Martha Daughtry Dunn

Martha Daughtry Dunn died Sunday, October 13, 2019, at Jackson Hospital after a short illness. Her parents were John Bradford Daughtry and Winnie Adams Daughtry, who predeceased her. She was also predeceased by her husband Harold Eskew Dunn (Buddy), her sister Nell Daughtry Mills and husband Paul Mills, and her brother-in-law John Drehoff.

She is survived by her sister Jean Ellen Daughtry Drehoff of Baltimore, Maryland, three children: Harold Bradford Dunn (Katie), Nancy Rebecca Dunn Uhlich (Charles), Michael Perry Dunn (Tricia), five grandchildren Rebecca Dunn Bryant (Clay), Crockett Dunn, Michael Dunn, Meagan Dunn, Bradford Dunn, three great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was born December 11, 1918, in Hartford, Alabama and lived there until she left this small southern town that she loved to attend Montevallo College south of Birmingham in 1936.

After her marriage to Harold (Buddy) in 1940 she moved to Montgomery where they enjoyed almost 70 years together as a couple while Martha devoted her time to being a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Martha was a founding member of the Garden Club, Bridge Club, and Sewing Club in her neighborhood on Carter Hill Road. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church for over 75 years where she volunteered across many venues from flower arrangements for special events to administrative support as well as heading up the women’s exercise classes where she shared her expertise on healthy living. She became a very accomplished watercolor artist discovering this talent later in life, participating and being recognized in local art classes and juried art shows. She gifted her family and friends with bountiful artwork that will continue to be enjoyed as part of her beautiful legacy. Martha was dedicated to encouraging others to find their creative passion and express it artistically whether gardening, painting, cooking, writing, building or designing. Grandkids, great-grands and even the neighborhood children would seek her out to be coached on all versions and styles of their own artwork.

Martha will be remembered as charming, witty, eloquent, beautiful, multitalented, purposeful and spunky. She had a strong adventuresome spirit that showed itself as “quite a tomboy” as a child (caught hanging upside down from the Hartford water tower) and still true to form until almost 99 (walking every day through her neighborhood for exercise regardless of the weather). She was an independent thinker devoted to daily reading of the Wall Street Journal and kept up with people, world events, health and nutrition through her longtime beloved subscriptions to Harvard Health Newsletter, Forbes, Time, and Smithsonian magazines. Martha loved living and every day she sought to observe and appreciate life and encourage others to do the same.

A very special heartfelt thanks to the loving caregivers that she was blessed to have a daily vibrant relationship with for many years. She lived happily at home in the house she and Buddy designed and built over 60 years ago. She gave thanks out loud every single day for the special attention and devoted care that made this possible. She taught everyone who visited her how to play her favorite card game, then proceeded to win the game when they played. She was still playing cards competitively every day up until her last few days in the hospital.

A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 pm Friday, October 18th at the First United Methodist Church, followed by visitation there in the Fellowship Hall. Her family will hold a private graveside service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 2416 W. Cloverdale Park, Montgomery, AL 36106, the Stegall Seminary Scholarship Endowment Foundation, P O Box 241661, Montgomery, AL 36124, or the charity of your choice