Martha Fay Crittenden

Martha Fay Holt (te-ne) born on April 29, 1936 to the union of Eliza Gritts Holt and Walter Holt in their home in the Eldon community. Martha Entered the Kingdom of Heaven on March 21, 2025 in Tahlequah, OK, surrounded by her children at the golden age of 88 years.

Funeral service will be 1:30 PM, Thursday, March 27, 2025 at Cedar Tree Baptist Church with burial to follow in church cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 from 4 PM until 6 PM at Hart Funeral Home.

Martha was born and raised in the Eldon community, she attended Willis School where she met two of her life-long friends, Reba and Ruth Briggs, Reba later becoming Martha's sister-in-law. They enjoyed spending time walking along, and swimming in the Baron Fork Creek, as well as riding horses throughout the communities. Martha attended Bagley High School, and went on to Haskell Indian Training School in Lawrence, KS. While at Haskell she began a relationship with Franklin "Jody" Dreadfulwater of Briggs, OK where they were soon married by Reverend Tim Wilson of Cedar Tree Church. From this marriage they were blessed with two children, Franky and Ruth Ann.

Martha was a strong independent Cherokee woman who entered the workforce at the young age of 14 years working in numerous restaurants around Tahlequah. She was one of the first villagers to work at the Cherokee Heritage Center where her son Franky would be by her side. Martha was also in the Trail of Tears drama with Ruth Ann in her belly. She enjoyed sharing her culture with the visitors but most of all sitting and sharing stories with her work family there. She worked at NSU as a lead chef for over 20 years, where she took pride in every meal she prepared for the students. The NSU football team, as well, the student body loved Martha's cooking, where they would rush to her serving line at every meal. She was surprised the football team could play a game after eating all those steaks she had prepared on homecoming day. During the later years of working at NSU she also met and married the love of her life Hoover Crittenden and shared 18 years of blessings together. She and Hoover were both passionate about the Cherokee language, and both participated in the Cherokee speaker's bureau assisting with creating new words in the Cherokee language. They also enjoyed going to Cherokee singings and worshiping together in the House of the Lord, often hosting family and friends for traditional meals and fellowship. She was known for her delicious chicken and dumplings as well as her pies and cobblers. Martha retired for one year after serving the students at NSU, she then returned back to the workforce preparing meals for the children at the Cherokee Nation Headstart and Child Development Center where she also took joy in preparing meals for the children and interacting with them in the Cherokee language. It filled her heart with happiness to hear the youth speaking the Cherokee language at such a young age, she would often come home with stories the children had shared with her in the immersion classes. Martha was one to never miss her hair appointment(s) and didn't know the meaning of a bad hair day. On any given Friday you would find her getting her curls set at Brenda's Salon sharing stories and laughter with the other at the salon. Martha who was a firm believer in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose love and light shown through her life. Martha had a heart after Jesus that was felt by many, she was a wonderful mother to her two children and grandchildren whom she loved and prayed for without ceasing. Her prayers, love and support covered her family on a daily basis and never wavered. She was witnessing for her Lord until her last breath, Martha was a lifelong member of Cedar Tree Baptist Church where she enjoyed worshiping and singing praises unto the Lord while her health permitted.

Martha was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband, one Brother Walter (Dude) Holt and stepson Calvin Crittenden.

She leaves to cherish her memory by her two children Franky (ya-gi) Dreadfulwater and wife LeeAnn of Keys, OK; Ruth Ann (we-gi) Shade and husband Bobby; Two Grandchildren Kinsey (te-ne) and Steven (si-mi-a-ni) Shade all of Briggs, OK; Stepson Steve Crittenden, wife Sandy, and children of Broken Arrow, OK; Calvin's wife Lisa and children of Wichita, KS; Niece Linda Sue Crawford and husband Jim; Special cousin Barbra Ann Sipes all of Tahlequah, OK. As well as a host of extended family, church family, and many friends also survive her.

The family would like thank Good Shepard Hospice, all the nurse and doctors who attended to her care at Saint Francis and Hillcrest Medical Center, as well as the special nurses at Cherokee County Nursing Home that showed love for our e-li-si, Martha.