Originally from Pennsylvania, Mary Ann Martin passed away in New Boston, MI on August 9, 2020. She was the beloved wife to the late Lawrence Martin for more than 60 years. A devoted mother to Susan (David) Thiede, James Martin and Charles (Christine) Martin. Loving grandmother of 6 and great-grandmother of 8. She is preceded in death by her 2 sisters and 7 brothers. Mary found much enjoyment in gardening, needlepointing and often watched her soap operas. Burial will take place in Michigan Memorial Park.
Condolences
Susan, Jim, Charlie, and your kids and grand-kids,
My mom, Cora, and my Aunt Mary were good friends who talked on the phone a lot and took turns visiting each other's home nearly every week. They would walk down to our garden to check on the corn, tomatoes and green beans. I think they tsk, tsked and shook their heads at mom's attempt at potatoes and peanuts. All the while Dad and Uncle Bud would have their heads under a car or truck hood discussing the merits of various spark plugs or I don't know what. It was a good time for all of them.
The best times for Mary (I think I dropped the Aunt out of familiarity and not disrespect) and Mom were when they got to go to PA, at least in the early days. It's interesting that I just finished writing an essay about PA including how my mother always called it home. I wonder if Mary did too. This goes to show how much the sisters loved the place.
I remember riding to PA with Mary driving and me asleep on the back seat when the pavement turned to dirt and she hit the brake sending me onto the car floor. That's when I first saw pure terror on an adult. She loved her nieces and nephews and was afraid I was hurt. I wasn't. It was before seatbelts and I don't think she was going all that fast.
Another time she took (just) me to see a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movie making me feel very special. And I loved ending up with clothes and ice skates and so on that had been my Aunt Mary's.
She lived with us for a while in the little house on Huron St. before she got her own place. My sister and I liked to visit Mary at her apt. because we got donuts from the shop where she worked before FOMOCO.
And Ford's meant she married Uncle Bud and her name became Mary Martin just like the actress in "Peter Pan"! I really liked that.
Family was important to Mary. After my mother died and I moved north, my dad said Mary always tried to help if there was someplace my baby brother needed to go. And Mary asked to let her know if we heard anything about the history of family in PA. I know she and Uncle Bud had at least one reunion at their home.
Once not long before Uncle Bud died I happened to see him waiting in his vehicle while Mary shopped and he mentioned how it gets so it isn't fun any more. Now that I'm getting older I understand. It isn't that your mom, grandma or great-grandma doesn't love you and want to see you, to be with you and share your good times and bad times. It's that she has gotten so tired that each minute awake is filled with pain and trying to make it to the next minute.
Mary was something the world could use more of. Yes, she was loving and thoughtful. But she was a lady. She listened and could hold her tongue even when she disagreed.
she didn't need to steal the show. She and her husband were good role models. I can still see Mary and Cora walking back to the garden, laughing as they went. I'll miss my mother' sister. Jan Gilbert
SEND FLOWERS
