Mary Martin
Jan. 26, 1922-April 16, 2018
Los Altos, California

Mary Ellen Martin passed away after a brief illness on Monday, April 16, 2018. Mary was born on January 26, 1922 in Round Knob, Illinois. She grew up on a farm in Southern Illinois with her sister Beulah. They were raised by their grandparents since Mary’s mother died when Beulah was born. Mary went to nursing school in St. Louis during WWII and met Dr. Frank Martin in the maternity ward of the hospital in the summer of 1944. They fell in love and married on Dec. 24, 1944. Frank was sent overseas as an Army doctor to the Philippines and then Japan. Their first child, Bill, was born in November 1945 but did not see his father, Frank, until he returned from Japan in late 1946. Mary and Frank had two more children, Anne in 1948 and Bob in 1950. Mary and Frank moved to Los Altos, California in 1950 where Frank started his medical practice in Palo Alto. Mary stayed at home raising the children until they were high school age whereupon she returned to college and received a bachelor's and then a master's degree in nursing. She went to work for the Santa Clara County Health Department as a public health nurse. Eventually Mary and Frank retired and traveled extensively during retirement. Around the year 2000 both Mary and Frank moved to Pilgrim Haven. Sadly, Frank passed away in April of 2002. Mary already knew Ron Fredlund and his wife Thelma from church and Ron and Mary became quite close after both had lost their spouses. They married on May 3, 2003 - fifteen years ago. Mary was blessed with two wonderful marriages and husbands. She was a happy, cheerful, wonderful wife and mother and will be dearly missed by her children and all who knew her.

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