About Martha Mae Ishmael Brown

Martha, the youngest sibling of Cary and Lula Ishmael, was born in Minter, Alabama on March 4, 1922. Later the family migrated to Pensacola, Florida where she graduated from the newly constructed Booker T. Washington High School as Salutatorian, Class of 1940. This class had one hundred and ten students of which there were four adult students. Their class motto: “We Stress Quality not Quantity.” This has been Martha’s theme for living abundantly in the Lord.

Martha studied at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida and Michigan Lutheran College in Detroit, Michigan. She also studied at Brewster School of Nursing in Jacksonville, Florida.
Martha was employed at Resthaven Hospital in Detroit; Detroit Receiving Hospital and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

She was married to Granderson Brown, her wonderful husband, for over fifty years; they had no children but one adopted daughter, Freddie Lindsay-Payne; a precious niece, Bernyce Sims of Akron, Ohio and many nieces and nephews who have filled a void, especially now more than ever because of disability factors.