THE
HOPWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Martha Marie Semans was born in Hopwood, Pennsylvania
on September 19, 1919, to George Elias Law and Anna Maria Semans. She is the youngest of four children: George A. Semans, Sr., Charles Milbert and
Earnest Ray. When Martha was around
four or five years old, she learned how to stick her tongue out. She would go around sticking her tongue out
until her mother learned about it.
Also, when she was about the same age, she went around telling everyone
it was her birthday so that she could collect birthday gifts and evidently it
worked. I am sure we all have something
special that we remember about Martha. After
all Martha is someone very special.
Martha served as a Wave in the U. S. Navy for three (3)
years (1943-1946). While working in
Pittsburgh for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, she did volunteer work for
various organizations. In 1974, she
retired with 32 years of service.
Martha is the proud aunt of Albert and Libby Ann and great aunt of
Kimberly and Seth.
Martha’s middle initial is “M”. It stands for Marie. However, it could just as well stand for
Music, for, indeed, Martha became Hopwood’s greatest pianist, organist, and
accompanist.
Starting out as a week child, she began studying piano
under Mrs. Maude Oliver of this church’s great musical Goff Family. By the time she had absorbed all that Maude
Oliver could teach her, she was ready for Uniontown’s finest piano teacher,
Mary Lee LeBarre. Later, Martha was to
perfect her techniques under another Uniontown professor, Katherine
Keighley.
Martha attended grade school just across the street
from this church in the yellow brick, 4-room Hopwood South Union Grade
School. Whenever South Union helped
township programs at its high school at Areford, Martha was the favored
pianist. Through grade school and high
school, this daughter of talented George Elias Law Semans was always the
instrumental star of programs or competitions.
All through high school, the music director, Clifford Brown, held her in
high esteem and employed her talents in band, orchestra and chorus work. It’s a wonder that Martha maintained such
high grades. She was so often absent
from classes because of musical demands.
On commencement night, Wednesday, May 26, 1937, Martha
Semans appeared on the program playing a piano duo with Lucille Jeffrey, a
classmate and daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. R. H. Jeffrey.
In 1978, many years too late, Martha was accepted as a
member of the prestigious Uniontown Music Club. Our own Mrs. Edna Horner Bell sponsored her. Martha immediately became so popular that a
year later she was named Counselor of the Gershwin Music Club, the club of the
future members of the Senior Club. She
moved up through the ranks and by 1984, she was elected vice president. In
1985, she was unanimously chosen president.
Normally, a president served for two 1-year terms. However, so successful was Martha’s presidency
that she was “drafter” to remain for a third term, an exceptional honor in this
club of Uniontown’s greatest musicians.
Martha was also a member of Beta Mu Sorority, DAR
Colonel Andrew Lynn.
Martha is much loved by the members of her church. She is always available and ready when
anyone needs help in any way. The young
people who were in her Sunday School Class and Children’s Choir love her. When the fire department had street fairs,
the children in the church and the neighborhood always knew they would get to
go on the rides for Martha purchased ride tickets and passed them out.
Martha continues to be the church organist and choir
director and is loved and appreciated by the entire congregation.