Strickland Funeral Home of Lavonia
"A Caring and Experienced Service"

Martha Beasley Cassels died at age 90 on December 25 in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She was born to Faith Ora and Hugh Alton Beasley in Greenwood, SC on October 22, 1932. Real estate development and sales was her profession in later life, but she began as a teacher and held a lifelong passion for education that included service in many roles.

Martha graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Speech from Converse College in 1953 and after graduation, married Marion Carlyle Crenshaw, Jr., who was a medical student at Duke University in Durham, NC. Dr. Crenshaw later became a professor and doctor at Duke. While in Durham, Martha was first a junior high school teacher and went on to found and direct two preschools, Barfield Kindergarten and Duke Memorial United Methodist Church Preschool which continues educating children today. In 1972, Martha transitioned to real estate, and in 1977, she started her own company, the Crenshaw Company. Martha was also elected to two terms on the Durham County School Board, and she served on the Board of Directors for the Durham Museum of Life and Science during its transformative years in the 1970s.

In 1979, Martha moved to Montgomery, AL and married Samuel Jones Cassels, III. There, she continued her work in real estate, and in 1980, she opened Cassels Real Estate. During her time in real estate, she received many awards, including the Top Producer Montgomery Area from the Board of Realtors and 10 Consecutive Years of Multi Millions Montgomery Area. Continuing her support for education, she was an active patron of the Alabama State University Drama Department, and she served for many years as President of the Board of Directors of the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, where she sponsored the Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald Young Writers Award.

In 2018, Martha Cassels moved to Jacksonville, NC, to be closer to her son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Karen Crenshaw. Martha was a great achiever in business and community, but her family was closest to her heart. She was a devoted member of the Pine Valley United Methodist Church and was embraced by her wonderful neighbors in Heritage Square.  The family thanks them and, especially, Nancy Gioia/Coscia for befriending Martha and contributing so much to her care and well-being.

Martha is survived by her sons, Marion Carlyle Crenshaw, III (Lynn), William Frank Crenshaw (Karen), and Hugh Charles Crenshaw (Donna); her daughter, Faith Crenshaw Millspaugh (Ted); and 9 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 24, 2023 at the Lavonia City-Burgess Cemetery, and in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in her honor be made to the Salvation Army.