Martha Spruce

Martha Spruce

Martha Spruce was the wife of Ray Spruce and co-owner of Spruce's General Store with him. She was simultaneously supportive and derisive of her husband, lauding him for his generosity towards the people of Dead River, but also considering it foolhardy, because she wanted to leave more to their grandchildren than just good intentions. She considered most of Dead River's residents, particularly the local Navajo tribe, to be scam artists taking advantage of Ray's generosity.

However her opinion changed for the better when Benjamin Whitemoon came by one day to offer the Spruces his tribe's ilinii as a debt payment. Martha immediately regretted having misjudged the Indians, and apologized to Benjamin. However things soon took a turn for the worse for the Spruces, as Benjamin's hoodlum nephew Sam Whitemoon and his friends Fatso Gribbens and Andy Cavenaugh robbed the store later that evening. Sam held Martha at gunpoint whilst he demanded the ilinii from her husband, threatening to shoot Martha if Ray did not hand the sacred jewelry over.

Ray, having assured Benjamin he would guard the ilinii with his life, refused, arguing with Sam that they were sacred treasures for the tribe and stealing them was wrong. Sam responded by shooting and killing Martha by firing his shotgun into her side, to Ray's horror.

Comments

• Martha appeared in Old Chief Wood'nhead, the first segment of Creepshow 2.