Martha Jean Watkins

Martha Jean Watkins, age 83, of Georgetown, Indiana, passed away on September 23, 2026.

Martha was born in Louisville, Kentucky on December 7, 1942 to Fred and May (Marr) Schott, the first of three children. Martha grew up in a happy home enjoying family life, school and church. She attended and graduated from Portland Christian School in 1962 and that accomplishment was one of the proudest of her life.

After graduating, Martha attended business school and later became employed as a data entry operator at the Jefferson County Board of Education where she worked for 27 years until her retirement.

In 1974, Martha met and married John Watkins. She moved with her new husband to Smithfield, Kentucky. She and her husband John built a good life there, attended the Eminence United Methodist Church and served their local community. After her husband's passing, Martha moved to Georgetown, Indiana to live with her daughter, Rebecca, and her family.

Outside of work, Martha found immense joy in the simple, meaningful pleasures of life. She loved attending church activities and joined the Cherry Street Church of Christ in New Albany. Here she found a second family of wonderful people who loved and supported her through the years. She also loved going out to eat and frequented many of the Southern Indiana restaurants, but she built a special relationship with the staff at the Tumbleweed in Floyds Knobs. Martha loved family and frequently traveled to visit her brother, Fred and his wife Donna, in Omaha, NE. She cared faithfully for her mother through her last years as well as her Aunt Geneva. She enjoyed being in the home with her grandchildren and helping out by doing all the laundry. She will be remembered for her faithful presence and service to so many around her.

Martha would also want to be remembered for her deep love of the Lord. She was faithful in her church attendance, Bible reading and prayer and served her Lord faithfully through the years.

Martha is preceded in death by her husband, John Watkins; her parents, Frederick and (Alda) May Schott von Allmen; her brother Fred Schott; and sister Ruby Penrod.

Martha is survived by her daughter, Rebecca Rucker, and her husband, Don; her three cherished grandchildren, Ellen Hartsburg (Wayne), Hannah Bast (Derek), and Luke Rucker; and her three precious great-grandchildren, Todd, Elaine, and Theo, who brought immense joy to her later years. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Donna Schott, and a loving network of nieces and nephews, including Laura Rickley, Melissa Hiatt, Emily Decker, Jon Self, and Rodney Self and their families.

A service will be held to celebrate Martha’s life at a later date.

Memorial gifts can be made to the Cherry Street Church of Christ, 302 Cherry Street, New Albany, IN 47150.