Mrs. Martha Anne Diehl, 88, resident of Bridgewater for the past thirty years, died at her home at 10:45 Friday morning after an illness of a month.

Born October 4, 1861 at Shady Grove, Va., she was the daughter of the late Jacob A. and Sarah Showalter Harshbarger. She was united with the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren as a young girl and has been a faithful member until her health failed. On October 1, 1879 she united in marriage to Jacob P. Diehl, making her home in the Mill Creek community until 1920 in which time they moved to Bridgewater. Mr. and Mrs. Diehl were favored with an unusually long married life of sixty-two years and eight months. They attended the annual conference of the Church of the Brethren faithfully.

Mrs. Diehl possessed a sterling character together with a lovable disposition and her pleasant smile was familiar to everyone. She devoted her entire life to her family which she always enjoyed. He willingness to help others won for her many friends in all walks of life. Although she had been ill for quite some time, her mind remained keen and alert to the end.

Surviving are two daughters; Miss Esther Diehl, Washington, D. C. and Mrs. Elizabeth East, Raphine, Va.; six sons, Charles E. Diehl, Penn Laird, John E. Diehl, Washington, D. C., Herman H. Diehl, Port Republic, Rev. Paul R. Diehl, Washington D. C., Hays L. Diehl, San Francisco, California and J. Quinter Diehl, Waynesboro, Va.; one sister Pence, Mt. Crawford; forty grandchildren, thirty-seven great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Her husband preceded her in death on June 2, 1942, two children, Anna M. Bennington, December 24, 1945 and Mrs. George Allen, November 22, 1946 and one brother, Dr. C. P. Harshbarger March 1948.

Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock from the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren with the Rev. Edward K. Ziegler officiating, assisted by the Rev. C. E. Long.

Interment will be in the family lot of the adjoining cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be grandsons of the deceased: Carlos Diehl, Herman Diehl Jr., Joe Bennington, W. I. Bennington, Welty Diehl, James Diehl, Carlos Bennington and Oliver Diehl.

Flowerbearers will be granddaughters of the deceased.

The body will remain at the Rosenberger Funeral Home at Bridgewater until this afternoon at one o'clock when it will be taken to the late home. The body will be moved Sunday at 1:30 p.m. to the church to lie in state until the hour of the funeral.

Relatives are asked to meet at the home Sunday afternoon at 2:20 for brief services by the Rev. C. B. Smith prior to leaving for the church.

Daily News-Record Jul 1, 1950