Martha Ellen Shope

martha shope
Martha Ellen (Gray) Shope was born to Forrest Noble & Mary Rachel (Miller) Gray on October 29, 1928 in Tarpon Springs, FL. Her Dad was in the Navy and her Mother was an RN, but stayed home with Martha and her younger brother John Robert (Bobby) Gray. She graduated from Tarpon Springs High School in 1946 as Valedictorian. She was a majorette in band and excelled at playing the sousaphone. She attended Stetson University in DeLand, FL following high school. The Grays moved to Edmond/Chandler, OK, when Mary became ill so she could be close to her family. She passed before any of her grandchildren were born. Martha Ellen married John Truman Shope January 27, 1949. They moved to Wichita, KS, after he graduated from OSU with a degree in electrical engineering. Martha was an excellent seamstress and had studied business and clerical skills. Their first child, Kathryn Lynn Shope (Kathy Curry) was born in August of 1952. They moved to Clearwater, KS, in June of 1954 and a son, Daniel Wilson Shope (Danny) was born May 12, 1955. Martha was active in the community, being a voice at PTA meetings and Home Demonstration Unit. Gene Edward Shope came along on January 23, 1959. Unfortunately, the young family was involved in an automobile accident on April 30, 1961. Martha was critically injured and carrying their fourth child, Timothy Andrew Shope. She was in a coma for several months, birthed the baby, and regained consciousness very slowly. She had lost speech, hearing, and motor skills from the brain injury, but was a trooper at therapy and far exceeded the medical profession's expectations of recovery. Though she remained an invalid, she learned to read lips (hearing only sharp noises and some voices), took speech therapy and made words (the words were intact in her brain, just couldn't be formed verbally), and learned to maneuver including (for a period of time) using just a walker. The family dissolved in about 1974 and she moved to OK where Freda Coyner (sister in law) was her care giver. A few years later she moved to TX with daughter Kathy, but an opening came at Central OK Christian Home about 1977. It was first come, first serve, so she packed up and claimed her spot for the next approximately 20 years. While there she learned to paint pictures and did other crafts. As she gained years and declined a bit health wise, she moved back to TX closer to Kathy. She has lived in Kirkwood Manor, New Braunfels, since March of 1998, just under twenty years. The first ten of those, she attended Fellowship Bible Church with her daughter, son in law, and some of the grandchildren, and great grandchildren. As time continued, it was uncomfortable for her to be moved, so she attended the services held at Kirkwood. Martha passed of old age, reaching 89 at the end of last October. She is preceded in death by her Mother and Father, parents-in-law, and several brothers/sisters in law. Survivors include her brothers, Bob(Betty)Gray, Jerry (Donna) Gray; sisters, Carolyn Davis and Cheryl Karber; sister-in-law Freda (Arlo); brother in law Melvin (Sherry) Shope; children, Kathy (Colin) Curry of Canyon Lake, TX, Danny (Ida) Shope of Memphis, TN, Gene (Lisa) Shope of Wichita, KS, and Tim Shope of Phoenix, AZ; grandchildren, Colin B (Brenda Curry) of Canyon Lake, TX, Krystal (Stan) Teat of New Braunfels, TX, Katrina (Matt) Blackwell of Chandler, OK, Kalyn Zeimann of Canyon Lake, TX, Katie (John) Maguire of Keene, TX, Kristiana Curry of Austin, TX, Kenzie Curry, Cadence Curry, and Courtland Curry all of Canyon Lake, TX, Jasmine (Mathew) Bledsoe, Memphis TN, Sonia (Dustin) Rambo, Memphis, TN, Aaron Shope, of OKC, Dorothy Celeste Shope of Wichita, KS, Fred (Misty) Shope of Wichita, KS, Meg (Court) Mann, of Wichita, KS, Rachel (Ian) Edwards of Wichita, KS, John Truman Shope of Wichita, KS, Joseph (Taylor) Shope of Oswego, OK, Samara Shope, of Wichita, KS, and Melonie Shope of Phoenix AZ; great grandchildren, Jordan, Riley, Spencer, and Gavin Curry; Kaila and Sydney Teat; Allie, Lexi, and Troy Blackwell; Delaney Maguire; Spencer Bledsoe; Kaylee, Evelyn & Lilly (twins) Shope; Annie, Elizabeth Shope; Zoey Mann; Adam, Violet, and Ben Shope; Also surviving is the memory of her beautiful smile. :D A memorial service will be held at University Church of Christ, 115 Country Estate Drive, San Marcos TX, 78666 at 11:00 on Saturday, March 3, 2018 In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Christian Relief Fund P.O.Box19607 Amarillo, TX 79114 www.christianrelieffund.org 800-858-4038

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  1. My condolences to the Shope families. I’m sorry to hear about the loss of dear Martha. Some Bible scriptures that have helped me during times of loss include Isaiah 26:19 and Psalm 37:28,29 which states in part: “Your dead ones will live…They will rise up”. And the Bible also says “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will forever reside upon them”. Therefore Bible promises that we may be reunited with our loved ones lost in death by means of an earthly resurrection. This is further confirmed by John 5:28,29 which says “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out”. This is possible thanks to Jesus Christ’s ransom sacrifice. Thus we have a genuine hope of everlasting life in a world without wickedness or suffering. I hope that these scriptures will be of some comfort to you.


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