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Martha Garner Chandler of Athens, AL, died Wednesday, March 6, 2024, after an extended illness. The family will receive friends from 1:30-3:30 PM, Sunday, March 10 at Spry Funeral Home. The funeral, with Odis Duncan officiating, will be held at 3:30 PM, immediately following visitation at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Dement Cemetery.
Survivors include her husband, Donald Wade Chandler of Athens; son Grant Garner Chandler and wife Allison of Madison, AL; daughter Morgan Chandler Yohn and husband Brandon of Loxley, AL; four grandchildren; many nephews and nieces; and many friends. Martha was preceded in death by her brother, Douglas Garner.
Martha was born July 19, 1948, in Athens, AL, to Alfred and Bertha “Momma Bert” Garner. After graduating from Athens College, where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity for Women, she served as an English/Spanish teacher for 37 years, most of those at Tanner High School. She was a devoted member of Mt. Carmel Church of Christ where 4 generations of her family have worshipped.
After some years of pestering Grant and Morgan when she would be a grandmother, Motty’s greatest joy became her grandchildren: Natalie, Lincoln, Chandler, and Harrison.
Martha spent her life in service through educating her students (sometimes against their will), directing plays, volunteering with various charities, caring for the sick and widows of her Church family, becoming caregiver for her aging mother, and being a steadfast beacon for her husband, children, and friends.
“She seemed to know that if she swayed, the family shook. And if she really deeply wavered or despaired, the family would fall…” –The Grapes of Wrath
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mt. Carmel Church of Christ, 7805 U.S. 72 West, Athens, AL, 35611; the Houston Memorial Library Foundation, P.O. Box 1650, Athens, AL 35612; or the TIE Foundation, P.O. Box 770, Athens, AL, 35612
