Martha Kelly Owens, born Jan. 16, 1939, passed away Thursday, May 2 at Alive Hospice in  Murfreesboro after a brief illness. Martha’s life will be celebrated at a Memorial Service on Saturday, June 29 at 1:30 p.m. at Rutledge Falls Baptist Church.  After working at AEDC in the late 1960s, she became the secretary to the late John M. McCord at the Tullahoma law firm of Henry & McCord. She continued to work as a legal assistant for many years, serving as Legal Assistant and Office Manager for Manchester attorney  J. Stanley Rogers from the mid-1980s until 2017.   In early 1990, Martha took two enormous steps. The first was to recommit her life to Christ at Tullahoma Baptist Church. The second was to walk through the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. Committing herself completely to both aspects of that journey, she left this world a devoted Christian and sober for 35 years. Beyond  Martha’s professional career, she was an active volunteer, lending her energy and expertise  as a Sunday School teacher, a women’s ministry leader,  Board member of a state-wide Legal Assistants association, a  women’s prison ministry program and a church-based thrift store. Born on Jan. 16, 1939 in Tullahoma,  Martha was the daughter of the late Virgil S. Owens and the late Ethel Spencer Owens of Tullahoma. She is survived by her son John C. Grider, Jr. of Manchester and her daughter Lisa Grider and son-in-law Mitch Lawrence of Fort Worth, Texas; her three granddaughters – Lindsey Celeste (Grider) Jarvis and her husband Jon Jarvis of Carlsbad, California; Lauren Kelly Grider of Carlsbad, California; and Cornelia (Neeley) Elizabeth Lawrence of Fort Worth, Texas; and her beloved four-year-old great grandson John Callum Jarvis. She is also survived by her two brothers and their wives: Rear Admiral Robert S. Owens, United States Navy (retired) and his wife Martha (Rutledge) Owens of Fairfax, Virginia; Patrick W. Owens and his wife Libby (Stilts)  Owens of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee and her  nieces and nephews: Charles Owens, Cathy Owens Absher, Andrea Owens and Thomas Owens. In addition to immediate family, Martha is treasured by her extended family of Owens cousins and special friends throughout the country.

Private Obituary