Martha Wathen

Martha Catherine Wathen, 96, of Tell City, Indiana peacefully passed away at The Village at Hamilton Pointe in Newburgh, Indiana on November 25, 2013 where she had been a resident since July 11, 2013. Born Martha Catherine Horsman on April 8, 1917 in Whitesville, Kentucky to John Samuel Horsman and Mary Agnes Edge, she was one of five children and was orphaned at a very early age as both of her parents succumbed to influenza during the global flu epidemic; Joseph in 1918 and Mary Agnes in 1920. After her parents died, she and her sister Mary lived in an orphanage in Louisville, Kentucky.

In her late teen years, she moved back to Daviess County, Kentucky to live with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wimsatt in Owensboro. While in Owensboro, she met her future husband of 62 years, Francis Gerald Wathen, whom she married on November 6, 1937. They lived in Owensboro, Kentucky and Bowling Green, Kentucky prior to permanently settling in Tell City, Indiana in 1950 to work for the General Electric Company from where they both retired.

For 63 years, she was an active member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Tell City as well as a member of the Daughters of Isabella. She regularly attended mass at St. Paul’s Catholic Church until she fell in her home in July of this year.

She was preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband Francis Gerald in 2000, by her sister Mary (Carl deceased) Matthews, her brothers William Horsman, Ora (Lida deceased) Horsman and Estil Horsman along with a grandson Brian Alvey in 1999. She is survived by three daughters: Martha Scheible (Gene deceased) and Mary Blunk (Alvan) all of Tell City and Barbara Alvey (Dennis) of San Antonio, Texas; two sons: David (Linda) of West Frankfort, Illinois and Greg (Elizabeth) of Evansville, Indiana. She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Kim Styker of Houston, Texas; Lee Scheible of Indianapolis, Indiana; Todd (Andrea) Alvey of Austin, Texas; Traci (Mark) Woodruff of Evansville, Indiana; Krista Blunk of Oakland, California; Sara (Josh) Bangert of Indianapolis, Indiana; Justin (Heather) Wathen of Corydon, Indiana; Trevor (Jill) Wathen of Indianapolis, Indiana; and Chris (Sara) Miller of Evansville, Indiana as well as eleven great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Tell City, Indiana ,with Father Sengole Thomas officiating. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in Tell City.

Visitation will be from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Friday, November 29 and from 8:30-9:30 AM Saturday, November 30 at Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home in Tell City. The Holy Rosary will be said at Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home on Friday, evening at 6:30PM.

The family is thankful for the care and compassion given by the caregivers and staff at the Village at Hamilton Pointe along with the medical staffs and professionals at Perry County Memorial Hospital and Deaconess Gateway Hospital.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 824 Jefferson Street, Tell City, Indiana 47586 in memory of Martha Catherine and Francis Gerald Wathen. Condolences and any special remembrances may be made online at www.zoercher-gillickfuneralhome.com.

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