Obituary of Martha Ella Vaughn

Martha Ella Vaughn was born September 28, 1930 in Lacrosse, Virginia to the late Robert and Emma Allen Butterworth. She was one of seven children that came from this union. Martha was preceded in death by two brothers, Hoody and Thomas Butterworth, and three sisters, Claudia Crayton, Marie Tisdale, and Peachie Barner. She attended the M. M. Booker Elementary School, the Mecklenburg County High School (Park View High School) and joined the St. Matthews Episcopal Church at the age of 10 years old. After graduation from high school, she enrolled in St. Paul College, Lawrenceville, Virginia graduating in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She completed additional studies at Coppin State College, Baltimore, MD and continuing education studies at Towson State College. In September of 1953, Martha followed her sister Marie Tisdale and moved to Baltimore, Maryland. It was in Baltimore where she would meet and marry the man of her life, the late Reverend Alfred A. Vaughn, who at that time was the pastor of the Cherry Hill United Methodist Church in Baltimore. From this union of 58 years came four children: Ellen, Phillip, Charles and Benjamin. Her family always came first with her. She spent most of the early years at home to raise them in a traditional setting and within the church. Martha worked as a long-term substitute teacher and in school administrative roles in Harford, Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties as well as serving as the first lady, where Alfred served as the pastor for several churches in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area for over 40 years. Upon Alfred's retirement from the church in 1992, they returned to Baltimore where Martha worked for the State of Maryland as an Analyst for the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation until her retirement in May 2005. Since her retirement, she spent most of her time as a caregiver for her husband Alfred until he transitioned in May 2013 and being engaged in the lives of her kids and grandkids. She was witty, extremely organized, perceptive, and very resourceful. She enjoyed entertaining family at regular holiday and monthly Sunday dinners, summer traditional family gatherings with her larger Butterworth family members, and traveling to the Wynn-Allen family reunions in South Hill, Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She also enjoyed needlework, going to movies and traveling with her kids and grandkids on vacations, graduations, weddings, and other special events before her health declined. ***The funeral will be livestreamed; directions for the livestream can be found on this site under the heading "LOCATIONS". Choose location and scroll down for directive. Member ID needed: 86770