The Story We Inherit

My grandfather, Walter Anderson Martin, recounted some of his life to my aunt Judy. It’s a rich and personal account of many of his experiences.

“My grandfather on my father’s side was Joseph Eberley Martin, born November 10, 1852, near Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. (He is shown on the 1910 Census of Newton County, MO, as Joseph E. Martin – 56, born in MO.) His mother’s surname was Hathaway, and she was born in Scotland. His father (my great-grandfather) was also Joseph Martin, born in Tennessee, of French ancestry.
According to Noah Wales’ narrative, great-grandfather and an aunt, whose given name is not known, but whose married surname was Newdigger, inherited a plantation near Memphis, TN. The inherited property was given to them by an unmarried uncle. Great-grandfather left his share of the plantation to his sister because he disliked slavery. But he brought his family and the slaves he had inherited to Missouri in a covered wagon. When they arrived in Missouri, he freed the slaves.” (Martin, n.d.)

I do not know if my great-great-grandfather ever read Galatians 3:28, but he lived it. 

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)

He was born into a world that accepted injustice as normal. However, he did not keep it going. He questioned it, refused to profit from it, and gave up what was handed to him. That is his legacy.

On the other side of the family, my maternal grandfather, James Glenn, made a different kind of stand:

“Shortly after the death of their son James, the family moved to the Carterville area in Jasper County. According to family history, their home in Jasper County was burned by order of the Governor’s General Sterling Price. Because of the connection they had with the Army, James Glenn had also hauled some men to Carthage, MO to cast their votes for Abraham Lincoln. We believe Governor Price wanted them out of the state for these reasons.” (Martin, n.d.)

Voting for Lincoln was not about a party or platform. It was about conscience. And hauling others across the state to make sure their voices were heard? That wasn’t comfortable or easy. That was courage with calluses on it.

Micah 6:8 says it simply.  “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Our ancestors did not always get it right. None of us do. Nevertheless, when someone chooses justice when they could have chosen comfort, that story is worth telling.

The writer of Hebrews said, “By faith… he went out not, knowing where he was going… having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:8, 13). That line always hits me. It was not just Abraham; it also described Joseph Martin and James Glenn. They did not know what would happen when they left their land or stood up to the powers around them, but they did it anyway.

Some people inherit wealth, some inherit silence, but every one of us inherits a story. We don’t get to change the beginning, but we do get to choose how it continues.

‌‌‌‌~PW 🌮🛶‌

Sources:

• Martin, J. (Comp.). (n.d.). My Ancestors: Oral history of Walter Anderson Martin [Unpublished family manuscript]. Private collection of Phillip Martin.