Martha Ann Lanier Nowell, age 86, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 20, 2021. A Graveside Service will be conducted on Saturday, August 28, 2021, at 10:00 AM in Trinity Cemetery with Rev. Sammy Tillman officiating. Burial will follow in Trinity UMC Cemetery in the Nutbush Community. Martha attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN and graduated from Union University in Jackson, TN. She was a long-time resident of Brownsville and worked as a social worker with the TN Department of Human Services. She was a follower of Christ and loved the Lord. Martha is survived by her two children, Millie Duke (David) of Brownsville, TN and Mark Lanier of Los Angeles, CA; three grandchildren, Natalie Duke Francis (M.D.) (Hugh), Anna Elizabeth Duke and James David Duke. Martha was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Roy and Mildred Jones Lanier. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorials to Trinity UMC Cemetery Fund, Mary Jane Baggett, 74 Tibbs-Forked Deer Rd., Brownsville, TN 38012, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908. All arrangements and services are under the direction of Lea & Simmons Funeral Home in Brownsville, TN.
