Martha Ann Deaton
July 5th 1941- November 13th 2020
Martha Ann at three and a half months old
Growing Up in Banks
Martha Ann Deaton was born in Banks County, Georgia on July 5th, 1941 to Harve and Bertie Mae Deaton. Growing up in the 1940s, nestled in the quiet landscapes of rural Georgia, my grandmother came of age in a world quite different from today's modern comforts. She fondly recounted stories of her upbringing in a simple wooden-built home. Her everyday life also bore witness to challenges that are now distant memories. The absence of indoor plumbing meant that a trip to the outhouse was a regular excursion. Toilet paper was a luxury not readily available in their wooden-built home, leading to an ingeniously simple alternative: newspaper. When Martha was twenty months old, her newborn brother passed away the day he was born. Kenneth Wesley Deaton arrived too early and wasn't strong enough to make it. He died on March 13th, 1943 and is buried at Damascus Cemetery.
She attended Grady Elementary School from 1947 to 1950, located in Homer, Georgia. The school is no longer standing. She also regularly attended Damascus Baptist Church with her family. At some point in the early 1940's, the family decided to move to a new house a little closer to the church. This house was the only one that Martha Ann said she remembered in Georgia. In 1946, Martha's younger brother was born, Wayne Harry Deaton.
Martha Ann Deaton with her aunt Lucille Jackson
Top Row (L to R): Maud, Claude, Lucille Jackson
Bottom Row: Harve holding Martha Ann
Martha Ann's childhood home in Banks County, Georgia
L to R: Martha Ann, Maud Ausburn, and Wayne
L to R: Harve, Martha Ann, Bertie Mae
Martha Ann with her dog
Martha Ann in the early 1940s
Father: Harve Wesley Deaton
Mother: Bertie Mae Ausburn
Brother: Wayne Harry Deaton
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1st Husband: Stephen Duncan
Children: Daryll Duncan
2nd Husband: James Phillip Eury
Children: Angela Eury
3rd Husband: George Nural Sheppard
Martha Ann and father Harve Deaton
Martha Ann Deaton feeding her little brother Wayne
Bertie Mae holding Martha Ann in 1941
Recollections of Grady School written by Martha Ann Deaton
"I loved Miss Margie Caudell. She taught me in the first grade. She was our neighbor and gave me a little feist dog when I was born. Her name was Penny and I had her until I was eleven years old. When the Damascus road flooded near the old covered bridge, Monroe Boling would bring "Miss Grace" on the tractor through the water and meet us on the other side. Then Dad and I would take her to school with us. In the middle of the classrooms stood wood heaters. One of the older boys that lived near the school always started a fire in both rooms. No one used the upstairs then. Miss Winnie taught grades 1, 2, and 3, and "Miss Grace" taught grades 4, 5, 6, and 7. Parents would bring veggies to school and Miss Winnie would cook them on the old wood heater. We brought a bowl and spoon from home so we had something hot to go with our bagged lunch. The big boys took turns drawing a cool fresh bucket of water."
Martha Ann Deaton Grady School Picture
Martha Ann Deaton with her aunt Lucille Jackson
Grady School building in 2003
Mrs. Grace Boling
Mrs. Winnie Brown Kessee
Martha Ann Deaton with her grandaunt Maud Ausburn
L to R: Lucille Jackson, Martha Ann Deaton, Geraldine Watson
L to R: Harve, Wayne, Martha Ann, Bertie Mae
L to R: Martha Ann, Bertie Mae, Wayne
L to R: Martha Ann, Wayne, and Bobbie Jean Lewallen
L to R: Lucille, Bobbie Jean, Bertie Mae, Harve, Martha Ann
Martha Ann with her dogs (holding Penny)
Jack Peyton
In August of 2023, a seemingly routine decision led to a profound discovery that would reshape the understanding of one family's history. It all began when my mother decided to take a DNA test through Ancestry.com. Little did we know that the results of this test would unravel a hidden chapter in our family's past.
As the test results arrived, we were met with a shock that left us bewildered. Contrary to our expectations, the DNA analysis revealed that we did not share any DNA connection with the "Deaton" family, despite our longstanding belief that we were firmly rooted in this ancestral line. Even more bewildering was the fact that we shared 0% DNA with many of my grandmother Martha Ann Deaton's first cousins, individuals who were assumed to be close relatives. We were at a loss for what to make of this unexpected turn of events. However, as we delved deeper into the test results, another name emerged as a prominent clue. We noticed a significant number of first cousin matches with individuals bearing the surname "Peyton." The name struck a chord for my mom and I because we have a photograph from 1941 depicting a man named Jack Peyton holding a baby Martha Ann.
The photo I have of Jack Peyton holding Martha Ann Deaton (Writing on the back by Bertie Mae Ausburn)
With newfound determination, we embarked on a quest to uncover the truth behind the connection between the Deaton and Peyton families. Our journey led us to uncover a crucial piece of evidence in the form of Jack Peyton's World War II registration card. It revealed that Jack Peyton had been the farmhand for Harve Deaton, Martha Ann's father, back in 1940. The card listed Bertie Mae Deaton, Martha Ann's mother, as someone who would always know Jack Peyton's address. With this newfound information in hand, our quest led us to the last living link in the chain, Jack Peyton's only son, Ronald Peyton. At the age of 77, Ronald was surprised to receive our call, as he had always known about the existence of a half-sister living in North Carolina. However, he had never known her name or her identity. Our call offered him the long-awaited answers he had sought for many years. To confirm the connection, we convinced Ronald Peyton to take a DNA test. The results of the test confirmed our suspicions, as it revealed that he shared 9% DNA (634 centimorgans) with my mother, which is consistent with the genetic relationship of a half-uncle. It became increasingly clear that Jack Peyton was likely the biological father of Martha Ann Deaton. The revelation of this hidden family secret left us with a profound sense of empathy for Martha Ann and Harve Deaton, who possibly lived their entire lives without ever discovering the truth. The circumstances of how Bertie Mae Deaton became pregnant by Jack Peyton remain unknown, buried in the annals of time, and lost to history.
Jack Peyton is on the far right. Also shown are friends Hoyt Moss and Carl Maney
Jack Peyton WW2 picture; where he earned a purple heart
The Move to Cramerton
The family eventually decided to move to Cramerton, North Carolina on March 10th, 1950. Martha's father, Harve, had already been working in the mill there because farming was not productive enough to support the family. While working in the mill, he was living with his friend, Garnett Smith. He was eventually offered a job to be the caretaker for the Cramer farm and a house came with the job; therefore, Bertie and the children made the full time move to Cramerton. Martha was almost 9 years old and this was the first house she had lived in with a bathroom, running water, and electricity. Harve was working directly for Rebecca Cramer, Stewart Cramer's third wife. Stewart Cramer was the founder of Cramerton and lived in the famous Maymont Mansion on the top of Cramer mountain. Harve took care of Rebecca's land, surrounding the mansion. In the mornings, he would give a daily report to Mrs. Cramer, often when she was sitting on the toilet. Martha Ann and Wayne loved to go up to the mansion and visit. Every easter, Mrs. Cramer would make them Easter baskets and in return they would take Mrs. Cramer's brother, Mr. Tinkham, a dyed easter egg. Before Rebecca passed in 1957, she told Martha Ann she could have any piece of furniture from the mansion that she wanted. She picked a dining room chair, which is still in good condition today.
Even though the quality of life had improved, life was still difficult for her and the family. On Christmas Eve of 1953, while attending a church dinner at Friendship Baptist Church in Belmont, the family got red measles (also known as rubeola). Everyone had gotten better except for mother, Bertie Mae. Her measles turned into spinal meningitis. She laid in the hospital and went into a coma for 42 days. When she awoke, she was never quite right again and suffered physically and mentally. This caused a lot of tension between Bertie Mae and her daughter, Martha Ann. She would frequently tell her daughter that she is her father's child and Wayne was hers. On January 16th 1957, the Charlotte Observer announced that Martha Ann and Tommy J Cabe were engaged. This is something she never told anyone so it was a shock to find this in the newspaper. I spoke to Tommy in August of 2023, he told me that they neutrally decided to break off the wedding due to them being too young at the time.
There was a point where Martha had enough of Bertie being so mean to her. While Martha was ironing, Bertie had made a very rude remark to her. She had enough of it and told Bertie Mae off. This caused Bertie Mae to get a kitchen knife in attempt to attack her daughter. Martha said that she was so skinny and weak at that point due to her sickness, that she was able to simply take the knife away. Things did not get better for Bertie Mae; there were two instances where she had attempted suicide by drowning herself in the lake and Harve jumped in to pull her out. Harve had her committed to Broughton Mental Hospital on May 3rd 1954 and she was discharged on June 30th 1955.
1957 was a difficult year for the Deaton family. The tension between Martha Ann and her mother had heightened. Martha Ann, seeking solace, would frequently leave the house at night, reportedly visiting acquaintances from Baltimore Village, an African-American community in Cramerton. When I visited Baltimore Village on December 6th, 2023, locals who had resided there in 1957 instantly recalled Martha Ann's presence. According to their recollections, she had accused three men of rape, leading to their imprisonment. The men were: Clifford Hill, Bobby Shanks, and AC Anderson.
On Sunday, June 16th 1957 at 9:15 pm, Martha's mother, Bertie Mae Deaton, got a .32 pistol and shot herself in the right temple outside of their garage. Martha was 15 years old at the time. Martha's brother Wayne saw Bertie Mae take the gun outside and she told him "Do your mother one last favor and go back inside the house.” Wayne rushed in and told Martha Ann and she replied "She isn't going to do it.” According to Roy Gibson (Fred Gibson's younger brother), a few weeks prior to her death, Bertie Mae wrote a letter and gave it to her half brother, Boyd Jackson. The letter read, "Make sure Blackie takes care of my flowers.”
An African-American man whose father worked for Carothers Funeral Home, was supposed to be cleaning the hearse but instead took it out for a joy ride. This man and his four friends offered Martha Ann and her friend a ride. There was a routine traffic check but the man driving did not stop. This led to a high speed car chase with Martha Ann and her friend in the car. They ended up getting into a wreck. Martha Ann was 16 years old at the time while her friend was 15; therefore, Martha Ann was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was then sent off to training school. The town of Cramerton assumed that Martha and her friend were dating those black men. The local Ku Klux Klan heard about this and burned a cross in the Deaton's yard. Libby Gunter (Cramerton Local), vividly recalls that day. She told me that her dad was good friends with Martha's father, Harve Deaton, and when her father heard the news, he went to show him support; however, upon arrival in his truck with his daughter Libby, the KKK threatened to kill them if they didn't leave. Libby said it was the biggest cross she had ever seen and that the it was a very frightening moment.
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Martha and cousin at the New Cramerton Home
Charlotte Observer- January 16th 1957
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Martha Ann Deaton (Left) and her friend Betty Louise Smith (Right)
Martha Ann standing in the front yard of the Deaton household in Cramerton
Page 1 of The Gastonia Gazette December 7th 1957
Martha Ann on the front steps of the Deaton household in Cramerton
L to R: Martha Ann Deaton, Odell Meeler, Elsie Meeler
Martha and Wayne at the Maymont Mansion Pool
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L to R: Wayne, Bertie Mae, Martha Ann Deaton
Martha Ann Deaton on a Bison
Martha and Wayne at Kings Mountain U.S. Monument
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Tragedy continued to loom. On February 13th, 1960, a man by the name of John Robert Kendrick was attempting to break into the screen door of the Cramerton home of Harve, Wayne, and Martha Ann Deaton. At about 1:30 am, Martha Ann alerted her father that she heard a noise outside. Harve quickly got his .32 pistol and shot John Robert Kendrick in the head. Kendrick fell on the steps, the police were called and he was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Charlotte, where he was pronounced dead. Kendrick lived at 553 Baltimore Street with his mother, Sallie, and step-father, Jessie Williams. Prior to this incident, John Robert Kendrick was sentenced to state prison on October 1953 for two counts of burglary. He was then transferred to Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina in April 1956 until being released. Harve was quickly acquitted for the killing as it was an act of self defense. This is something Martha Ann never spoke about. It is believed she was partly traumatized by this and scared it would bring shame to the family. According the residents in Baltimore Village, they believed that John Robert Kendrick was drunk at the time and had just wandered to the wrong house that night. They also mentioned he had serious mental problems.
Gastonia Gazette February 13th 1960 Page 1
Martha Ann in front of her Cramerton Home
Duncan Marriage
Martha Ann married her first husband, Stephen Benjamin Franklin Duncan, on December 8th 1962 in South Point Township, Gaston, North Carolina. Martha Ann was 21 years old, Stephen was 19. The best man was Harold Wayne Hanna (1931-2010). The matron of honor was Betty Jean Davenport Best (1928-2009). Mary Bollick Stowe Dellinger was the organist.
Stephen became abusive and gave Martha a black eye on two different occasions. It is said that after the first one, Martha's father, Harve, gave him a warning. But after it happened again, Stephen was ran off at the end of Harve's pistol. Before the divorce finalized, Martha welcomed her first child, Daryll, on December 11th 1963. Martha and her son Daryll moved back in with her father, Harve, who was living in Concord at the time.
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Stephen and his father, Manus Duncan
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Martha and Stephen's mother, Lillian Odell Duncan
The Gastonia Gazette- December 9th 1962 Page 23
L to R: Mary Bollick Stowe (Organist), Albert Pressley Millan (Preacher), Harve Deaton, Martha Ann Deaton, Stephen Duncan, Betty Jean Best, Harold Hanna, Wayne Deaton, David Ross Dellinger (Singer)
Bridal shower hosted by Roxie Clark (A friend of Martha's who worked at the beauty shop with her)
Stephen and Martha at the Wedding
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Martha Ann with son, Daryll Duncan
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Harve Deaton with daughter Martha Ann
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Harve Deaton with Grandson, Daryll Duncan
Eury Marriage
One day after experiencing some issues with the sewing machine in the hallway of her fathers Concord farm house, Martha Ann, called Sears for a repair service. A man showed up in a Sears & Roebuck repair van. This man was James Phillip Eury. After quickly fixing the sewing machine, he asked if it would be acceptable for him to take Martha out on a date sometime. Martha agreed.
When the first date was coming up, it just so happened that Martha's son Daryll, got sick and threw up all over the living room rug right before he got there. Martha wasn't going to go but her father Harve said, "Sis, I'll look after the boy, go out and have fun.” The rest was history as James and Martha were perfect for one another. They got married on December 27th 1968 in Cabarrus County, North Carolina.
Things were going well and James bought a piece of land to build a house on. James and Harve had already started clearing the land to build, but when Martha got pregnant, they decided to buy a house already built at 129 Autumn Lane, Harrisburg, North Carolina. James and Martha welcomed their first daughter, Angela Renee Eury, on August 13th 1970. They also decided to accept a foster child into their home, Nora Biggers. The Eury's had a full house!
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L to R: Wayne, Daryll, Harve, Martha, James
The Wedding of James Eury and Martha Ann Deaton
The year was 1975 and James started to feel very sick. After going to the hospital, the doctors decided to do an exploratory surgery. During the surgery, there were complications and James went into a coma. James never woke up and died on November 17th 1975 from Hepatic Failure. Martha Ann was single yet again but this time with two children to care for.
Top (L to R): Martha Eury, James Eury
Bottom (L to R): Nora Biggers, Daryll Duncan, Angela Eury
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Martha and James with newborn daughter, Angela Eury.
Martha Ann Deaton Eury with husband, James Phillip Eury
Final Marriage and Later Years
Getting over the death of James Eury was quite difficult for Martha and the family. He was a good man that was loved by everyone that knew him. Martha had plenty to occupy herself through the difficult times. She was working to support her two children and also volunteering on the Harrisburg rescue squad. While on the rescue squad, she met a man named Joe Miller Morris. He was born July 3rd 1929. Joe and Martha started dating and things became very serious until Martha decided to break it off before marrying. The children were devastated because they really liked him. It is unknown the reason for breaking it off but it may have been because she felt he had a mean streak to him. He always drove really fast in the ambulance and slung Martha around in the back. Joe ended up dying just four years later.
Martha then began dating the captain of the rescue squad, George Nural Sheppard. He was born December 21st 1931 in Forest City, North Carolina. They got married on March 17th 1977. They were together for 41 years until his passing in 2018.
Martha in the Rescue Squad Yearbook
Now that Martha's family was stable, I wish I could say all the trials and tribulations were over; however, in early 1997, Martha discovered that she had stage four colon cancer. Around the same time, her father, Harve, passed away. Harve was buried on her birthday. A few years later, her younger brother, Wayne, died of heart failure. Despite all this, she was able to beat cancer and continue to persevere through the difficult times. I would like to say that the next 20 years were the best years of her life (2000-2020). This always reminds me that when you are upon bad times, sometimes the best thing to do is to wait it out. The bad times will pass and the best years of your life may still be ahead of you. Martha Ann Deaton died on November 13th 2020 near the beaches of North Carolina in Onslow County. She authored cookbooks and genealogy books. She loved crafts, cooking, canning, gardening, and sewing. Martha Ann was adored by her children and grandchildren. She will always be remembered as an exceptionally selfless and giving person. She is buried at the Salisbury National Cemetery beside her husband, George.
George and Martha Sheppard
Martha and George Sheppard celebrate Christmas with their children and grandchildren
