Obituary of Betty Lou Martin

Betty Lou Martin, 88, widow of John William “Bill” Martin, passed away Monday, February 7, 2022. She was born in Breathitt County, KY on January 24, 1934 to the late Atness Burton Dunn and Gordon Dunn.   

Survivors include her brother, Charles David Dunn, Paris, KY; sister, Carolyn Dunn (Don) Durham, Lexington, KY; adopted loving grandson, Steven Oelrich, Washington State; sister-in law, Patricia Martin, Arizona. several nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews; and many friends in California. 

In addition to her husband, Bill, of 60 years, and her parents, Mrs. Martin is preceded in death by her older sister, Emma Jean (Aaron) Vanderpool; sister-in-law, Alma Jean Dunn; brothers-in-law, Clyde (Doris) Martin, Kenneth Martin.

Mrs. Martin started school in a one-room school with eight grades and one teacher. She then graduated high school from Magoffin Baptist Institute in Breathitt Country and Cumberland College, soon after she enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University and earned her teaching certificate. Her bachelors degree was completed in California. She enjoyed a long career teaching elementary students in Kentucky, Ohio, and California. Ohio is where she met her late husband, Bill, and they then moved to California in 1956. After Mrs. Martin and her husband had retired, they traveled extensively in the U.S and Canada in their R.V. In 2015, Mrs. Martin returned to Kentucky to be near family, and finally became a resident in the Memory Care Unit at Bridgepointe, Brannon Crossing. 

A special thanks to all the staff at Bridgepointe for their loving care. 

A gathering of family and friends will be Sunday, February 27, 2022 from 2-4PM at Clark Legacy Center, Brannon Crossing, with a memorial service following at 4PM.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude or Shriners.