Martha Mae Chisholm Hutton was born to Vera McCollum Chisholm and Allen Thurman Chisholm on May 28, 1937 in Bryan, Texas.
She is preceded in death by her dear husband Dale Jovon Hutton.
Martha was taught to sew and cook at an early age and became an exalted seamstress by high school. She won the national 4-H award and was blessed to receive a trip to Washington, DC visiting her Senator, Lyndon B. Johnson. Her skill at garment creation took her to receive a Bachelors degree from Texas Womens University. She then was accepted to post-graduate work at Tobé-Coburn School of Fashion Design in Manhattan, NY. It was in New York where she met Dale Hutton of Altus, Oklahoma. They married on June 14th, 1961 in New York.
Dale and Martha then traveled to England for two years as Dale was a visiting professor in architecture. Returning in 1963 to New York their son Joseph ‘J’ was born. By 1964 Martha and Dale had returned home to Brazos County, Texas. Dale received an offer to teach at the Embryonic School of Architecture of the University of Maryland and so moved to Hyattsville, Maryland for a period of 14 yrs. 1968 saw the birth of their second son, John William Hutton. Martha and her family found their way to Manhattan, Kansas in the fall of 1979.
In 1980, Martha started working on an entrepreneurial effort to start a custom garment business. It was this effort that ultimately brought the family to the upper White River valley. They had made Dutton and Saint Paul their permanent home, in spite of times living and teaching in South Carolina and Italy, returned in 2002.
Her hobbies included her design and archival of fashion in the forms and scale of custom dolls. Her participation in DAR-Daughters of the American Revolution gave her a venue for showing her dolls. She won the DAR top Arts award three years running with her series of historical dolls. She also taught substitute classes in the St. Paul Schools.
Those that met Martha rarely forgot her. Her silver tongue spun stories and her sharp mind wove them into a tapestry for telling. Her love for family, friends, and her pet dogs was a constant source of material she would spin into her stories. To know her is to respect and love her joi de vivre for compassion to all living creatures. It is said of Martha Mae that “She Never Met A Stranger.”
She passed on at high noon on Saturday, March 19, 2022, surrounded by her loving family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following charities: The Humane Society of the United States or your local Animal Shelter or Rescue organizations.
A celebration of life will be held at 10:00 AM Friday, March 25, 2022 at Beard’s Chapel.
Martha was a sweet lady who cared about her community and friends.
St Paul was gifted with her smile and concern.
Martha was a member of the Eureka Springs Doll Club and we enjoyed her expertise in fashion and doll making. We all loved her stories and the laughter she brought to our meetings. We will miss her very much.
John & Angie
l
So sorry to hear about the passing of Martha. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this time.
Love ya’ll.
Darla, Dan , Logan and Jordan
Jay and John, words won’t help, but know that you are in our hearts. May you find peace and comfort knowing she was loved by so many. She lived across the street from us on Carson Street in Bryan and was a long-term friend of my sister, Pat Crum. May God wrap you in His loving arms and provide comfort. 🙏🙏
I realized there are two things that I distinctly remember about Martha. I’ve, Hay l, do you remember her telling you to go find the happy Jay whenever you were unhappy and everyone searching the house to fine him?
And, she made the nest candied citrus. I’ve tried and mine never turned out like hers.
I hope these are memories for you boys, too.
First time I meet Martha I feel in love with her. She treated me like she had known me my hole life. She was a smart. Woman and a funny one also. She told me she. Taught Jhon to respect his elders and he did just that
Her friends and family will miss her dearly. John we love you and here for you if needed
We will miss Martha’s wholehearted acceptance and love for our family, her willingness to share her stories and experiences, and the kindness she always showed us. Prayers and condolences for her family.