Joseph Banner Martin was the son of John Jarvis Martin and Margaret Elizabeth "Maggie" Doub.
He crossed the Kansas plains with his family in a covered wagon as a baby. They were in a bad snowstorm so they stayed about a week in Mullinville, Kansas. His father had to stay in a tent with the wagon and team. His mother stayed in the Inn with their three small children. They later settled in Stanton County, Kansas where John Jarvis Martin was appointed the first Sheriff of the county. The family decided to move back to Butler County after only a brief time in western Kansas.
"Joe" married Latillie Hope Rollins in Wichita, Kansas on May 7, 1913. They would have three sons, Marvin Rupert, John Byron and Joseph Elden Martin. They would be married over 61 years before Joe's death.
When Joe was courting Tillie, he wrote her a letter telling her what he had been doing that day. The weather had been bad that April day so he had to find chores to do indoors. He told her that he had made up a new calendar for himself but he only dated it up to the 7th (of May - the day they were to be married). After that, he wrote, he didn't care what day it was.
Tillie wrote this poem shortly after his death:
A Vacant Chair
I am sad and lonely
My loved one now is gone
Our children all are far away
I am alone, alone.
No one to love and talk to me
At even' time to share
The joys and sorrows of the day
Always a vacant chair.
Yet all are kind and thoughtful
And do their best to share
And by their kindness lighten
The burden that I bear.
I appreciate their kindness
And help, but always there
Are those long sad hours at evening
With only a vacant chair.
******************
We should all hope to find a love as deep and enduring as my "Grandpa and Grandma Joe" shared.
He crossed the Kansas plains with his family in a covered wagon as a baby. They were in a bad snowstorm so they stayed about a week in Mullinville, Kansas. His father had to stay in a tent with the wagon and team. His mother stayed in the Inn with their three small children. They later settled in Stanton County, Kansas where John Jarvis Martin was appointed the first Sheriff of the county. The family decided to move back to Butler County after only a brief time in western Kansas.
"Joe" married Latillie Hope Rollins in Wichita, Kansas on May 7, 1913. They would have three sons, Marvin Rupert, John Byron and Joseph Elden Martin. They would be married over 61 years before Joe's death.
When Joe was courting Tillie, he wrote her a letter telling her what he had been doing that day. The weather had been bad that April day so he had to find chores to do indoors. He told her that he had made up a new calendar for himself but he only dated it up to the 7th (of May - the day they were to be married). After that, he wrote, he didn't care what day it was.
Tillie wrote this poem shortly after his death:
A Vacant Chair
I am sad and lonely
My loved one now is gone
Our children all are far away
I am alone, alone.
No one to love and talk to me
At even' time to share
The joys and sorrows of the day
Always a vacant chair.
Yet all are kind and thoughtful
And do their best to share
And by their kindness lighten
The burden that I bear.
I appreciate their kindness
And help, but always there
Are those long sad hours at evening
With only a vacant chair.
******************
We should all hope to find a love as deep and enduring as my "Grandpa and Grandma Joe" shared.
Joseph Banner Martin was the son of John Jarvis Martin and Margaret Elizabeth "Maggie" Doub.
He crossed the Kansas plains with his family in a covered wagon as a baby. They were in a bad snowstorm so they stayed about a week in Mullinville, Kansas. His father had to stay in a tent with the wagon and team. His mother stayed in the Inn with their three small children. They later settled in Stanton County, Kansas where John Jarvis Martin was appointed the first Sheriff of the county. The family decided to move back to Butler County after only a brief time in western Kansas.
"Joe" married Latillie Hope Rollins in Wichita, Kansas on May 7, 1913. They would have three sons, Marvin Rupert, John Byron and Joseph Elden Martin. They would be married over 61 years before Joe's death.
When Joe was courting Tillie, he wrote her a letter telling her what he had been doing that day. The weather had been bad that April day so he had to find chores to do indoors. He told her that he had made up a new calendar for himself but he only dated it up to the 7th (of May - the day they were to be married). After that, he wrote, he didn't care what day it was.
Tillie wrote this poem shortly after his death:
A Vacant Chair
I am sad and lonely
My loved one now is gone
Our children all are far away
I am alone, alone.
No one to love and talk to me
At even' time to share
The joys and sorrows of the day
Always a vacant chair.
Yet all are kind and thoughtful
And do their best to share
And by their kindness lighten
The burden that I bear.
I appreciate their kindness
And help, but always there
Are those long sad hours at evening
With only a vacant chair.
******************
We should all hope to find a love as deep and enduring as my "Grandpa and Grandma Joe" shared.
He crossed the Kansas plains with his family in a covered wagon as a baby. They were in a bad snowstorm so they stayed about a week in Mullinville, Kansas. His father had to stay in a tent with the wagon and team. His mother stayed in the Inn with their three small children. They later settled in Stanton County, Kansas where John Jarvis Martin was appointed the first Sheriff of the county. The family decided to move back to Butler County after only a brief time in western Kansas.
"Joe" married Latillie Hope Rollins in Wichita, Kansas on May 7, 1913. They would have three sons, Marvin Rupert, John Byron and Joseph Elden Martin. They would be married over 61 years before Joe's death.
When Joe was courting Tillie, he wrote her a letter telling her what he had been doing that day. The weather had been bad that April day so he had to find chores to do indoors. He told her that he had made up a new calendar for himself but he only dated it up to the 7th (of May - the day they were to be married). After that, he wrote, he didn't care what day it was.
Tillie wrote this poem shortly after his death:
A Vacant Chair
I am sad and lonely
My loved one now is gone
Our children all are far away
I am alone, alone.
No one to love and talk to me
At even' time to share
The joys and sorrows of the day
Always a vacant chair.
Yet all are kind and thoughtful
And do their best to share
And by their kindness lighten
The burden that I bear.
I appreciate their kindness
And help, but always there
Are those long sad hours at evening
With only a vacant chair.
******************
We should all hope to find a love as deep and enduring as my "Grandpa and Grandma Joe" shared.
