Millenium countdown: 1928

71 days to the millennium

71 years ago

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 1928

Paper: Carson City Daily Appeal

Editor and Publisher: Henry R. Mighels Jr.

The Feb. 21, 1928 Carson City Daily Appeal noted the passing of one of the community's most loved residents.

Funeral Arrangements

For Annie H. Martin

The funeral of the late Miss Annie H. Martin, who passed away early Monday morning, is to be held from the Presbyterian church in this city at two o'clock, Wednesday afternoon. Rev. J. L. Harvey is to officiate.

Pal bearers have been selected from citizens who were former students under Miss Martin. The public schools will be closed during the afternoon, while several of the business men of this city will attend the services. The interment will be in the family plot at Lone Mountain.

Annie is buried next to Henry Martin who lived from 1866 until 1911. She is buried in the Masonic section of Lone Mountain Cemetery in a family plot. Though there are seven burial sites in the plot, only the two are used.

Kenneth Plummer, who lived with Annie until her death, said he has no idea who Henry is.

Annie was born in Memphis, Mo., Feb. 1, 1857 and was 63 when Plummer came to live with her and by now was superintendent of the Federal Assay Office, (former Carson City Mint.)

Plummer remembers a man he called Uncle Fred who had hunting dogs and spent time with him outdoors. He said Fred lived with Annie when he first came to live with her but soon vanished.

The city directories list Annie as a boarder at Fred's house.

A receipt from George E. Kitzmeyer's funeral parlor, shows Annie buried Fred in July of 1920.

However, Plummer does not remember Fred's death or why his marker is marked with "Woodsman of the World."

Plummer is related to George Washington Gale Ferris. Ferris' sister-in-law married Charles Schultz. Their daughter Gertrude Schultz married a Martin and they had four daughters. Martin died and she remarried Demitrius Lacy of Hobart Mills. Plummer's mother, Ina Martin, married Kenneth Plummer Sr.

Her sister, Julia Martin, married Ed Peterson, whose house is at 500 N. Mountain St. Peterson was the master mechanic for the V&T. Plummer remembers outings to Glenbrook to visit the Bliss family in his Model T Ford.

"The gas tank on the Model T was under the driver's seat," Plummer said. "And gas flowed by gravity to the engine. So when you went up a hill, and it's a pretty steep climb up Kings Canyon, the engine would cut out and you'd have to turn around and back up. It was a one-lane dirt road. We'd go to spend the day at the lake and it would take us all morning to go 11 miles."

The other two daughters are Charlotte Martin and Jessie Martin.

Plummer came to live with Annie in the spring of 1920 after his mother died in childbirth. Though they say she died of childbirth, Plummer said she was a victim of the flu epidemic that struck after World War I.

Though he can vividly recall his childhood days fishing, hunting and going to the movies with Annie, he knows little about her days at the Carson City Daily News or how she went from being a Hudnall to a Martin.

The newspaper articles say she was adopted by Charles Martin, former deputy secretary of state 1864-66 and 1867-70, under the state's first secretary of state Chauncey N. Noteware. He is dead at the time of her funeral, but no headstone exists for him at Lone Mountain. The family was also close friends with the Orion Clemens Family including Samuel Clemens who would later become Mark Twain.

In a partial story written by Annie about her childhood, she tells how Mrs. Orion Clemens was so thrifty that after a big party she would ration the food fed to Orion and Sam until the debt was paid.

Prisoners from the Nevada State Prison remembered Annie fondly for she played the organ for them.

In her memory, they wrote and the Carson City Daily News printed:

"Could we but recall you for one short day-

Could mere words express what our hearts would say-

How your friendship was spread with a real friend's smile-

And your kindly deeds made dark days worth while.

Like a little mother your ministering hand

Brot thots of home to our prison land.

May hovering Angles their vigils keep-

In this-dear friend-your eternal sleep."

MISS ANNIE MARTIN

CALLED BY DEATH

Sudden stroke Takes Life of One

of Best Known Woman in Western

Nev. Was in Usual Health.

Following a stroke of apoplexy yesterday morning. Miss Annie H. Martin, probably the best known woman of this city, passed away at her home in this city early this morning. her death was one of peace surrounded by friends and relatives.

Sudden Stroke

Miss Martin, who had recently consulted a physician was warned that she had high blood pressure and was advised to take better care of herself. Saturday she attended her work as manager or superintendent of the local federal assay office in this city. Her health to all appearances was a usual she meeting the innumerable friends during the day, and on retiring Saturday evening made no complaint of anything unusual.

On arising Sunday morning she made the two fires in her home and called her nephew,, Kenneth Plummer. He dressed by the fire and carried on conversation with her. Suddenly he heard a peculiar sound and found Miss Martin had collapsed and was unconscious. He immediately telephoned for a physician who on arriving extended no hope for her recovery.

Relatives were immediately in formed of the condition and Mrs. Lacy, of Hobart Mills arrived during the day. Others came this morning. With close friends at the bed side Annie martin passed away this morning. She died as she would have wished, in harness.

Favorite Teacher

Arriving at young womanhood in this city Miss Martin followed teaching for many years handling the primary classes. As such she was one of the most successful of teachers and may in this city, and elsewhere pointed with pride to the fact that she had been their instructor.

For a number of yeas she followed newspaper life, having edited and managed the Carson News. On being appointed as superintendent of the mint, or federal assay and deposit office in this city, she abandoned newspaper life, and as servant of the government had been regarded as among the most faithful.

Active Socially

For may year Miss Martin found time to devote to social and church affairs. as a member of the Presbyterian church she has taken a prominent part. Her memory of local affairs resulted in calling on her for facts and details, and her annual letter from the gathering in California has been looked forward to. She has been keenly alive in all civic affairs and up to the day of her death watched every movement of this city.

Here charity, considering her means, knew no bounds, as she has been mothering a nephew, and seeing to his schooling. It was state by a congregation of friends that none expected Annie Martin to die as she seemed a part of the community.

Miss Martin was born as Annie Martin Hudnall, in Memphis Missouri, 71 years ago. She came west at six years of age and was adopted by the late Charles Martin and his wife, residing here since that time.

A few years ago she visited at the home of her uncle Proctor Knot, of Kentucky, and renewed acquaintances. Her life has been one of usefulness, and her death is as she would have wished in the full efforts of life as she never hinted at retiring.

The funeral services are to be held on Wednesday afternoon from the Presbyterian church, where for an ordinary life time she had worshiped.

The following article ran the next day after the funeral in the Feb. 22, 1928 Carson Daily Appeal.

FUNERAL SERVICES

FOR ANNIE MARTIN

This afternoon at the Presbyterian church, with Rev. Harvey officiating, this city listened to the tribute service for the late Miss Annie H. Martin. The large hall was filled to capacity as the man of her church delivered his thoughts and expressions for one whom this entire community loved. His recital of the incidents connected with her life brought vividly to all the loss of one whom all looked to for the daily greeting. It was a silent church, the organ which she had mastered for the church for forty years, was silent, a glowing respect to a servant of the church and the Lord.

Friends form this city, from Reno and the other communities gathered to pay their respects to the memory of one of the most beloved woman of this state. The floral tributes were such that they banked the approach to the pulpit, they were from far and near. The procession to the resting place in the family plot at the local cemetery was such that it crowed the immediate vicinity, and the concluding services without songs, but expressions from the pastor, left an impression of peace to the woman who has solved the great mystery.

The selection of pall bearers was from scholars, men who have loved and respected this woman who taught them the rediments of life. They responded not as a duty but as pride and friendship of a lifetime. They were as follows: Arthur Meyers, Joseph Smith, Frank Murphy, William Lindsay, Peter Crow, Hal Mighels, Sam Platt, Ira Winters, Frank Meder, Dean Smith, Ed Sweetland and Albert Quill.

"We used to get invited all the time to the Governor's Mansion," Plummer said. "They'd have some longhair playing a violin and I'd have to get all dressed up. It was boring as hell. I was forever in a suit."

In addition to the fancy parties, Annie was a rabid fan of movies.

"We saw every movie that came to Carson City," he said. "I saw more movies by the time I was 12 years old than most other boys did in a lifetime.

"Sometimes we'd take the V&T to Reno and see five movies in one weekend."

They also used to take the train to Franktown, then walk from there to Bower's Mansion.