Martha Bone Crowe Davis

Martha Bone Crowe Davis of Nashville died peacefully and went to be with the Lord on March 29, 2022. She is survived by her daughter Ready Davis Bateman and husband John of Dallas and her son James Joseph Davis, Jr. and wife Rachel of Tulsa, as well as her grandchildren Yates Bateman (Ally), Davis Bateman, Martha Bateman Wilson (Carter), Gil Davis, Alva Davis and great-grandchildren Jack, Eloise, and Powell Bateman. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband James Joseph (Jim) Davis. Martha was born on October 17, 1932 in Lebanon, Tennessee to Gilchrist Siegfried Crowe and Martha Ready Bone Crowe. She was raised in Lebanon near her special cousins who were like siblings to her. She loved spending her summers at Camp Monterey and often went for two months at a time. In 1947, her family moved to Nashville where she enrolled in Hillsboro High School. She remained very close to many of her friends from Hillsboro’s Class of 1950, including a monthly ladies’ lunch group that met until recently. She graduated from Vanderbilt in the Class of 1954 with a history major and a teaching certificate. Her first job was teaching third grade at Glendale School. She returned to Vanderbilt for a master’s degree in speech pathology and worked at the Bill Wilkerson Center and later as a speech therapist with Metro Schools. She met her beloved Jim Davis on a blind date, and they were married on April 15, 1961 after a short courtship. They moved to Gateway Lane as newlyweds, and their neighbors there became an integral part of the Davis family’s life, continuing to today and adding new generations to these deep friendships. They joined First Presbyterian Church where Martha served in almost every volunteer job at the church over a 60-year period. She taught hundreds of children in toddler and 5th grade Sunday school, chaired high school graduation dinners, led the youth group, and made every visitor and member feel welcome on Sunday mornings as a greeter. She was an elder and a moderator of the Presbyterian Women at First Presbyterian. Her strong faith in Jesus Christ was evident to all who knew her. She welcomed everyone she met into her heart, her home, and her life and touched many lives. Martha was a member of The Centennial Club, the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, the DAR, Kappa Delta sorority, and Vanderbilt University Alumni. She was a Girl Scout leader for many years, leading Troop 354 on many adventures across the U.S. She loved to travel and cherished her trips to Israel, Switzerland, Alaska, and the Panama Canal. She treasured her annual trips to Destin and her many trips to Dallas and Tulsa to be a part of her grandchildren’s lives. She will be greatly missed by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, church family, neighbors, prayer group, Bible study, and Hillsboro and Vanderbilt friends. The family is very grateful for the amazing and loving support of all these precious people during these last two years of her health challenges. The family will have a visitation on Thursday, April 7 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. in Courtney Hall at First Presbyterian Church, 4815 Franklin Road. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 8 in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian with Dr. Ryan Moore and Rev. Sandra Randleman officiating. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park with a lunch reception afterwards at First Presbyterian. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Missions Fund at First Presbyterian Church, 4815 Franklin Road, Nashville, TN, 37220. Arrangements in the care of Compassion Funeral & Cremation Services, (615) 857-9955. We are proud to be one Nashville's last remaining locally owned funeral & cremation providers.