Obituary of Martha Ester Koudelka

KOUDELKA, Martha, age 94, left this earth to be with her husband and daughter after a hard-fought battle with Covid-19 on Christmas Day. She survived the Great Depression, a World War, cancer (twice), and we were sure she would get through this too. At 16, she married the love of her life, and they took off to travel the country. She never met strangers, and if you talked to her for a few minutes, you were sure to hear about her tractor, her grandkids, and how she lives by the lake (usually in that order). She spent a large part of this year sewing masks for kids at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Age never slowed her down, and she always had new projects for her and her son/resident handyman, Fred. Martha was a testament to what hard work and determination can do. She was sharp, strong, and unapologetically herself. She leaves behind a hole in her family that cannot be filled. She will be remembered as someone who reminded us of the importance of friends and someone who put family over everything. As her family and friends look back at the memories of Martha, a phrase she would use time and time again to describe her life comes to mind – “I couldn’t have asked for better.” Martha was preceded in death by husband, George C. Koudelka; daughter, Tamela McCann; parents, Fred & Louella Anderson; brother, James Anderson; and sisters, Ernestine Burnett and Freddie Miller. She is survived by son, Fred (Kathey) Koudelka; grandchildren, Hannah McCann, Charles (Tori) Koudelka, Katherine McCann and Benjamin Koudelka; son-in-law, Jeff McCann; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral service will be held Tuesday, December 29th at 2 pm at Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet. Interment will follow the service at Mt. Juliet Memorial Gardens with Fred Koudelka, Charlie Koudelka, Ben Koudelka, Jim Koudelka, Jeff McCann and Tim Anderson serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are: Jerry Bradley, Fred Kilby and the Elders and Deacons of Green Hill Church of Christ. Visitation with the family will be Monday, December 28th from 4-8 pm and one hour prior to the service on Tuesday. Memorial contributions may be made to: Shriners Hospital for Children at donate.lovetotherescue.org. Arrangements by Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet, 2229 N. Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122, 615-758-5459, obituary line 615-758-8818, www.sellarsfuneralservices.com