Martha E. Shipman passed from this temporal life to the eternal life in Christ Jesus on the morning of December 21, 2024, 11 days after her 79th birthday. She was the wife of Pastor Don Shipman for over 61 years.

Martha was born in Atlanta, Ga on December 10, 1945, the daughter of the late Calvin Haygood and Ellen Gravlin Haygood. She graduated from East Rome High School where she excelled academically and also played basketball, earning the title of "Mighty Mouse". Martha was a talented artist and poet. At the age of 16 she met the love of her life at the local teen club and married him at the age of 17 on July 1, 1963. Throughout the next 61 years Martha would live in numerous states, including the Isle of Panama. Every event in her family and friends lives were celebrated with her decorating creativity, her cooking and baking and her incredible talent with scrapbooks and genealogy.  Her life's passion was to follow hard after Jesus and love her family with everything she had.

In 1975 Martha was called to ministry along with Don and together with their three daughters, they founded the Women's Gospel Mission, which grew from their rented home to 3 buildings in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The complete story of the mission can be obtained in the published book "From Rags to Righteousness", written by Don.

The mission provided homeless women and their children free, clean housing, a safe place to live, good food, and clothing, while presenting a Christian home life that most were unaware existed. The effect of a loving and caring environment changed many lives and led hundreds to Christ. Martha was the cornerstone, lighthouse, and solid rock of faith, sacrificing herself in the love of Jesus to minister to the castaways. The mission received over 400 women and children each year from 1976 to 1990. To this day many of them are still "family" because of the heart of Martha.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents.

Survivors include her sister, Lila New, and brothers, Sonny Haygood (Gisela) and Carl Haygood (Denise). Her husband, Don; three daughters, Michelle Cole, Holly Freedman (Alan), and Vicki Templeton. Grandchildren are Jacob Waters, Tori Polk (Jessep), Jacey Freedman, Rachel Templeton, Alex Templeton and Noah Templeton. Several nieces and nephews also survive.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 2 p.m. at North Red Bank Baptist Church, 4701 McCahill Rd, Red Bank, TN 37415.  Rev. Don Shipman will be officiating.

The family will receive friends at the church one hour prior to the Memorial service.

Share your memories and express condolences to the family on their guestbook.