Minerd.com Biography of Elmas and Lucy Estella (Bedillion) Martin of Washington, PA

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Lucy Estella (Bedillion) Martin
(1885-1967)

Lucy and Elmas Martin

Lucy Estella (Bedillion) Martin was born on Jan. 29, 1885 in Washington County, PA, the daughter of John M. and Catherine (Miner) Bedillion.

On Sept. 26, 1905, when she was 20 years of age, Lucy married 25-year-old Elmas Martin (June 29, 1879-1936), the son of I.N. (or B.F.) and Eliza (Lowery) Martin of Greene County, PA.

Lucy's brother Norton graciously paid to have their wedding portrait made.

The couple did not reproduce over their three decades of marriage.

Wedding portrait

The Martins resided for many decades was in Washington's West End, with an address of 880 Addison Street. Among their neighbors on Addison Street at times were Lucy's widowed father, niece Hazel (Lindley) Headley and her husband Edward, cousins George and Nancy (Birch) Mattax and extended family friends James C. and Margaret "Ellen" (White) Cain.

Lucy seems to have enjoyed visiting with her mother's Miner relatives. She is known to have had a special bond with her first cousin, Minnie (Miner) Gary of near Kingwood, Somerset County, PA. Lucy was seven years older than Minnie.

Both Lucy and Elmas were "faithful" members of West Washington Methodist Episcopal Church, where Elmas was a member of its board of trustees and a member of its men's Bible class, and Lucy as one of its stewards. Circa 1917, he was a member of the church's male chorus circa 1917 with members including his brothers-in-law William R. Bedillionand Golie C. Bedillion and first cousin Harry Orlan Miner as well as their pastor Rev. W.W. Hodge and friends Charles Schrader, George Miller, S.L. Bradford, L.M. Dragg, Wilson Yeager, William Boswell, Albert Morris, Louis Jones and Jacob Schrader.

Several of Lucy's cousins also were long-time members of the West Washington congregation, including William Allen Miner, Ward C. Miner, Emma Elizabeth (Miner) White and Lynn Forrest and Grace Olive (Miner) White.

Lucy was active in many church committees and women’s issues. She belonged to the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), Women's Missionary Society and Women's Society of Christian Service (WSCS) and served for many years on their local boards. In the 1950s, she was involved with the church's Orion Class, which counted among its members her first cousin Emma (Miner) White and cousin-by-marriage, Armena (Cain) Miner Marshall.

As with her brothers William and Golie, Lucy appears to have been interested in her Miner and Younkin heritage. The brothers helped to found a "Henry Miner Reunion, held in 1928-1931 in Washington, PA and Wheeling, WV over the next four years. At the gathering on Aug. 9, 1930, at Washington Park, Lucy was elected treasurer to succeed Golie. The Washington Reporter and the Washington Observer both reported there was "a good attendance. The afternoon was taken up with games and conversation. At 6 o'clock a picnic dinner was served."

Tyler Tube's manufacturing plant in Washington

Obituary, 1936

For more than a quarter century, Elmas worked as a laborer for the Tyler Tube & Pipe Company in Washington. Then in about 1927 he left Tyler , said the Washington Daily Reporter, "for the last nine years [of his life he] was an employe of the Molybdenum Corporation." The Lolybdenum company produced a host of steel products combined into alloys which resulted in a number of hazardous byproducts.

Elmas underwent surgery of some type in February 1928 and fortunately recovered. But in October 1935 he was diagnosed with cancer of his left lung. He suffered for the final five months of his life as the disease spread to the bones in his skull and ribs. He underwent surgery, and many tests were taken, but his body was too sick.

Sadly, he died at their home on Addison Street at the age of 56 on March 26, 1936. Funeral rites were conducted in the family church, presided by Rev. John H. Debolt. The remains were laid to rest in Washington Cemetery, with an obituary appearing in a local newspaper. His other survivors included his stepmother, sisters Mrs. Ellsworth Wilson of Washington and Mrs. Charles Small of Houston, and brothers Bradford Martin and Guy Martin, both of Washington.

Lucy outlived her husband by more than 30 years. She kept herself busy through volunteer work at the West Washington Church, including the Aletheia Bible Class.

She was photographed circa 1960 with her three brothers, Nort, Will and Golie. The photograph is believed to have been taken circa 1960 at Nort's home.

Lucy and brothers Nort, Will, Golie

Toward the end of her life, Lucy opened her home to her nephew John Bedillion. As her health declined, she was admitted to Millers' Nursing Home in Buffalo Township, Washington County. She was burdened with hardening of the arteries and was stricken by a heart attack in June 1967. While she survived the initial attack, congestive pneumonia developed, and she passed away at the age of 82 on June 17, 1967. She is buried beside her husband.

Years later, in about 1981, cousins of the Farabee branch visited Lucy's cousin Minnie Gary at her home in Somerset County. Afterward, when Minnie sent them a card, and, not knowing whether Lucy was dead or alive, she asked, "Did you hear [any word] from Emma [White] or Lucy Martin?"