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Albert Jewel ‘A.J.’ Martin Brasstown native, Army veteran, author of hymn Albert Jewel "A.J." Martin of the Martins Creek community was a wounded veteran of the Third U.S. Army's drive across France during World War II, and the author of the Christian hymn "Get Ready for Heaven." He died at age 96 on Wednesday night, Dec. 27, 2006, at Murphy Medical Center. The visitation will begin Saturday at 11 a.m. at New Martins Creek Baptist Church. The funeral will follow there at 1 p.m. Rev. Aud Brown and Rev. Paul Ray Morgan will officiate. He will be buried in the church cemetery with full military honors. The pallbearers will be Lamar Chastain, Jim Cook, Buster Laney, James Martin, Ralph Martin and Gerald Moore. Honorary pallbearers will be Ronnie Bates, Francis Cook and John Davidson. On Dec. 4, 1944, Pvt. Martin and his unit were in a firefight in Germany. Shrapnel from an exploding German shell permanently blinded his right eye. He was evacuated to a hospital and later to Thayer General Hospital in Nashville, Tenn. He received the Purple Heart. A.J. Martin wrote the hymn, "Get Ready for Heaven." It was published in 1958 in the "Jesus Speaks" hymnbook of the J.M. Henson Music Co. of Atlanta. A.J. Martin was a driver for a supervisor of work on the TVA's Hiwassee, Chatuge, Nottely and Apalachia dams. Later he was the manager of the Kern's bread store on Highway 64. The TVA's purchase of a right-of-way on the crest above Martins Creek for a transmission line aided the Martins. He also raised chickens, sold eggs, and was a beekeeper. He occasionally sold off parcels of land to bring in income. And his service in World War II afforded scholarships for his oldest daughter. Albert Jewel Martin was born May 10, 1910, in Brasstown. He was the second of five children of Luther and Effie Stalcup Martin and graduated from Murphy High School. He was a dedicated member and former Sunday school teacher and superintendent of New Martin's Creek Baptist Church. A.J. and his wife Thelma were ringleaders of the "benefits" in Martins Creek to help someone in the community facing sudden, crippling health-care bills. The Martins were also members of the fundraising committee for a wing of Murphy Medical Center. Surviving are his wife of 66 years, Thelma Elkins Martin; two daughters, Lorraine Bennett of Martins Creek and Marilee Powell of Hayesville; sons-in-law, Tom Bennett and Terrence Powell; a brother, Earl Martin of Lincoln Park, Mich., and Mt. Dora, Fla.; a granddaughter, Jessica Powell Armstrong of Cornelia, Ga., and her husband, Eric Armstrong and several nieces and nephews. The family requests that memorials be made to Hiawassee Valley Recreation Committee, P.O. Box 1311, Murphy, NC 28906, New Martin's Creek Baptist Church, c/o Jim Cook, 3206 Hedden Road, Murphy, NC 28906 or Murphy Medical Center Nursing Home, 4130 US Hwy 64 East, Murphy, NC 28906. You may send tributes to the Martin family at www.mem.com.
Townson Rose Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
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