Obituary of Elsie M. Martin

Elsie Marie (Stiles) Martin died peacefully surrounded by her loving family on June 16th at the age of 93, of complications from a stroke suffered in March. Born in Clifton Park, she was the beloved daughter of the late Franklin and Anna (Riley) Stiles. She was predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Willis E. Martin, her youngest daughter Deborah Martin, brothers Arthur and Edward Stiles, and half siblings James, Lee, Lorraine and Wilbur Stiles, and Milo and William Matteson. Mrs. Martin was a graduate of Mechanicville High School. In the summer of 1943 she married Willis (Woody) E. Martin of Clifton Park, while he was serving in the U. S. Navy. Consistent with her generous, warm and informal demeanor, throughout her adult life she was known to friends, neighbors, relatives, and customers alike as “Els.” Like many of her generation, she was an iconic wife and mother -- committed to balancing the responsibilities of nurturing a growing family and directly or indirectly supporting her husband’s growing businesses. When not overseeing the family as an avid cook, gardener and gentlelady farmer, she was likely to be tending to her flowers, picking wild blueberries and raspberries or fresh corn and other vegetables from one of her gardens. She was famous for spending long hours preparing and preserving her gardens’ vast annual bounty only to lovingly give large quantities of her finished products -- including her famous holiday cookies and fruitcakes -- to family and friends everywhere. She was a member of numerous business, fraternal, and social organizations in the area. During their retirement years, she and Woody divided their time between homes in New York and Maine. At their Moosehead Lake home she was active doing all the things she enjoyed at the lake and its very scenic but rural North Woods surrounds. When fall arrived, they would often go off-roading for days at a time into the rugged western Maine mountains, and then return to New York to be with family and friends for Christmas and New Year’s. After the holidays, they would often return to Moosehead and take mid-winter snowmobile excursions back into those same beautiful, but by then frozen and snow covered areas. Mrs. Martin is survived by her daughters, Donna Martin and Diane Murgia; sons, David, Donald Douglas, and Dennis (Susan) Martin; two granddaughters, Lisa Murgia, and Jennifer (Steven) Varney; and three great grandchildren, Anna, Reed and Clara Varney. Mrs. Martin has many relatives in the upstate New York area and throughout the country. Calling hours will be held on Sunday from 1 to 3 pm at Catricala Funeral Home Inc., 1597 Route 9, Clifton Park, with a service Monday at 11 am at the funeral home. The family will be receiving guests prior to the service on Monday starting at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Clifton Park Village Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to: the Clifton Park Halfmoon Emergency Corp., P. O. Box 1469, Clifton Park, NY 12065, The Fort Hudson Health System, 319 Broadway, Ft. Edward, NY 12828, or St. George’s Episcopal Church, 912 Route 146, Clifton Park, NY 12065