Martha Stelling Christian of Fripp Island South Carolina died on Tuesday October 22 2013. The family did receive friends in the Fellowship Hall of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church at 405 King Street from five to seven thirty in the evening on Thursday October 24 2013. A memorial service was held at St. John's Lutheran Church at 157 Lady's Island Drive Beaufort SC at two o'clock in the afternoon on Friday October 25 2013. A private burial service did follow at Magnolia Cemetery in Augusta Georgia. Mrs. Christian was born in Augusta Georgia on May 29 1921 the daughter of Frank and Rhetta Stelling. She was pre-deceased by her husband Dr. Richard Morton Christian and is survived by their four children Dr. Elizabeth Stelling Christian of Charleston Margaret Christian Pope wife of Gary Tusten Pope of Columbia Dr. Richard Morton Christian Jr. husband of Patricia Young Christian of Greenwood Thomas Charles Christian husband of Deborah Trammell Christian of Taylors and by eight grandchildren Gary Tusten Pope Jr. husband of Faith Marett Pope Elizabeth Christian Pope Richard Morton Christian III Jody Lee Christian Ann Stelling Pope Tyson Evers Christian Lara Ann Christian and Rhetta Truluck Christian. Mrs. Christian graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 1943. She and Dr. Christian were married during her senior year on the sixth of March 1943 and shortly thereafter Dr. Christian was called to active duty in the United States Army Medical Corps in the European theatre. During the War she worked as a home health nurse in the mountainous backwoods of Tennessee. After his return from military service Dr. Christian finished his residency in Nashville Tennessee and then completed a fellowship in Rochester New York. In 1950 they moved to Greenwood South Carolina where they raised their four children. Mrs. Christian was active in school and community affairs in Greenwood. Here she initiated a vision screening program for all elementary school students and secured glasses and medical care for those in need. She also began a reading program for elementary school students in order to ensure that all children could read at their proper level. She also assisted her daughter Dr. Elizabeth Christian as her nurse in Walterboro South Carolina. In 1991 they retired to Fripp Island South Carolina. She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Beaufort where she served on the Altar Guild and continued her community outreach through Martha's Animals which provides a homemade stuffed animal to each child that visits local emergency rooms. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church of Beaufort South Carolina or to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church of Charleston South Carolina. The family would like to extend special thanks to all of her physicians and caregivers Shirley Chaplain Chanda Bumchamb Sharon Guillard Sandy Black and Sabrina Smith with special thanks to Dr. Judy Haile Dr. Georgia Roane Dr. Austin Ball Dr. Telfair Parker Dr. Wills Geils and Dr. Eric Jablon. Online condolences can be left for the family at www.whitakerfuneralhome.com. Whitaker Funeral Home of Newberry is assisting the family.