Meet my Grandmother Martie Church Elzey. One of the best, most genuine, giving human beings to ever grace the planet Earth.

Now, if you are from Salisbury, Nanticoke or Delmar, Maryland you know of her, or have heard of her.  She was born in or around 1913 (She wouldn’t let anyone know her exact age, and kept her black smudge stick for her hair lol) in Delmar, Md. My family’s farms are found in Delmar, MD on the following streets Foskey Lane and Connelly Mill Rd. Back down the long dirt lane (the original land on Connelly Mill Rd) there is a small private family burial plot in the trees. I saw it once as a child and on the day I did see it, there was one lone white lily growing there.

My Grandmother was one of 3 siblings. She had a sister named Grace and a brother named Harry.

My mother’s name was Eunice and she was lovingly raised, as was I, by my Grandmother.

My Grandmother was a well known and well respected school teacher in Wicomico Maryland. She educated some of the area’s best future educators, school principles etc. She was married to my Grandfather Robert T. Elzey for 48 years until he passed away in 1986. She loved him with her entire heart and she was as strong as she could be and continued in life as best she could, however she was never the same without him.

She always encouraged my love of music, art and fashion. She allowed me to experience violin, chorus, playing clarinet and being in a marching band. She understood my underlayers of anxiety and fitting in and when I was scared she was always there. One of the greatest things I remember about her was that each year until 6th grade she would ride behind the school bus so I could see her to calm my angst.

I have also been afraid of the dark my entire life and my grandmother slept with me every night in bed to make sure I felt safe and secure. Something other family members and her husband didn’t agree with. This is who she was, if she loved you it was complete. There was no shortage of hugs and kisses. No shortage of sacrifice.  She was the best example of beauty, grace and love, and those are things she taught me.

One of the things we never did that we promised each other we would do together is go to Hawaii to see and touch the black sand. I look forward to one day going and jarring some in her honor.

No matter the family function, the summer trips to Aunt Janie’s etc. Everyone, and I mean everyone, loved Aunt Tealy as she was lovingly called. Everyone especially loved her secret recipe Tea and any pie that she would make!

She may have been only 4 ft 11” in stature, but her height in character was taller than any man you will ever meet.

We had such good talks, and laughed and cried while sitting at the round wooden dinner table watching TV. I miss her dearly. I wish as a teenager I had spent more time listening and heeding her warnings about life and that I had stayed on the path that would have made her proud. I do also wish I would have not been such a brat on several occasions and not been in such a hurry to meet boys and be an adult.

This wedding is about my love for my Groom Brandon, but without her I would not have known how to love, or how to show it. When she passed I was young and not able to really honor her or my childhood  home at 211 Delaware Avenue as I would have wanted to.  

Today on May 14 2023, I celebrate a life that was touched by Martie C. Elzey and all that she taught me. I celebrate her and memorialize her in the way I feel she deserves. Thank you for coming and thank you for reading.

I did it Mom Mom, I got back to who I really am and I found a man I know you would have loved. He’s intelligent, from a good family and loves me in spite of it all. So If you are looking down, or better yet if you are here with me, thank you for your gifts while you were here to guide me.

Sidenote:

She is with me at the wedding in several ways. 

In the photos of us with me in a dotted white robe, that is an adult version of the christening gown photo of me that sat in our home my entire life.

My Veil featured Tealy 5-14

My hairstyle, perfume and lip color are all her looks and color and scent. 

Cherries in the snow lip color by Revlon

And Chanel No. 5. ( Her second favorite scent was Estee Lauder Youth Dew)

Martie C Elzey

May 14 1913 to May 9 1993

Happy Birthday In Heaven!!!