high school, she took a job as a domestic worker for a family in Durham, NC. After working for three years, she relocated to Baltimore, Maryland. 

Martha joined Blue Wing Baptist Church at an early age and attended faithfully until moving to Baltimore. She joined Faith Baptist Church in 1954 where she was a member of the Sunday School, and superintendent for three years, the Helping Hands Ministry where she was president for twenty years, sang on Senior Choir No. 2 and the Mass Choir, and was a member of the Missionary Ministry. Martha was also a lifetime member of the Women’s Convention of Maryland. 

When she arrived in Baltimore, she stayed with her Aunt Elnora Thomas and her family. She was hired by Johns Hopkins Hospital, now Johns Hopkins-Bayview Medical Center, as a Nurse’s Aide and came to love helping sick people. She decided to go to nursing school where she completed a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Training program in 1954. She continued to work as an LPN for 34 years at the old City Hospital before retiring in 1989.

 In July 1949, Martha met a high school friend from home, Roderick Thomas. He became the love of her life, and they married on October 5, 1949. Roderick and Martha were happily married for fifty-seven years until his death from a massive heart attack on December 14, 2006. They loved being together and traveled extensively in the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean Island’s. 

God blessed Martha to celebrate her 100th birthday. She celebrated this milestone with a party given by a group of much-loved nieces and nephews, and a second party given by the staff and her friends at the Weinberg House.

 Martha was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Roderick Thomas, parents William and Etta Royster, and eight sisters and brothers, Roxie (Elisha) Woody, Charlie (Margaret), Rosa Coleman, Mary (James) Smith, Willie (Clinton) Thomas, George (Dorthene), James (Odella), and Mattie Royster. 

She leaves to mourn her passing one sister, Christine Royster; one brother in-law, Rev. James Smith and one sister-in-law, Dorthene Royster; a host of nieces and nephews, two daughters of the heart, Avis Jones and Yvonne Jones; and many, many friends.

 Martha, a well-loved sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, will be truly missed. She always had a smile and a kind word for everyone.