From the Winston Herald, 12/4/1914
Submitted by Robin Sterling

Obituary. Mrs. Martha Curtis, widow of Uncle Bill Curtis, in his time one of the most prominent citizens, who preceded her to the glory world several years ago, died in Double springs, last Wednesday morning. Her remains were interred in the cemetery at Gum Pond the day following. The deceased was the mother of a large and gifted family, many of whom now have “silver threads among the gold” as a reminder that they, too, are nearing life’s sunset. They are some of our best citizens to-wit: Mr. James Curtis, Mr. Calvin Curtis, Mr. Pinkney Curtis, Mrs. B.H. Drake, Mrs. Slaten, Mrs. Haynes Drake, Mrs. Ben Morgan, Mrs. F.M. Revis, Mrs. Mat. Holsomback, all of whom visited her during her sickness and saw that she had every attention that loving hearts could suggest and tender, willing hands could render.

As the death dew gathered on her marble brow, around her bedside gathered her “girls” and “boys”—always girls and boys to her, though now grown to mature years—with boys and girls around their own firesides. The life so long interwoven with theirs, with tearful eyes they watched as it, slowly but surely passed over the river. The love of a mother for her children passeth human understanding. The boys and girls that gathered about the cot of this dying mother and so bravely prayed that the Death Angel might pass her by, had long ago passed out from this little home circle. Business cares and their own home circles have encroached upon their time, may have robbed mother of their companionship, but she was ever just the same; rejoicing in their successes and grieving at their misfortunes. They may have grown away from her, but she had never from them; they were still her boys and girls.

Vain is any attempt to measure the loss of a mother to her children; after all the poets have sung and lovers dreamed, outside of heaven there is no love like mother love.

[Martha J. Curtis, 1834 – 1915, Mt. Olive Cemetery, (Bankhead Forest); wife of William Verpo Curtis. Actual date of death was 2 Dec 1914]