"Come To Me"

God saw you were getting tired
And a cure was not to be,
So He put His arms around you
And whispered, "Come To Me."

With tearful eyes we watched you,
And saw you pass away,
Although we loved you dearly,
We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands at rest,
God broke our hearts to prove to
us, He only takes the Best.

The following was written by Billy himself, as a tribute to his beloved grandmother...

Lula Kate Martin was a very sweet and kind-hearted woman.  Anyone in Long County who knew her would say that she was the sweetest lady around, so easy-going, so loving and willing to help anyone in any way she could.  She lived a hard life, but she was happy most of the time, and her main concern was her two grandchildren, me and my sister Katie.

All my grandmother ever talked about was seeing me graduate from high school.    When I was born she was diagnosed with lung cancer and the doctor gave her 2 years, at the most, to live.  She refused to believe that and always said that she would live long enough to see me graduate, and that she did.

Throughout my childhood, my grandmother left the house many times in an attempt to escape her abusive husband, my granddaddy, Thurman Martin.  However, she always came back because granddaddy would threaten her life as well as the lives of me and Katie.  I lived with my grandparents since I was 3 days old and Katie lived with them on and off throughout her life.

The last time my grandmother left the household was in 1993.  At that time she became very sick, was hospitalized and was told that if she left again an attempt would be made on my life.  She couldn't walk more than 20 feet without gasping for air but she refused to stop living.  At this point she was in a wheelchair most of the time when she went anywhere.  My granddaddy was ashamed to be seen with her in public like this.  When he did go shopping with her he would always leave before check-out to keep from being seen with her.

In 1994 I was still a junior in high school but started Vo-Tech college.  My grandmother was glowing with joy, she was so proud!  I went on 2 years at college and came back to walk with my senior class in 1996.  She was so proud, but was also very sick and confined to a wheelchair with an oxygen bottle.  At my graduation she was so full of joy!  This was in June and my granddaddy wouldn't even stand by her in the graduation room.  He stood on the other side of the room, said it was a better view but it was the same from both sides.  That hurt her so bad but she was so happy because she had seen her baby grow up!  8 months later she died - her life's mission was complete.  She had defied the doctors by living 16 years longer than they said was possible.

Lula Kate Martin was an extraordinary woman.  She endured a lifetime of abuse, heartache and pain.  She is survived by 2 children - Diana Stanton and Dean Martin.  She also had 2 other children who died at or before childbirth.  Noone gives credit to them or many probably don't even know about them.  But I do.  I have seen her cry when she was talking about them, even though she only knew them briefly.  Their names were David and Kathleen and they were born before Dean and Diana.  I'm not sure exactly what happened, pregnancy complications are all that I remember.

Not a day goes by when I don't miss you, Mama.  I love you!

-Billy