Susan Irene Martin, age 42, resident of 36529 Tryonville Road, Centerville, PA 16404, died Friday, March 1, 2013 in a traffic accident.
Born in Columbiana, Ohio on September 6, 1970, Susan was the daughter of Clarence and Edith Steiner Horst of Mousie, KY. On September 6, 1991, she married Wesley Ray Martin and he survives. She accepted Christ as her Saviour and was baptized in her youth. She was a faithful member of the Blooming Valley Mennonite Fellowship at the time of her death. Susan was accompanied in death by a son, Melvin Dale, age 3 years and 7 months. He was born on July 28, 2009 in Greenville, PA.
In addition to her husband, and parents, Susan is survived by seven sons and one daughter – Curtis, Edwin, Nathan, Steven, Marcus, Jewel, Karl, and Daniel, all of Centerville, PA.; six brothers – John and his wife, Lorene of Townville; Jesse and his wife, Esther of Rochester, WA; David and his wife, Christine of Willis, VA; Timothy and his wife, Karen of Dublin, GA; Robert and his wife, Abbie of Pueblo, CA; and Junito of Mousie, KY; seven sisters – Carol and her husband, Lloyd Mast of Beloit, WI; Esther and her husband, David Tubac of Hindman, KY; Lillian and her husband, Ronald Steiner of Augusta, WI; Loretta and her husband, Noah Derstine of Lena, WI; Rachel and her husband, Jerry Witmer of Alturas, CA; Mary and her husband, Sheridan Baer of Coaldale, AB, Canada; Marilyn and her husband, Vernon Miller of Coaldale, AB, Canada; and her maternal grandmother – Esther Steiner of Dalton, OH.
Friends may call at the French Creek Mennonite Church, Route #408, Cambridge Springs on Tuesday from 2-4 and 6-8. Funeral services will be held Wednesday morning at 10:00 at the New Beginnings Church, Leslie Road, Meadville. Interment will be held at the Bloomimg Valley Mennonite Fellowship Cemetery.
Dear Clanrence and Edith,
We are saddened and sorrow with you as we received the news of your family’s loss. It seems hard to understand God’s Ways at times, but we know His Ways have purpose and plan. So we’ll be praying for you that God will comfort each one and give grace and strength for the days ahead.
We’d like to share a verse and a number of poems –
Is. 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; aned through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
THINGS JUST DON’T HAPPEN
Things just don’t happen to us who love God,
They’re planned by His own dear hand.
then molded, and shaped, and timed by His clock,
Things just don’t happen; they’re planned.
We just don’t guess on the Issues of life;
We Christians just rest in the Lord.
We are directed by His Sovereign will,
In the light of His Holy Word.
We who love Jesus are walking by faith,
Not seeing one step that’s ahead,
Not doubting one moment what our lot might be,
But looking to Jesus instead.
We praise our dear Savior for loving us so,
For planning each care of our life;
Then giving us faith to trust Him for all
The blessings, as well as the strife.
Things just don’t happen to us who love God,
To us that have taken our stand;
No matter the lot, the course, or the praise,
Things don’t just happen; they’re planned.
WOULD WE TRULY LONG FOR HEAVEN
Would we truly long for heaven,
If this life was perfect here,
If we had no pain or heartaches,
If we never shed a tear,
If we had no disappointments
And our dreams would all come true,
Could we keep the heavenly vision?
And the deep eternal view?
Would we truly long for heaven,
At the ending of the road,
If our backs were never bleeding
From the burden of the load.
If the sun was always shining,
If we never felt a gale,
Would we long for heaven’s harbor,
To be safe within the vale?
Yes, dear Savior, we are longing
To be safe on heaven’s shore,
And these trials only make us,
Long for heaven more aned more,
And we see that you are using,
Every trial of each day,
As a tug from heaven’s anchor
Just to pull us heaven’s way.
GOD KNOWS BEST
Our Father knows what’s best for us,
So why should we complain –
We always want the sunshine,
But He knows there must be rain –
We love the sound of laughter
And the merriment of cheer,
but our hearts
would lose their tenderness
If we never shed a tear…
Our Father tests us often
With suffering and with sorrow,
He tests us,
not to punish us,
But to help us meet Tomorrow…
for growing trees are strengthened
When they withstand the storm,
And the sharp cut of the chisel
Gives the marble grace
and form….
God never hurts us needlessly,
And He never wastes
our pain,
for every loss He sends to us
Is followed by rich gain…
And when we count the blessings
that God has so freely sent,
We will find no cause
for murmuring
And no time to lament….
For Our Father loves His children,
And to Him all things
are plain,
So He never sends us Pleasure
When the Soul’s Deep Need Is Pain…
So whenever we are troubled,
And when everything goes wrong,
It is just God working in us
To make
Our Spirit Strong.
by Helen Steiner Rice
Bless you these days.