Randolph County Georgia - Biography - John W. Martin 1851 - 1939 ********************************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ********************************************************************************************** This file contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Charlene Parker" Sep 2002 John W. Martin, another one of the pioneer preachers of the Bethel Association, was born in the year 1851. His parents were Rev. John Martin and Martha Martin. At the time of his birth his parents lived in Randolph County where they remained until their death and he, too, has resided in this County during all of his life. He was reared in the country and attended the country school, known in that day as "Old Field Schools." He did not have the privilege of a higher education, perhaps his entire schooling would not put him beyond the seventh grade of the grammar school. Yet he was a close observer, diligent in his work. At the age of twenty two years he married Miss Emma Henry of the same County. There were born to them seven children. They lived together for thirty years and then she died. Sometime thereafter he married Mrs. Ada Cannon and by this union two children were born. He began to preach in 1884 and was shortly thereafter ordained. And from that time for forty years he preached almost entirely in the Bethel Association serving mostly country churches and some small town churches. He served the following named churches: Mt. Hebron, Vilulah, Mt. Vernon, Old Bethel, Mt. Ararat, New Hope, Morris, Damascus, Randolph, Friendship, Rehoboth, Elim, Morgan, Dover, Liberty, Sasser, Bronwood, Bluffton; Mt. Hebron, Miller County, Old Benevolence, and Hopeful. He was an energetic and earnest preacher and baptized many people into the churches. Perhaps the general average of his baptism per year amounted to forty, giving him a total number for the entire forty years he preached of sixteen hundred baptisms. During his ministry and life he lived on a farm which he cultivated himself, for a living as most of his churches were unable to pay him much more than his expenses in going and coming to his appointments. He was widely known and greatly beloved by his church and with the people with whom he came in contact, consequently his service were at a great command at funerals and at performing marriage ceremonies. He has indeed been a pioneer preacher within the bounds of the Bethel Association. His work at all times was high class and constructive. He settled many disturbances among his people and sought at all times to lead them in the right direction. About the year 1928 he practically lost his voice and since that time has been unable to preach but he has visited the sick, begged for the poor and officiated the best he could at many funerals and also performed many marriage ceremonies. He is now in his eighty first year and is still cheerful and bright, and greatly interested in the religious progress of his Association and Community. It can be well said of him that he has been an upright and faithful preacher and competent leader of his people for forty years. In this respect he has emulated Moses in leading the chosen people of Israel in their slow progress toward the Promised Land for the forty years of the best part of his life. And this he has done over great difficulties financially and for a lack of proper schooling and education in his young manhood. He has been one of the great preachers of Southwest Georgia. Georgia Death Index Name: John W Martin Death Date: 24 May 1939 Race: W Gender: M County of Death: Randolph Certificate: 19871 Age: 85 years Comments: Name: Erma C Martin Death Date: 13 Apr 1949 Race: W Gender: F County of Death: Randolph Certificate: 8459 Age: 77 years County of Residence: Randlp 1930 Randolph Co. Ga Cuthbert ed 122-17 sheet 12b 279-John W. Martin Jr. 79 Ga SC US Irma D. 60 Al Al Al wife Guegeto? 36 Ga GA AL son Petra B. 33 Ga Ga AL dau Margery 27 Ga GA AL dau Irma 21 GA GA Al dau Richard 17 Ga GA AL son 1920 Randolph Co. GA Cuthbert page 23 54-John W. Martin Jr. 64 Ga US US salesman tombstone Erma 49 Al TN Al wife Burrell W. 43?Ga GA AL son Rutha 23 GA GA Al dau Catherine 20 Ga Ga AL dau Marjorie 18 Ga GA AL dau Irma 12 Ga Ga AL dau Richard 7 Ga GA AL son 1850 Randolph Co. Ga page 415 10- John W. Martin 28 SC Mary Ann 19 Ga Henrietta 18 GA Julia 1 Ga Georgia Marriages Randolph County Knighton, Myran H. - Martin, John W. Marriage Date: 19 Apr 1846