Martina Earle
1926 – 2009
GRAPEVINE, Texas — Martina Elizabeth Ashton Earle, 83, of Auburn, died in Baylor Medical Center on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
She was born in Manchester, N.H., April 10, 1926, a daughter of Ralph A. and Lynna (Ward) Ashton.
She started her schooling in Manchester, N.H., transferring to Lewiston in the second grade. She graduated from Lewiston High School in 1945 and the Auburn Maine School of Commerce Teachers Training course in 1948. She earned her bachelor of sceince degree, and several extension courses, from the University of Maine.
She was a past president of the Lewiston-Auburn Philharmonic Club; served on the executive board of the Lewiston-Auburn Community Concert Association; member of the Woman’s Literary Union in Auburn; past matron of the Mt. Olivet Chapter Order of the Eastern Star; past royal matron of Charity Court of the Amaranth; past queen of Arak Temple Daughter of the Nile; past worthy high priestess of Rugged Cross Shrine of Jerusalem; and was an active member of High Street Congregational Church in Auburn.
In addition, she was actively involved in the Maine State Republican Committee, having worked on several Sen. Olympia Snowe’s re-election campaigns, and was a member of the National Republican Committee.
Her teaching career included four years with the Job Corps Program at Poland Spring and substitute teaching stops in several area school districts. After retiring with 33 years of teaching at Lewiston High School, she served as a volunteer for several years at Central Maine Medical Center.
She is survived by cousins, Marge (Ashton) and Clem Cormier of Lewiston and Leuna (Ashton) Dawes of Augusta; her nephews and nieces include, Neil and Jan Ashton of Bangor, Ward and Heather Ashton of Hudson, N.H., Shari Estep (and her two sons, Mason and Asher) of Webster, N.H., Vicki Ashton of Bangor, Keith and Linda Ashton of Plymouth, and their son, Keith C. and wife, Annie Ashton, of Bangor, Lynne Haslam (and her children Laura Garland and Heather Dorr) of Bangor, John and Deborah Hardesty of Roanoke, Texas and their family Michelle and Dave Anderson II (and their children Dave III and Brenna) and Jennifer Lansdale (and her son Branton), and James (Jay) Hardesty and Linda Stieduhar of Littleton, Colo.; other family includes, Diane and Bill Harting of Plymouth, Mass., and their family Jenny and Tom Healy (and their children Nora and William), Megan and Pedro Verdugo (and their daughter Gracie) and Kara and Jeff Mallon (and their daughters Isabel and Maggie), all of Plymouth, Mass.
She was predeceased by her husband, Charles H. Earle; sister, Margaret A. Hardesty; and two brothers, Attorney Ralph A. Ashton and the Rev. Lynward F. Ashton.
The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to the dedicated staffs of Schooner Estates Retirement Community in Auburn and Helping Hands Home Health Care Service of Maine, especially Clair Rice.