Martha King (nee Callender) was born on June 10, 1937 on the tony island of Barbados to Boyson and Miriam Callender (both deceased). Many of her formative years were spent under the guidance of Helen Blades (nee Greenidge), (Boyson’s now deceased sister) in Pennyhole (now Gemswick, St. Philip).

Her religious formation was a product of her attendance at the St. Martin’s Anglican, Pennyhole Nazarene and Ruby Nazarene churches in her formative and teen years.

She went to school in Barbados before meeting and marrying Curtis Arthur King – a sometimes lay-preacher at the Ruby Nazarene Church whose family hailed from Haggarts’ Hall, St. Michael.

Martha had nine children, Cedric Alexander (Florida), Jacqueline Adelia (Boston, Massachusetts, Pauline Antoinette, Monique ?, Martha Christina (Croydon, UK), Denise (Brixton, UK). There was also Stephen Arthur, Noel and Emmanuel (now deceased).

Just weeks after giving birth to Jacqueline, Martha migrated to London, England by ship to join her husband who had previously migrated himself and had taken a job on the London Transport system.

Martha loves to cook and relishes preparing Caribbean dishes for her family. She is fiercely independent often rebelling against the ravishes of age that have seen her falling at inopportune times and the necessity of using a walker and/or wheelchair.

She loves to dress up and rivals anyone in royalty with how she can make much less expensive garments look regal by her wearing of them.

Nan has had a full life of travel, from Barbados to the UK and back to visit with family and friends. To the United States on several occasions to visit with children or attend weddings as occasioned. To other European nations and to her ancestral home of Africa – notably Ghana where she celebrates the connection with the Tetteh family.

She loves music and, perhaps as her diligence in singing her situation away, most of her children sing with some aplomb and play musical instruments mostly for the accompaniment of religious services. She loved Jimmy Reeves, Otis Redding, Sack More especially his rendition of “What A Wonderful World!”

Martha always had a genuine heart for people and would have given her very life for her children. Her industry and ferver no doubt led to some of her fatigue. In her latter years she has been beset by many ailments, major surgery to her back, hypertension, the afore mention falls, etc., but none of these diseases has stop her enthusiasm for life.

You just have to see her with her many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren – which now numbers in the dozens. She is “affectionately “Nan” to them and on those frequent occasions, whether they are celebrating her, or she them, she is exceedingly joyful, smiling with electric cheerfulness and often the first to start the humor and laughter. She loves life! She loved the Giver of life.

Her religious devotion has been a lifelong pilgrimage. Even physical impediments have not stopped her from “assembling with he believers” whenever she can which is mostly a weekly exercise. Today she make her church home attending with Solomon and Pauline faithfully. She is always quick with a suggestion, a testimony or a song of encouragement or assurance. Her children praise her and her devotion is affecting.