See also: A History of Martha White

Martha White

(1896-1949)

Martha White - If you grew up in the South on homemade cornbread and cobbler, you might have thought Martha White was some unseen cousin who helped your mama in the kitchen with the baking.

     The truth is, unlike fictitious brand symbols, Martha White was a real person. In fact, the founding father of the company was also the father of the little girl who gave the company its name.

     Martha White Lindsey was the daughter of Richard Lindsey Sr. and Katherine Jordan Lindsey. Richard Lindsey Sr. founded Nashville's Royal Flour Mill back in 1899 and named his finest flour brand for his then three-year-old daughter. When the Williams family acquired the Royal Flour Mill in 1941, the first thing they did was change the company's name to match that of its best-selling flour-- Martha White.

     Today, the little girl's name graces a full line of baking products and stands for the finest baking tradition.

     Martha White grew up in Nashville and attended Warner Elementary School and Hume Fogg High School. In 1923, Martha married Dr. George M. Russell, an orthodontist. The couple had three children and lived in Nashville until 1931, when they moved to Memphis. Martha White Lindsey Russell died there in 1949.