Martha Linderman

Loving, humble, and kind, Martha Linderman lived a life rich in faith, family, and friends. Though Martha was quiet and unassuming, she was also a force to be reckoned with; her quiet strength was an inspiration to all who were blessed to know her. Observant and detail-oriented, Martha was also accepting and gracious. In her good company, there was no hardship that was insurmountable, and life's joys were always richer. A woman of grace and goodness, Martha was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend who will be sorely missed by those she so dearly loved.

Despite the obvious gloom of the Great Depression and growing conflict in Europe, 1936 held much to celebrate. American track and field athlete Jesse Owens dominated the Summer Olympics in Berlin, the BBC started the first public Television broadcasts in London, and the novel Gone With the Wind was published. As President Roosevelt was elected for a second term, the Hoover Dam first began generating hydroelectric power. Nowhere was there more to celebrate than in the home of Ervin Morris and Hester Ethel (Hilbert) Schooley as they welcomed their daughter, Martha, to their family on July 4 in Trucksville, Pennsylvania. Martha was delivered at home by her grandmother, Ada Schooley, before her father got back with the doctor!

When Martha was five years old, her family moved to Trenton, New Jersey, when her father found work at a local wire factory. Her mother worked at the Oven Bake Shop and often returned home with leftover doughnuts for Martha and her three brothers. Martha attended school in Trenton and also attended the Trenton Conservatory of Music for piano. When she graduated from Trenton High School in 1954, she received the Latin Award. Her faith in God and love for her Savior was a part of her life from a young age.

While at a picnic, Martha met her future husband, Carl Linderman, when he sat across from her. Carl's winking and conversation inspired Martha to fall in love at first sight. At the time, Carl was stationed at Valley Forge, but soon he was serving his country in Korea. The couple wrote to each other every day, and Carl proposed to Martha by mail.

After Carl safely returned home from the war, Martha joyfully married the love of her life on June 19, 1954, when she was 17. After their honeymoon, the newlyweds settled into a small, rented apartment in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Martha delivered their first child, Marsha, 11 days after her 19th birthday, using their wringer washer and clothesline to finish the laundry before going to the hospital. Three years later, their second child, Glenn, was born, and soon after, they purchased a home in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, where they raised their family.

Martha was a stay-at-home mother who played the piano after she put her kids to bed, soothing them to sleep with every key. Once the kids started school, there were always cookies, milk, and a listening ear awaiting her children's arrival from school. A talented seamstress, one Christmas, she sewed and crocheted a small suitcase full of fashion doll clothes as a gift for her daughter. For Easter one year, she sewed matching outfits for the family, including a sports jacket for her husband, a little suit for her son, and dresses for herself and her daughter. Martha sewed most of her daughter's clothes until she was old enough to sew her own. Never argumentative, she would express her frustrations with a "Fiddlesticks!" or encourage her kids' good behavior with a traditional, "Wait till your dad gets home." Martha's kids enjoyed growing up in the home Martha so carefully ensured was filled with love, support, and acceptance.

Once Marsha and Glenn were 15 and 12, Martha began working at Fox Grocery in Belle Vernon in the Cash Disbursements department. She received rides from a friend to work, and then Carl would pick her up after work.

A good listener and a safe person to confide in, Martha never judged or condemned. Some of her interests and accomplishments included sewing, and crocheting. She was very particular about her crocheting, and when she learned she would soon be a grandmother, she crocheted several baby afghans! In addition to playing the piano, Martha also played the organ and enjoyed gardening. Word games, Sudoku, and jigsaw puzzles were the stuff of fun; she especially enjoyed playing games, working puzzles, and reading with her grandkids.

In retirement, Martha enjoyed traveling with Carl in their motor home, visiting friends, and exploring many scenic areas of the United States. In 1985 Martha and Carl moved to South Haven, Michigan, where they enjoyed babysitting occasionally and watching their grandchildren grow up. A natural cook and baker, Martha loved making meals and treats for her family. Her scalloped potatoes and bread pudding, which was her mother's recipe, were unrivaled.

As we celebrate Martha's life, may we find comfort in our many treasured memories. May we also find comfort in the honor of carrying her legacy of unwavering faith, quiet grace and strength, loving care, and kindness forward in our own lives. In each moment we serve a home-cooked meal, quietly listen with our hearts, offer our love and acceptance, confidently face life's hardships, relish time with loved ones, and enjoy a good game, puzzle, or book, we keep Martha's memory alive and inspiring others as she inspired each of us.

Martha Viola Linderman passed from this life into eternity on August 18, 2025, at Rose Arbor Hospice, Oshtemo, Michigan, after a brief battle with cancer.

Martha is survived by three brothers, Eugene Schooley of Pennington, New Jersey; Ralph Schooley, of LeRaysville, Pennsylvania and Carlton (Joann) Schooley of Lawrenceville, New Jersey; her children, Marsha June (Dwight) Ransom, of South Haven, Michigan and Glenn Carl (Elaine) Linderman of Gardnerville, Nevada; four grandchildren, Ryan Dwight Ransom, of Lawrence, Michigan; Aaron Seth (Kassi) Ransom of Paw Paw, Michigan; Ervin James Ransom of South Haven, Michigan and Jacinta Lin Ransom (Tabor Rinks) of Holland, Michigan, three great-grandchildren Sophia, Zander and Arya Ransom and numerous nieces and nephews.

Martha was predeceased by her parents, her loving husband Carl Linderman, and three sisters-in-law, Eleanor, Doris, and Linda Schooley.

Please join us at a Life Story Visitation on Friday, August 22, from 5 PM - 7 PM at Betzler & Thompson Life Story Funeral Homes, 60900 M-40, Paw Paw, MI (269) 657-3870, where food, drinks, and stories will be shared. A Life Story Service will take place on Saturday, August 23, at 10 AM at Betzler & Thompson Life Story Funeral Homes, 60900 M-40, Paw Paw, MI. Burial will follow at 11:30 AM at Monks Cemetery in Bangor, MI. Celebrate Martha's life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on her dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com.