Martin, Alice M. (1926-2006)

Latest revision as of 16:28, 4 April 2011

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2006 Jul 17 p. 8

Birth date: 1926 Aug 8

text of obituary:

Alice M. Martin, 79, of Orrville, Ohio, died May 25, 2006, after a sudden illness. She was born Aug. 8, 1926, to Phares D. and Magdalena C. (Miller) Martin at Dalton.

She attended Dalton High School for three years and graduated from Eastern Mennonite High School in 1944. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg, Va., and taught in Christian elementary schools in Ohio and Virginia for four years.

She returned to Orrville to manage Martin’s Bookstore, a part of the family business. She spent 43 years as manager/owner until her retirement in 1998, when the store was purchased by Provident Bookstore. She was active in the local merchants group and was a life member of the Christian Booksellers Association.

She was a member of Orrville Mennonite Church and had served as an elder and in positions of leadership in music and worship, outreach ministries, and Women’s Fellowship. She served on the Evangelism Commission for Ohio Conference, sang in the Mennonite Hour Choir, served as an MCC volunteer at the Wiltwyck School for Boys and Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp, and with a short-term mission team in construction at SEMILLA, the Mennonite seminary in Guatemala City in Central America.

She enjoyed quilting, reading, birding, gardening, traveling, singing, cooking, playing in a recorder ensemble, photography and keeping in touch with her many nieces and nephews.

Survivors include two brothers, Ralph Martin of Goshen, Ind., and Wesley Martin of Orrville; four sisters, Velma Souder of Telford, Pa., Grace Martin of Orrville, Carolyn Swartzendruber of Goshen, Ind., and Lois Zimmerly of Sterling.

Services were held at Orrville Mennonite Church. Burial was in Crown Hill Mennonite Church Cemetery near Rittman.