Martha Margaret Irons

Martha Margaret Mayo was born in Los Angeles on April 1, 1944, to her parents of Guy Pierce and Maurine Mayo. As the only child, her parents scraped together enough money to give her a private education at Culter Academy, a Christian school, based in Los Angeles. She graduated from Culter Academy High School in 1961. Her first year of college was at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, where she studied Greek and Latin. She then transferred to Cal State Los Angeles and lived with friends. When her father died that fall semester, she moved back home to be with her mother. In 1966 she graduated from Cal State L.A. with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. At school she discovered the writings of C. S. Lewis, who became one of her most beloved authors. As an avid reader, in her free moments, there would always be a book in her hands. Margaret married Steve Irons in 1966 after meeting him a few years earlier at an Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship leadership camp on Catalina Island. In their marriage of 59 years, Margaret gave birth to three children: Lee (the oldest), Daniel, and then Kate. She was privileged to have nine grandchildren (Jordan, Melody, Luke, Rachel, Geneva, Lydia, Jonathan, Declan, and Cormac). She met many of her challenges as a mother and grandmother with self-sacrifice and grace. While in high school Margaret spent several summers working for Know Your Bible Fellowship where she helped direct Vacation Bible Schools for small churches along the San Joaquin Valley in California. She put Steve through his one year at Fuller Theological Seminary, working for Gospel Light Publishing as a writer and editor of children's literature. In later years, she worked as a librarian at the Anaheim Public Library. She also provided financially for her mother’s long-term care in a nursing home, by renovating and managing rental property. She also worked as a researcher of upcoming concerts and community events in Southern California for a company that maintained a Directory Assistance database for 411 callers. Margaret placed her trust in Jesus Christ as her Savior at a very young age and held onto that trust to the end of her life. She enjoyed meditating in the Word of God, the Bible. In her retirement years, she would daily listen to the Anglican chants of the Psalms. As she listened and meditated on who God is, she would write over the letters of the text with a pen and make annotations in the margins. In the months leading up to her death, she was comforted by Psalm 23 especially, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 61 also comforted her: “Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” In the early 70's her husband, Steve, joined a church group that was adamant in recovering the practices of the early churches in the book of Acts. Margaret appropriately called the group “a High-demand church”. The leadership demanded much evangelistic fervor and self- discipline. They taught that only those overcoming temptation and sin in this life would be given certain privileges in Christ's future kingdom. This is the absolute reversal of the truth that Christ Himself earns heaven on our behalf. We do not earn eternal life through our good work. When the church group fell apart in the 1990's Margaret subsequently spent many years interacting with those disillusioned by the teaching and practice of the church. Several former members have since expressed how very caring and loving Margaret was toward them. They write: "I am forever grateful for the ways Margaret was a gentle, kind, and pastoral presence for many in how she cared for the website and engaged in the community of those in search of recovery. - Margaret was a faithful sister who displayed the love of Jesus to all. - She was a wonderful help to so many, me included. - Margaret was so kind to me in the years after we left the Assembly; she offered resources that truly helped me. I will always be grateful for her bravery, her kindness, and her concern.” Margaret has certainly finished her life on this side of eternity as a person much loved by those who knew her. Margaret died on June 24, 2025, after battling lung cancer for a year. She would often say during her year with cancer, "I'm going to be with Christ soon, which is far better." She will always be a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and fellow pilgrim to those who knew her.

Tributes

Martha Margaret Irons

April 1, 1944 - June 24, 2025