Martha Ijams Lovingood

For over 50 years, Martha Ijams Lovingood was an avid environmentalist, gardener and was very interested in the rural preservation of both Knox and Blount Counties. She was also the last surviving member of the HP Ijams family whose legacy she helped establish in the Ijams Nature Center of Knoxville. The Center recently honored the Ijams family with a life cast exhibit of Martha’s mother and father portraying their way of life in the 20’s and 30’s. Martha Ijams Lovingood, 85, peacefully passed away Easter morning, April 11, 2004 at the Colonial Hills Nursing Center in Maryville, Tennessee. She was a member of New Providence Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Lovingood received her Bachelors and Masters Degree in Early Child Development from the University of Tennessee. She then went on the have a 20 year career in education at Maryville High School as a Home Economics teacher. There are many of her former students in local community who will still remember the lifetime impact that she had on them and their families. She was the wife of the late Dr. Frank Smith Lovingood, a Blount County physician, who preceded her in death in 1985. She was also preceded in death by her mother, Alice and father, HP Ijams; sisters, Mary Ijams, Elizabeth Ijams & Josephine Kern. Surviving are Martha’s daughters, Mary Lovingood Gallant, Kathy Lovingood, Becky Lovingood Waller and son Garrison Lovingood all of Maryville. Also surviving are grandchildren; Scott Spaid, Brian Spaid of Knoxville; Preston Waller of Minnesota; Ashley Frye of Maryville; Natalie Lovingood and Sarah Lovingood of Florida and Ginger Lovingood of Maryville. Great grandchildren surviving are Sean, Adam and Sarah Spaid of Knoxville and Nicholas Spaid of Knoxville. Niece Martha Kern Niceley and nephew George Kern of Knoxville also survive. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday at New Providence Presbyterian Church with Rev. Steve Musick officiating. The family will receive friends at the Church following the service. In lieu of flowers please send donations to: Ijams Nature Center PO Box 20518 Knoxville, TN 37940 865-577-4717 McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, Maryville in charge 982-6812