Martha Ann Borah was the daughter of Lee and Catharine Render. She was a pioneer resident of the Grapevine community, coming to Texas with her parents in 1856. She was born April 24, 1847 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, one of five children. The Borah family settled in the south end of Grapevine Prairie, paying sixty-five cents an acre for prairie and timber land bought from the Governor of Texas.

Martha died on March 31, 1931 in Tarrant County. An obituary for appeared in the Grapevine Sun on April 2, 1931: "Mrs. Martha Ann Powell, Age 83, buried Wednesday. Funeral services were held at the Grapevine Baptist Church Wednesday for Mrs. Martha Ann Powell, pioneer resident of this community, wife of T. H. Powell, who died March 31 at the age of 83 years, at her home in Grapevine. Services were conducted by Rev. D. W. Nix, pastor of the Grapevine Baptist Church, assisted by Rev. L. W. Seymour, pastor of the M. E. Church; interment was in the Bear Creek Cemetery. Mrs. Powell was born in Bowling Green, Ky., April 24, 1847. She came to Texas with her parents in 1856, who settled on the W. J. Borah place on the south end of Grapevine Prairie. After the death of her parents she was married to T. H. Powell on March 17, 1872, since which time they have continued to live in this community.

Besides her husband, T. H. Powell, she is survived by one daughter, Mrs. John Trigg of Grapevine; four sons, W. T. Powell, Gunnison, Colorado; John Powell, San Fernando, Calif., Dr. J. P. Powell, Dalhart; San [sic] Powell, Fort Worth; two sisters, Mrs. J. B. Boyd, Polytechnic, and Mrs. Parker Terrill, Marietta, Oklahoma."