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Married:
- Tilman & Elizabeth resided at various places for the first 10 years of their marriage until they could get a farm of their own. They belonged to the Old Order Mennonites until 1917 when there was a split in the church. At issue was how strictly to enforce "shunning", the practice of avoiding and having no fellowship with non-repentant members of the church who, ultimately, would be excommunicated. Tilman and Elizabeth joined the off shoot of the Old Orders who became known as the Dave Martin Mennonites. The Dave Martin group was ultra-conservative, emphazing plainess in dress, furnishings and vehicles. Tilman sold a plot of land on the corner of his farm for one dollar to the new group for a meetinghouse. (the various conservative Mennonite groups refer to the building they worship in as a meetinghouse, not a church. The church is the body of people.) In the fall of 1929 Tilman was excommunicated from the Dave Martin group - the reasons are not clear. Elizabeth remained a member of the Dave Martin group until her death in 1931. With Tilman and Elizabeth's family divided between the Old Order group & the Dave Martin group who do not fellowship together, the two parts of the family got together separately. In spite of the fact that Elizabeth was a member of the Dave Martin group, she was buried in the Conestogo Old Order Mennonite Cemetery where her husband would join her about two years later in the fall of 1933. For more interesting reading on this family see "Tilman & Elizabeth Martin: A Family History", 2002, Elmira, Ontario, Barbara Draper & Martin A. Frey, Pandora Press.
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1905 - 1987 (81 years)