Biography
Martha Cunningham Brookhart, RR #3, Sumner, died Tuesday, March l9, 2013, at the Lawrence Community Healthcare Center, where she had resided five years. Martha was born November 7, 1915, the daughter of Roscoe D. & Bessie Cooper Cunningham, Lukin Township. She graduated from Sumner High School, Illinois State Normal University and Oakland City College. Most of her professional career was as a school teacher, more than forty years. She taught more than one thousand students, winning the respect of all and the admiration of most. Schools included El Paso, Springhill, Flat Iron, Sumner, Petrolia, Petty & Bridgeport grade schools. Most of her teaching career was at Petrolia and Petty, where she also served as principal. She and Samuel H. Brookhart were married December 25, l939, at the family home, East Locust, Sumner. During WWII, she joined her husband at Ft. McClellan, Alabama; working many jobs at PX, while he completed OCS. During part of the 15 months her husband was in the European Theater of Operations, Martha worked in the First National Bank, Sumner. Martha was a lifelong, active member of the Congregational Christian Church, Sumner, serving as a pianist. She was a beauty queen, Miss Lawrence County, circa l935, when that pageant was managed by Lawrence County Farm Bureau. Martha is survived by husband, Samuel H. Brookhart; daughter Ann Brookhart Eubank , son-in-law Arthur A. Eubank, Jr. of Evanston, IL; grandsons Arthur Andrew Eubank, III of Chicago, Samuel David (wife Samantha)Eubank of Seattle, WA & Matthew Brookhart (wife Angie) Eubank of Chicago. She is also survived by sister, Ruth D. Simms, and brothers, J. Cooper & Roscoe D. Cunningham
Visitation Friday evening from 6 to 8 pm at Sivert-Macey & Steffey Funeral Home in Sumner.
Funeral services will be Saturday at 11 AM at the Sumner Congregational Christian Church.
Burial will be at Sumner Cemetery.
Service
MAR
23.
11:00 AM (CDT)
Sumner Congregational Christian Church
414 South Christy Avenue
Sumner, IL