Obituary and thoughts

Martha Dickinson



Martha Dickinson, 86, Topeka, died Saturday, April 23, 2001, at Midland Hospice House. Martha was born December 1, 1924, in Glen Elder, the daughter of Archie and Daisy (McCrory) Taylor. She married Max Dickinson on August 8, 1943. He preceded her in death in 1975. They had two children, Joleen (Ned) Nusbaum and John (Pat) Dickinson, both of Topeka. She had 4 grandchildren, Nancy Nusbaum, Atlanta, GA; Matt (Stacia) Nusbaum, Washington, DC; Kelly (Todd) Zimmerman, Topeka; Jamie Dickinson, Mission; and great-granddaughter, Karley Zimmerman. Martha was from a family that included two sisters and three brothers. One sister, Phyllis Weidenhaft, Glen Elder, survives. Her sister-in-law, Wanda Taylor, Abilene, also survives. She had many nieces and nephews. After graduating from Glen Elder High School, and moving to Topeka, she and her husband, Max, operated their own business for 6 years. Martha joined the clerical world of work starting at Topeka State Bank and became a part of Topeka Public Schools clerical staff in 1959. She was the first employee to work at the new Topeka West High School being built and to open in the fall of 1961. She served as a main office secretary and bookkeeper at Topeka West High School for 26 years, retiring in 1987. After her retirement, Martha enjoyed scheduling trips and acting as a tour guide for the Retired Teachers Association of Topeka. She enjoyed other post retirement jobs, working part time at the Jones Store and Lovin and Learnin Toy Store. She volunteered and served on the Normandy Condominium Homeowners Board of Directors for several years before moving to Aldersgate Village Independent Living in 2006. Martha was a lifelong member of the Crestview United Methodist Church and enjoyed playing cards with friends and watching college and professional sports. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at Mount Hope Cemetery. Martha will lie in state at Penwell-Gabel Mid Town Chapel after 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday and visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Good Samaritan Fund at Aldersgate Village, 7220 SW Asbury Drive, Topeka, Kansas 66614. To leave a special message for the family online, visit www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com. Martha Dickinson

Published in Topeka Capital-Journal on April 25, 2011
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Update:
 
SO, typical of the Topeka Capitol Journal to have the date she passed away as 2001.  Seriously?  We are all doing as well as can be expected.  We were all very lucky to be with her at Hospice right before she passed away.  I have nothing but amazing things to say about this facility.  I was a bit worried that Karley would be freaked out seeing her GG like that but she was so intent on going to see her before she died.  She walked right up to her and grabbed her hand and said "Hi GG!  It's Karley!"  My grandma (who hadn't responded to many things the past day) Looked right at Karley and said: "How are you?"  It was amazing and sad.   I was so glad this happened because right when we walked in the room she was saying
"Let me go! Let me go!"  It was awful.  We could tell she was at the point where it wasn't going to be much longer.  I am grateful she didn't suffer much.  She had a great 86 years and will be missed so very much. 
 
For those of you who don't know, she fell in the nursing home a month or so ago and went to the hospital that day.  They got her all put back together (rehab for her legs, etc.) and sent her home a week ago Friday telling us that she would be better.  On Saturday my dad got a phone call that she was not doing well.  She went back to the hospital where they found out that her kidneys and heart were failing.  It was then that we were given the  news there wasn't anything they could do for her.  She was transferred to Hospice on Thursday and passed away on Saturday.  The day she passed away, my cousins, Matt (from DC) and Nancy (from Atlanta) and my sister came home and were able to say goodbye also.  Thank God for that!!!
Please keep us in your prayers as we go through these next couple of days.