Obituary
It is with profound sadness that the family of Anna Martin (née Weldon) announces her passing on Sept. 1, 2019. In the presence of family, Anna slipped away peacefully following a lengthy battle with interstitial lung disease.
Anna was born July 30th, 1948 in Brady, Texas but soon moved to New Hampshire where she spent her youth living first in Manchester then in Allenstown and Concord. Eventually she moved to Ojai California then Ventura and lastly Chico where she remained until July of this year. She passed away September 1st, 2019 in Lehigh Acres, Florida where she had recently moved to be closer to and cared for by her sister Mary.
She is survived by her son Daniel Martin of Redlands CA, her brother Michael Weldon of Blacksburg SC, her sisters Danielle Lyon (Roger Taylor) of Duncan, BC Canada, and Mary Dunlap (Ron Smith) of Lehigh Acres FL, as well as several nieces and nephews and her ex-husband James Martin.
Anna was always quick to help, whether it was family, a friend, or an organization. Her kindness and enthusiasm would boost people up with endless encouragement. She had a knack for considering the needs of others, and often advocated and put those needs first through volunteering her hard work. She was a silent force behind many great and appreciated things, from organizing wine tastings, fashion shows, and spaghetti dinners for the Chico Community Ballet, to local potluck suppers, and fundraising to save the Honey Run Bridge.
She was very fond of holidays and loved decorations, the more the better! For Halloween she would sew and assemble elaborate costumes for her son, during Christmas she would decorate inside and out, and birthday parties were likely to be something on the scale of a Huckleberry Finn adventure on a small island or a fossil hunt up the river.
She had a variety of work experiences, her favourite being a gymnastics coach and practitioner. She was also a horse trainer and equestrian competitor for much of her life. She loved horses and achieved a high level of equestrian skill. Anna had a way with animals. She could calm and communicate with them, as they set the pace of interaction and she eventually made a friend for life. Cats, dogs, rabbits, and various wildlife passed through her care on the ranch in the canyon. In town she spent hours walking her dogs in the nearby parks.
Above all, Anna was a fantastic mother. She homeschooled and raised her son Daniel providing him with opportunities to experience new things and develop at his own pace. She allowed him the latitude to grow and to make mistakes, and always supported him with enthusiasm and unwavering belief in him. She approached life from a place of wonderment with a natural ability to see the beauty in everything. She loved a good rain storm. It is somewhat fitting that she leaves us on the edge of a rainstorm – Dorian, a Category 5 hurricane!
Anna will be remembered as kind-hearted, strong, caring, courageous, a treasured friend, a loving sister, a wonderful mother, and as a person who spread as much joy as possible through all of her days. She will be forever missed.
She was predeceased by her mother Mary Frances Weldon (née McDonough) her father James Franklin Weldon, and her brothers Thomas Weldon, Billy Weldon and Jimmy Weldon.
There will be no services in accordance with her wishes.
I am so sorry you are in heaven’s gate and I never got the chance to find you.
We went our separate ways after our sons were born. You were such a driving force in my life. I went to nursing school because of your encouragement and I thank you everyday for the wonderful career that shaped my life! You sent me a huge box of Daniel’s baby clothes and I still have a remnant in my children’s baby things! You were a wonderful friend when we lived in Ventura. You introduced me to your love of horses and I took lessons! We had many movie marathons and sat outside for coffee at the beach commenting on the Ferrell cats. Thank you for the sweet times remembered and I’m sorry I never reconnected! My condolences to your son and family. Love, Lindy Adams
And Daniel, take care and know you are loved by many. We are all here for you.
2 women
2 girls with cats
Who is going to laugh with me until the coffee comes out of their nose over a silly story about a sugar bowl with a lead in line of “my mother and her mother were out hanging clothes...” Who is going to remember the garden parties, the rainstorms, the fishing derbies, the sneaking out to go dancing, the university hijinks and all those weekend visits in California when life was easy and the sun shone.
I miss you, I miss knowing you are in the world. There is a rift in my universe and it will be there forever.
I will miss you dear friend.?