Margaret Martin Obituary

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Margaret Martin (Middletown, Maryland), who passed away on September 6, 2018, at the age of 91, leaving to mourn family and friends. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Margaret Martin to pay them a last tribute.

Margaret 'Lucille" Martin died peacefully on Thursday, September 6, 2018, four days after observing her birthday with several relatives and friends at Citizen's Care and Rehabilitation Center. Born near Wolfsville on September 2, 1927 , she was a daughter of the late Russell Daniel and Ruth Elizabeth (Blickenstaff) Harshman. Lucille, who grew up on a small farm was the fifth of nine children and attended Wolfsville Elementary School. She was a 1944 graduate of Middletown high School. Lucille was predeceased in death by her loving husband of sixty years, Cecil R. Martin, who died on September 11, 2004. Shortly after Lucille and Cecil moved to Middletown in 1947, she began playing piano and organ at the former Evangelical United Brethren Church on the corner of Main and Church streets. After EUB and Methodist churches merged in 1968, she continued to play both instruments for the Middletown United Methodist Church until the mid 1980's. She was also secretary at Middletown Elementary School for thirty-five years, retiring in 1988. She looked forward to each new school year and the arrival of another class of first graders. The children were her "fountain of youth". In addition to her full time job at the school, she was also a proofreader for the Valley Register newspaper, where Cecil was the editor. She also helped her husband, who was employed part time as the town registrar for Middletown, prepare quarterly water and sewer bills among other clerical duties. After retirement, she and Cecil enjoyed annual bus trips throughout the United States and into eastern Canada. She also enjoyed sewing, playing the piano and gardening. In recent years, she enjoyed watching Washington Nationals baseball games, doing word searches and crossword puzzles and reading the newspaper. She took particular pleasure in sitting by the window and watching birds and squirrels at the bird feeders in the winter and spring and bees and butterflies at the flowers in summer and fall. She is survived by her son, Douglas, and eighteen nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by eight siblings, Francis Harshman, Carolyn Harshman, Irene Harshman Bear, Russell Harshman, Pauline Harshman Hoover, Betty Harshman Gaver, Richard Harshman (Infant), Patricia Harshman Guyton, and a very special niece Michelle Guyton. A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Friday, September 14 at the Middletown United Methodist Church at 7108 Fern Circle, Middletown. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Middletown United Methodist Church, 7108 Fern Circle, Middletown, MD 21769 or to the Middletown Food Bank, c/o Phyllis Thompson, 206 Cone Branch Drive, Middletown, MD 21769.