Brenda Sue Martin

Brenda Sue Martin

December 6, 1951 - March 7, 2025

Brenda Sue (Laws) Martin of Knoxville, Tennessee, was born December 6, 1951. She departed this life on March 7, 2025, at her home to experience the completion of the Eternal Life in Jesus that she began as a young girl living across the road from the Liberty Baptist Church.

Her parents were the late John F. Laws and Nawana (Nelson) Laws of the Liberty (Red Brush) community. One brother, Russell Eugene Dugger, preceded her in death as well.

She is survived by her forever grateful to have been her husband for 53+ years, Rev. Roger Douglas Martin; three children: Stephen Douglas Martin (Carol), Tara Lynnette Martin, and Karen Danielle Martin; nine grandchildren on whom she doted: Renee Martin, Korion Knight, Zion Bruno, Adelle Martin, Fiona Bruno, Zeke Bruno, Ky’Ree Charles, Kamari Charles and Kendrick Charles; siblings: Curtis Dugger (Phyllis), John F. Laws, Jr. (Aliene), and Sharon Faye (Laws) Jones (Larry).

Brenda graduated from Lynn Camp High School in Knox County, Kentucky, earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and her Master’s Degree from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.

Brenda very capably managed her roles of wife, mother, pastor’s wife, missionary, and educational professional. The impact of her life is evidenced by the ongoing love and appreciation for her by her family, congregants of churches where she served alongside her pastor husband, the national partners in the foreign lands in which she lived as well as the high esteem of her missionary colleagues.

 

Brenda began her professional career that spanned across nations and oceans as a teacher in the Knox County school system. Her educational expertise led her to elementary teaching positions in Northern Kentucky as well. Subsequent to being called to International Missions, she taught ESL in different churches in Taiwan and English to the staff of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, Taiwan. Her expansive career included serving as the Bible Study Fellowship Teaching Leader in Shanghai, China and serving to establish and implement programs of language learning and cultural acquisition in the Chinese, Indonesian, and Japanese languages for missionaries of the International Mission Board in Asia and Southeast Asia. After her “retirement,” Brenda was the Nurturer-in-Chief for her pastor husband in furthering the flourishing ministries of the International English Congregational component of the Grace Baptist Church in Taipei, Taiwan that maintained ministries to India and the Philippines until her return to America. She continued to love and nurture her husband, children, grandchildren, and other family members until her PROMOTION TO GLORY came through. Proverbs 31:29 well illustrates her life where it is written, “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” NKJV

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in the Hart Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. John Keith and Rev. Kevin Roach officiating.   Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery with Rev. Kevin Roach presiding over the committal service. Pallbearers will be Stephen Martin, Korion Knight, Zion Bruno, John Laws, Jr., Larry Jones, and Mark Keith.

The family will receive friends from 12 – 2 P.M. Tuesday at Hart Funeral Home, located at 1011 Master Street Corbin, Kentucky 40701.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Samaritan’s Purse for hurricane and flood relief.