Marta Logan - 5/19/18

We gather this morning to celebrate the life of Marta Beth Logan. Yes, we come to comfort each other in the time of loss, but primarily we have come to celebrate Marta and the unique and special person she was. I also hope to point you in the direction of hope and confidence in life beyond the grave.

In 2 Corinthians 4 we read these words,

7We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

8We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

In the very next chapter, 2 Corinthians 5 tells us why we can have this attitude (the same attitude we witnessed in Marta,

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. (2 Cor. 5:1–2).

The reason Paul could have confidence, even in the horrible times of life, was because he knew this life was not all that there is. And when I think of Marta Logan that’s what I remember. A couple of weeks ago, we were talking, and Marta said, “There are only two things certain in life: death and taxes.” I quickly added, “and Heaven for those who trust Christ!” Marta smiled her big giant smile and said, “That’s right!”

Please pray with me.

Father, help us today to do a couple of things. First, help us not to think of Marta as a woman who was “sick for a long time,” instead, help us to remember the woman who was filled with life and refused to stop living no matter what the circumstances. Help us to dwell on the blessing of Marta Logan, rather than fixate on her trials.

Second, help us to draw comfort from Your Word and from the life, death, resurrection and promises of Jesus. Help us in our time of grief. We ask all this in the name of Christ, our Lord. Amen

Marta Beth Kimble was born on July 14, 1944 in Burlington Iowa.

She attended grade school in Terre Haute and then went on to High School in Dallas City. While in Terre Haute she played in the band and was a cheerleader. I am told she was a very talented musician. She played the piano and clarinet. Once she and Jean Dougherty were asked to play a piano duet at the Lomax Christian Church fish fry. They played “Tea for Two” and had a blast doing so.

In High School. Marta won numerous blue ribbons at the country and state fairs for clothing she made and other 4-H projects. She excelled at record keeping. She kept records for her work at the Ice Cream shop in Lomax. She wrote down that she made 122 shakes in ONE NIGHT! Joanne Siegworth was sure it must have been a mistake. Marta assured her it was accurate.

At the country fair one year she won the prize for making her cherry pie from scratch. She went on to the State Fair in Springfield where she had to actually make her pie all over again FROM SCRATCH while explaining how to do so. She practiced by making a cherry pie at home . . . every day! Family members probably have no idea why cherry pie doesn’t hold much interest for them today.

One of the most significant things about Dallas City High School was this is where she met and fell in love with Jan Logan. Marta graduated from Dallas City High School in 1962. Every time her High School class had a class reunion they would stop by to see Marta.

Marta went on to attend Carthage College. Between her freshman and sophomore years on August 14, 1963, Jan and Marta were married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Burlington. Rita Larson said the thing that she noticed about Jan and Marta was the maturity, calm, and adoration in their relationship. At a time when most people there age are downright goofy in love, the Logans were calm and clear-thinking. Marta stayed at Carthage College for another year and then the college moved to Wisconsin. Marta then transferred to WIU. She had Jon while still in college.

One of Marta’s accomplishments was to introduce her cousin Jean to her husband Lynn. She loved playing cupid. Lynn and Jean moved away after their marriage. On their 25th anniversary they had a party and Jan and Marta attended. The Logans then invited the Doughertys to their anniversary the following month. When Jean and Lynn had their 40th anniversary they had a “Pigout” (you might call it a hog roast). By this time Marta could not attend. So, they brought the party to her! They celebrated together, complete with leis for everyone.

Marta began teaching in the Terre Haute School while Jan taught Physical Education in La Harpe. Marta taught 5th grade language arts. When the Terre Haute School closed, Marta started to teach 5th grade in La Harpe.

One of the favorite memories of the time in Terre Haute had to do with a goose. One of Marta's students brought a live goose for Show and Tell. The problem was, the boy could not take the Goose home. Marta had the goose put in a cage. When the Custodian saw a goose i the cage he felt sorry for it and let it out! The goose roamed all weekend. The Principal saw the Goose wandering around and had no idea how it got lose. The principal asked the Custodian to return the goose to its cage and try to find out how the goose got out. The custodian had no intention of sharing what happened. It was a secret everyone kept from the Principal.

Jill was born while Marta was teaching in La Harpe. I had the privilege of officiating at Jill’s wedding to Jason Stone at Trinity Lutheran Church in Burlington. Jill and Jason have three children: Lauren, Nathan and Adam Stone. Marta loved her children and grandchildren with a passion. As you look at the various pictures, Marta always had a big smile when family was around.

Jill remembers going into her mom’s room after school to help erase chalkboards for the following day. Pat Edmonds would often open the door between the classrooms and say, “Hey there Lady, how was your day?” They would share popcorn and diet Pepsies and talk about how far they had gotten in reading their novels.

It was always Marta’s passion to get her Christmas tree up on or close to Jill’s birthday on December 14th. They would go to Meyer’s tree farm to pick out the “perfect tree.” Marta worked hard to make sure Jill felt special on her birthday. There was none of this combining birthday and Christmas stuff! Jill had lots of parties and sleepovers. Every year at Christmas, Jill received a Hummel Christmas plate. The collection itself began the year Jill was born and ceased production the year she turned 18 (which should mean Jill has/had the complete set!)

The family took many trips to Chicago during the summers. Jill remembers the train rides and the taxi adventures! There would be clothes shopping (for students and teachers), eating great food, a peek in at the museums, Broadway shows, and usually a Cubs game. One Jill got to meet Annie and Sandy the dog at the Schubert theater.

When the King Tut exhibit was in Chicago, Jan stood in line and got tickets. Marta loved it! She savored the entire visit and purchased a big book on the exhibit that she showed her students in the fall.

Marta was a great cook. In addition to her cherry pies and cobblers she made lots of other things. She was an avid reader. She loved planting flowers and playing outside. She was an avid reader. She also enjoyed watching the news and keeping up on what was happening in the world.

Marta was diagnosed with MS at 29 years old. She taught as long as she could. She remained as active as possible. She taught with a cane at first. Next she moved to two canes. Finally she had to leave teaching in school. As the disease progressed Jan at times would carry her into her PEO meeting when she could attend. Mildred Blythe used to host a meeting each year that was held in her basement. Jan carried Marta downstairs so she could enjoy her friends. Jill was in middle school and Jon was in High School when the MS was diagnosed.

Marta stayed in her home as long as possible. She kept her sense of humor and her love of puns. They tried having her spend time at the Care Center when Jan had to be gone. Eventually, it became too difficult to keep Marta at home. Together, Jan and Marta had to make the difficult decision to put her into the La Harpe Davier Care center. This became her home for somewhere around 25 years.

Marta continued to look for ways to contribute even at the Care Center. Her attitude remained positive. She loved to conduct the spelling bees. She enjoyed the staff and looked forward to her visits from family. She read. She watched the news. She visited joyfully with anyone who stopped by. She enjoyed her daily Diet Coke. She loved when Jan would bring her some fast food. She always knew when the Cubs were playing. If they were currently playing, the game was on the TV. She loved the city of La Harpe and the city loved Marta. She had a remarkable outreach from her room.

Her grandkids always enjoyed coming to see Grandma. They would try to surprise her with their visits. (Sometimes, Grandpa wasn’t very good at keeping a secret) Lauren remembers the way they tried to come up with a new design for Marta’s birthday cake every year. Her Birthday was Bastille Day. One time they made her a cake that looked like a big sun with fruit-by-the-foot as the ribbon around it. Marta loved it all!

Lauren remembers coming and giving grandma manicures-painting her nails and toenails. Nathan remembers being little and being in charge of pushing grandma down the hall to the room where they shared countless lunches with her. All the grandkids remember looking at the birds in the aviary, admiring the bright colors of each bird. They all enjoyed Marta's sense of humor and her willingness to listen to any of their jokes, whether good or bad. Her love for puns is a treasured memory.

Adam said he loved to share about his business with Marta. He loved showing her his business cards and the reminder cards he sent to his customers every year. He said that his Grandma always made him feel so smart. (As an aside, the other day when Jill was telling me about Adam’s business Marta was beaming as she listened).

Marta Logan had an impact on La Harpe. She never did stop teaching. She was never too busy to chat. Never too depressed to think about what was going on in the life of whomever was in the room with her. She didn’t complain about her situation. She accepted it as the path God had given her to walk and she was going to walk the path joyfully and faithfully. She is a bright example of how life should be lived.

[SONG]

It is ironic that even though Marta Logan had MS for 40+ years, and gradually grew weaker and weaker, she was one of the strongest women I have ever met. I always had the feeling that though people felt sorry for Marta . . . Marta never felt sorry for Marta.

A couple of weeks ago I asked Marta, “With all that you have been through and experienced in life, if you were asked to share one piece of advice with a graduating class, what would you tell them?” She thought for a moment and then said, “Have a positive attitude about life.” I wasn’t surprised by her answer because she embodied this positive attitude in her life.

The book of Proverbs says,

30A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;

good news makes for good health. (Proverbs 15:30)

The man that faced some of the most horrible things imaginable, Job, also refused to curse God. At one point he said,

“But he knows where I am going.

And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. (Job 23:10)

The Apostle Paul (continuing in 2 Corinthians) wrote,

We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. (2 Corinthians 6:8-10)

Marta could have said these words. She greeted everyone with a smile. It was rare to see her not smiling. Often the not smiling times came when she was watching the Cubs!

There was a faith and faithfulness in Marta that served as her anchor in the storms of life. She held on to the belief that God had a purpose and His purpose was good. She chose to do what she could do rather than moan about what she could no longer do. Whether it was to help with a Spelling Bee, serving as a mentor or tutor for students, talking with staff and giving them counsel when needed, or keeping up with world affairs or just watching the Cubs, she chose to live!

I am confident Marta has already heard the Lord’s “Well-Done.” The Bible speaks clearly: those who put their trust in Christ will live even though they die. I don't believe this because Marta was a "good person." Her faith was genuine.

Believing in Christ is more than simply believing the facts of history. It is believing that those facts are your hope for forgiveness and new life. But even this belief is not enough! We must believe these things enough to entrust or “bet our lives” on this truth. We must believe enough to follow (as opposed to just talking about) Christ.

Jesus is the only way to eternal life. He paid the penalty for our sin by His death on the cross. He gained victory by His resurrection from the dead. This isn’t about religion. It is about God’s love for those He created.

The Bible tells us when we die those who have followed Christ will go and be with Christ. We are told God will wipe away tears, banish disease and pain, and give us a new heavenly and healthy body. I believe it is true that Marta Logan is more alive now than she has ever been. And I believe it was this anticipation that kept her going through trying times.

Marta Logan was a teacher. She taught in the classroom and she taught one on one. She taught academic subjects and she taught lessons about life. She taught us how to live and she taught us how to die. She taught us how to face difficult circumstances. She taught us how to be content; how to be joy-filled; and how to be faithful.

It is my hope that you don’t waste any time wishing Marta could have had a better life. Focus on the wonderful life she DID have. That is what Marta would have wanted. She stands an example for us all.

As I thought about it, there are some lessons I want to take away, from Marta Logan.

We could all work on being a little more positive. We can learn from Marta that you can face anything if you look for opportunities rather than wasting precious time on looking for things about which you can complain.

A smile is powerful and can change someone’s day. . . and in some cases, it can change a life.

It is important to have fun with children.

Every birthday should be special.

The best answer to the question: “How are you feeling?” is “the same way as always, with my fingers and toes.”

A good book can take you wonderful places even if your legs can no longer do so.

True friends stand with you for the long haul.

If you are patient, even the Cubs might win a championship for you.

You cannot control many of the things that happen in life, but you can control how you respond to them. As Marta would say: “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”

Grandchildren are a special blessing from the Lord.

Marta Logan was a blessing from God. Let’s give Him thanks.

[SONG]

Father, we are continually amazed at how you take horrible things and turn them into blessings. Thank you for using Marta’s MS for it became a platform to illustrate what it means to truly live. We thank you that diseases and frustrations of life are only temporary.

Lord, place you hand of blessing on this family. Grant them great memories and fresh inspiration from Marta's life. Help us to focus on how she lived rather than on how she died.

For any here who don't have that assurance of forgiveness and eternal life, draw them to your You. Help them to discover what it means to live as a child of the King.

Thank you for Marta!

Amen.

-Rev. Bruce Goettsche (Union Church of La Harpe IL)