Martha Alberta Butt was born in 1892 to Dr. Albert L. and Elizabeth D. Townsend Butt, possibly in Logan County, Kentucky. Throughout her life, she collected and compiled genealogical data for various Kentucky families, including her own, and collected information on Kentucky state and church history. In particular, she focused on the Red River Church, Graveyard, and Meeting House, where the Great Revival of 1800 occurred. The culmination of her research came in the form of a manuscript entitled The Old Red River Meeting House and Morton Maulding's Fort, in which she detailed the history of the church, its grounds, and the revival that took place there. Martha B. Cheek, as she was known after her marriage to Francis J. Cheek in 1924, served in the Red River Memorial Association, getting the organization statewide and national recognition. Even in her old age, despite illnesses and injuries, she continued her research by assisting people with their family genealogy. She passed away in 1987, at the age of 94.
From the description of Martha Butt Cheek papers, 1825-2004. (Filson Historical Society, The). WorldCat record id: 297220144
