Mary Jo Martin

Mary Jo Fortenberry Martin passed away on October 13, 2008 after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson disease and dystonia. Born in Ringgold, Georgia on June 21, 1935, she had lived in Cleveland for almost 55 years. A member of First Baptist Church of Cleveland, where she was a leader in the Women?s Missionary Union, she was also very active and worked in many areas of service to her community, including the Ruritan Club, as a Gray Lady at Bradley Memorial Hospital and a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. She was retired from Hardwick Stove Company. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Harley Fortenberry, Sr. and Ruby Lee Edgemon Fortenberry. She is survived by her devoted husband of 54 years, Lamar Eugene Martin of Cleveland; one sister, Wanda Massengale of Adairsville, GA; two brothers, W.H. Fortenberry, Jr. and wife, Allene of Ringgold, GA and Vaughn Fortenberry of Ringgold; two nieces, Sherry Poindexter of Ft. Oglethorpe, GA and Donna Mansfield of Dalton, GA; one nephew, Chris Massengale of Acworth, GA; and a brother-in-law, Don Martin of Dalton, GA. Funeral services will be conducted at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 15, 2008 in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with the Reverend Bill Griffith officiating. A private burial will be conducted at Hilcrest Memorial Gardens in Cleveland. Pallbearers will be Brian Oliver, C.L. (Pete) Waddle, Ray Shults, Bill McClure, Jude Dunn, Charlie Howard, Johnny Barfield and Glenn Williams. Her family will receive friends from 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home prior to the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Generations Building Fund Campaign of First Baptist Church, 99 Central Avenue, NE, Cleveland, Tennessee 37311. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Martin family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.