The following was written by Martha's granddaughter, Martha Shaffer Thompson:

Martha Elizabeth Thurmond was born in the Fairview Community near Rhome, Wise County, Texas on December 18, 1880 to John Faver Thurmond and Amanda Merrifield Thurmond. She grew up on the farm where she was born. There is a story that when she was an infant, a tornado hit the farmhouse where she was sleeping in her crib and was carried into a cornfield, crib and all. The other members of the family had all come in from the field where they were working and had headed to the root cellar. Each had thought the other had gotten Martha out of the house; she survived the incident unharmed.

Martha attended and graduated from Decater Baptist College. On December 5, 1905, she married Robert Jarvis Brown, a rancher from Bellevue, in the Thurmond home north of Rhome. They resided outside of Bellevue until 1910 when they moved to Henrietta.

Martha was very active in community affairs as a member of the First Baptist Church, the Henrietta Garden Club, the Unity Club, the Woman's Forum of Wichita Falls, the Delphian and served on the Henrietta School Board. During World War I, Martha assisted by making badges for the soldiers.

Martha loved to garden and raised Irises in her large backyard. She experimented with crossbreeding the plants and it is told that she created the first truly white Iris. She loved butterflies, especially the Monarch; you could often see her chasing them with a large butterfly net. But her favorite thing by far was entertaining. Martha hosted many parties in their home and played lots of Bridge and Canasta.

Martha and Robert Brown had three children: Don, born March 2, 1909 on the ranch; Earle (later named Rachel Earle), born June 20, 1911; and Robert Jarvis, Jr., (Bob) born October 17, 1914 in Henrietta.

Martha Elizabeth Thurmond Brown passed away on Sunday, February 12, 1961, in the farmhouse where she had been born and married while attending funeral services of her sister-in-law, Mrs. Forrest Thurmond of Fort Worth. Funeral services were held at the First Baptist Church in Henrietta on Monday, February 13, at 2 P.M. and conducted by Rev. Kenneth Cantrell, Pastor. Interment was in the Bellevue Cemetery in the Brown Family Plot under the direction of the Hawkins Funeral Home. Pallbearers were: David A. Greer, Macon Boddy, A.V. Slagle, Bryant Edwards, Ham Douglas, Frank Bunting, Myers Barker, Jim Hill, Gordon Shamburger, Clyde King and William Burnside. She was survived by her husband of 56 years, Robert Jarvis Brown; two sons, Don Brown of Fort Worth and Robert J. Brown, Jr. of Wichita Falls; one daughter, Rachel Shaffer of Wichita Falls; one brother, Joe Thurmond of Rhome and six grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.