Martha Gause

Mrs. Martha Bernice  Johnson Gause  at an early age attended Cedar Falls Missionary Baptist Church. As a child,  she was baptized in Drake Pond near Cedar Falls; Baptist Church and was saved by the Holy Spirit of God. As a little girl, she was always proud to ride to church  with her grandparents John K. and Martha Witherspoon in a horse and buggy. Martha later became a member of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, where her parents, the late  John Henry Johnson and the late Rebecca Witherspoon Johnson were members and her little sister, Grace are buried, and their souls are Resting In Heavenly Peace. 

Martha attended  Keys School in Brownsville Middle School located in Marlboro County in Bennettsville, South Carolina and Bennettsville High School in Blenheim, South Carolina prior to moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to complete her schooling and  live with Aunt  Diana Hodges.  

Martha always loved helping children and prior to meeting and marrying the love of her  life  the late Mr. Handy Gause, she always took care of her Mom and Dad, and was always there for her family.  Her favorite sayings was "I can't Thank God enough, I can't Thank God enough, I can't Thank God enough because God has been So  Good to me .

Martha was preceded in death by her parents, John Henry and Rebecca Witherspoon Johnson; her grandparents, John K. and Martha Ann Witherspoon; two brothers, John Wayne Johnson and Thomas McCall; two sisters, Ruth Ellen Turner and Grace Rebecca Johnson.

Those who are left to cherish the memories of Mrs. Martha Bernice Johnson Gause are: her husband of over 70 years, Mr. Handy Gause; four children, Laverne (James, III) Mackrey of Florence, South Carolina, Deborah L. Hartley of Florence, South Carolina, Handy Gause, Jr. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Dee (Ronald) Sisco of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; grandchildren Grainger-Carter of Florence, South Carolina and Elizabeth Kelly Anderson of Florence, South Carolina; thirteen grandchildren, Deidra Mackrey, Angela (Lee) Jones, Sharon Mackrey, James Mackrey, IV, Ramona (Jaron) Faison, Demetrius (She’teriha) Hartley, James (Margaret) Hartley, Jr., Darnell Smith, Shelique Sisco, Malik Sisco, John Hatch, Jr., Tiffany Sisco, and Ke’on Sisco; twenty-six great grandchildren, Antoine Whitfield, Anthony Whitfield, Andrew Whitfield, Chantal Farmer, Cheyanne Farmer, Jazmyne Kittrell, Auriel Whitfield, Kevin Faison, Kaleb Faison, Shailyn Jones, Sydney Lewis, Dominic James Hartley, Jamari Hartley, James J. Hartley, Maya Hartley, Darnell Smith, Jr, Dakota Smith, Jy’eair Sisco, Zykhir Sisco, Zyfir Sisco, Caprice Sisco, Adino Hatch, Haven Whitaker, Halo Sisco, and Harper Hatch; four great great-grandchildren, Amani Whitfield, Azayd Whitfield, Cassidy-Ann Whitfield, and Adeline Hartley; two sisters, Mary Alice (Ham) Cummings and Diane Jenkins-White; and three brother, Tom Allen Jenkins, Henry Kaiser Johnson, and William Kadell Johnson.

Martha Bernice Gause will be deeply missed by a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, New Ebenezer Church Family, and friends.

Family visitation will be 2PM-6PM, Wednesday, December 28, 2022 through Friday, December 30, 2022 at 3802 Shamrock Dr., Florence (Tara Village Subdivision). 

Please keep the family of Martha Gause in your thoughts and prayers.