Momma
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
MOMMA
Florence Ford Martin was born on August 4th, 1923, in the Hurricane Creek community near Gurley, Alabama, to Pearlie Brooks Ford and George Ford. She was the third of eight daughters, along with stepbrothers George and Robert.
She attended a one-room pre-school house in Hurricane Creek, Hurricane Elementary School of Gurley, Alabama, and Councill High School of Huntsville, Alabama.
Education was simple, faith was central, and hard work was a way of life.
Mother Florence Martin retired from Hill Haven Nursing Home as a cook. Raised by sharecroppers and the granddaughter of formerly enslaved Americans, she learned early that dignity was earned through perseverance rather than possessions.
Growing Up in Hurricane Creek
Sisters for Life
- 1. Martha Jane
- 2. Mary
- 3. Florence
- 4. Ozell
- 5. Annie Bell
- 6. Georgia
- 7. Ernesteen
Stepbrothers
- 1. Robert (R.H.)
- 2. George Jr.
The Values That Shaped Her
She was an active member of Zion Progress Missionary Baptist Church, proudly serving in the choir and on the Mother's Board. She was also a dedicated member of the Silver Jewel Order of Eastern Star, Chapter #508, O.E.S.
— 1 Corinthians 13:13
Verses like these became the foundation upon which she endured the death of one child and successfully raised eleven children.
The Mother I Knew
Momma never preached about hard work. She lived it.
She never asked us to become successful. She asked us to become good people.
I never drank, smoked, or used drugs—not because someone forced me, but because I couldn't bear the thought of disappointing her.
The Gift She Gave Me
When Auburn offered me a football scholarship, my mother and father drove me to school. Daddy drove. Momma sat in the middle. I sat by the passenger door.
Years later, after I reached the NFL, Momma told me never to come back home.
It took me years to understand what she meant. Today I believe she wasn't pushing me away. She was trying to save me. She knew the environment I had escaped.
"She wanted me to keep moving toward the life she had prayed for."
