On April 2, 2013, Martha Jean Wood Haynes entered her eternal home. Martha was a long-time, dedicated and active member of Greenbrier United Methodist Church, where she served on many various committees. She was also a member of the United Methodist Women’s Organization serving efficiently as secretary of the organization for several years.
Martha was born in Spartanburg County in the city of Chesnee. As a young girl, she moved to Winnsboro with her family and completed her high school education at Mount Zion Institute in 1960 with Beta Club honors. She often joked about how the name of the school she would attend confused her. Would she be going to school or to prison?
After graduating high school, Martha enrolled at Perry Business School to prepare herself in secretarial skills. After graduation in 1961, she was employed by the Lawrence Company in Columbia, where she worked until after her marriage to L. Aubrey Haynes and the birth of their two sons, Leland A. Haynes Jr. and Thomas H. Haynes. She then decided to leave the work force and be a stay-at-home mom to rear their sons. Many happy years were spent providing guidance to their sons and working in her flower and vegetable gardens.
When the boys were older, she decided to return to work and for many years was secretary to the Kenneth Goode Law Firm, also serving for a time at Fairfield Memorial Hospital on a committee that rendered service to the less fortunate. In 1994 she retired due to medical reasons.
Like the Apostle Paul, 2nd Corinthians 12:7, Martha at an early age was stricken with a “thorn in flesh,” a cross she carried with quiet acceptance and without complaint her entire life, trusting in the promise in 2nd Corinthians 12:9 “power is made perfect in weakness.”
Martha enjoyed life and was civic minded. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Eastern Star, serving as pianist. She loved people, so included in her social life were memberships in a Western Square Dance Club along with her family and the Greenbrier Supper Club.
Martha believed in Christian fellowship, and on several occasions she, along with her husband, Aubrey, as chef, hosted the Greenbrier Church’s Fifth Sunday Dinner. They served their famous and delicious chicken bog to the delight of the Greenbrier Congregation and friends.
Martha had a soft spoken, gentle demeanor, always with a smile on her face. She went about making her decisions with studied deliberation, working behind the scenes to accomplish her goals. Her devotion to her church and her perseverance in all circumstances were an inspiration to all those around her. She will be missed.
Now, Be It Resolved:
That we thank God for Martha’s life;
That we feel a great loss at her passing;
That we extend our deepest sympathy to her family;
That we give a copy of this tribute to her family;
Record a copy in the minutes of this meeting;
Submit a copy to The Voice of Blythewood and Fairfield County for publication;
and give a gift in her memory to the South Carolina Diabetic Association.
Submitted by the United Methodist Women of Greenbrier United Methodist Church.
