Elsie Martin, 78
Elsie Martin, 78, a 51-year resident of Columbia Falls and lifetime resident of Montana, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, in Salt Lake City, surrounded by family.
Mom was born Elsie Elaine Christie in 1940 to Laurence and Lorraine (Hilton) Christie in Bozeman. She grew up with her four siblings on the family dairy farm up Bridger Canyon just south of Bozeman.
She attended Lower Bridger school through the eighth grade, a little one-room school across from the family farm. She went to Bozeman High where she met the love of her life, Delbert Martin, and married in 1958. They began raising a family of four boys. She knew raising the boys wasn’t going to be easy with Delbert away working road construction. Delbert trained as a welder and moved the family to Columbia Falls, taking a job at the Anaconda Aluminum Plant. They bought 30 acres in 1967 and started their own farm, putting down deep roots to this day.
Mom was a very hard working and loving farm wife, mother and grandmother. If there was something going on she was a part of it, be it work or play. She enjoyed many crafts, from baking to making candy, ceramics to woodworking, gardening to feeding her hummingbirds and chickadees. She was a 4-H leader, belonged to a women’s hobby club, and got together weekly for breakfast at the Nite Owl with the girls. She worked in the Ruder cafeteria for a few years after giving up milking cows.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and her siblings, Ernest, Sheila, Claudina and George.
Elsie is survived by her husband, Delbert; her children, Tom, Tim, Terry and wife Dana, and Tony and wife Sara; her grandchildren, Katrina and husband Chet Lamb, Travis and wife Michaela Martin, Bret Martin, Courtney Martin and partner Clint Miller, Casey Martin and Randy Martin. She also has five great-grandkids, Joe, Luke, Mady, Liv and Braedan.
A celebration of Elsie’s life is going to be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Expo Building with a luncheon will follow. Pastor Tim Bartholomew will officiate.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Elsie’s name to a charity of your choice.
Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for Elsie’s family.