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Martha Davis Hartness Wade passed away peacefully at her home in Starkville, MS, with her family by her side, on March 9, 2024. She was 102 years old and had lived in Starkville her entire life, being born on December 30, 1921.
She attended Overstreet Elementary and graduated from Starkville High School in 1940. This is where she first remembers seeing that cute boy, Starchy Wade, the love of her life, coming off the football field. She was one of the first two majorettes with the Starkville High School Band. She remembered fondly the excitement of marching down Capital Street in Jackson leading the band. She attended Mississippi State College for a short time, being honored early on by being a sponsor for the football team. She married her husband, Clyde F. “Starchy” Wade on January 2, 1942. With the onset of U.S. involvement in World War II and her husband serving in the Army Air Force, she joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp to assist in the war effort and greatly enjoyed the experience. As the war ended a new life began for them. She began raising her children and then worked for several years at W.W Scales Department Store before her “second set” of children arrived. About that time her husband was gradually converting from the Dairy and home construction business to establishing Starkville Fence Company. As that business grew, she became the bookkeeper, phone answerer and “paperwork” person for her husband’s business. They continued that partnership for over 30 years as the only fence company in Starkville. That was in addition to sewing prom dresses, assisting in wedding plans and supporting the older girls in their activities while she was also bringing up two little ones. She also was very involved in her church, community, and neighborhood activities. Because of her own experience with cancer, she became a volunteer in a breast cancer survivors support group called Reach To Recovery. She felt that was her way to help others when they were in a scary place. Her quote was “I don’t know what I would have done without their support and reassurance and that’s what I hope to offer to women I visit.” She loved attending and throwing bridge parties with her husband and she loved her neighbors and was always ready for a friendly neighborhood get together and they all enjoyed raising their children together in Pleasant Acres. In their 80’s they both enjoyed their ministry with Meals on Wheels. She attended First Presbyterian Church her entire life and remembers walking to Church as a child from her home on South Montgomery. She taught Sunday School to 1st and 2nd graders for 36 years. The Sunday School teaching began with short courses at Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina which she attended for several years. She, being the youngest adult from Starkville, was the driver in those scary mountains and she still laughed about when they drove by Billy Graham’s house as he happened to be backing out and they pretended to need directions. She still referred to the grown men and women in the community and beyond as “her kids” and so enjoyed witnessing their successes, several in the field of ministry. She loved her Circle family at First Presbyterian and was honored to receive the Presbyterian Women’s Life Membership. She was a woman of great faith and had a kind and sweet heart and shared it so well with her loved ones and those she might meet. She will be so greatly missed but we know that she has truly gone home.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, Clyde Frederick Wade, her son, Clyde Patrick Wade, her parents, Mary Blake Johnston Hartness and Lawrence Billups Hartness. Her sisters, Mary Elizabeth “Chubby” Nix and Willena Blake “B.B. Corbell, her baby brother Lawrence Billups, Jr. and Great-Great Granddaughter, Maddy Pitman.

She is survived by her daughters, Mary Martha Wade Morgan (Wallace), Virginia Elizabeth “Betty” Wade Hilton (Phil), and Carol Lynn Wade Crouse (Keith). She is also survived by seven grandchildren, James Morgan (Ardith), Doug Morgan (Laura), Kathy Morgan Snell (Steve) and David Morgan, Jeremy Hilton (Renae), Zachary Hilton (Haley) and Holly Hilton Jacobs (Matt). She is also survived by 17 great grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter. Plus many much loved nieces and nephews.

Sincere gratitude to all her Caregivers, Mississippi Home Care, Gentiva Hospice, Medical Community, her Pastor and Church Members.

The visitation and funeral service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Starkville, MS on March 23, with the Reverend Dr. Martin Lifer officiating with burial at Memorial Garden Park in Starkville. Visitation will be from 9:30 AM until 10:45 with the service to start at 11:00AM and burial directly after the service.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church Children’s program at 307 University Drive, Starkville, MS 39759 or Palmer Home for Children, 800 Baldwin Road S, Lake Cormorant, MS 38641 or St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.