BREWER – Ethelyn Isabel (Bryer) Martin, 83, died peacefully Wednesday, May 10, 2007. She was born July 17, 1923, on Day Road, Brewer, daughter of Wallace and Isabel (Stevens) Bryer. After the death of her mother when she was 8 years old, she went to live with her Aunt Effie and Uncle Carl Godfrey at Artic Spring Bottling Co., Broadway, Bangor. She attended Mary Snow School and graduated from Bangor High School in 1940. She married the only man she ever loved, William “Bill” Martin, February 1941. Her only child, Nina, was born in 1946. She returned to work as a bookkeeper when Nina started school. She was employed at Bangor Gas Co., Bangor Daily News, Sears-Roebuck and Dead River Co. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Church, Penobscot Valley Country Club, president of the Bangor-Brewer Democratic Women’s Club and secretary of the PTA. She lived on Parkway North, Brewer, for more than 30 years, where she enjoyed her pool, her neighbors and her life. She and Bill retired and spent winters at their home in Ocala, Fla., and summers in Litchfield, with daughter, Nina Gallant and husband, Tom, and their children and grandchildren. She spent the last 11 years of her life with her daughter and lived with Nina and Tom in Brewer for the last four years. She spent all the holidays with her family. Her granddaughter, Stacey Hinkley and husband, Guy, along with their two daughters, Amber and Shelbie Hinkley; and granddaughter, Tammy Conner and husband, Bob, and their daughter, Lakin, all of Winthrop, were always there. Stacey’s karaoke played, cribbage and puzzles were enjoyed by Ethelyn and all. She would laugh at Amber and Shelbie’s clothes, singing and teenage stories. She loved watching Lakin do her gymnastics, flipping through the rooms. She liked listening to Tom, Guy and Bob exaggerating their fishing and hunting stories, the big one they just missed. Her grand-daughter, Megan Gallant, always came to see Nana Martin when she visited from Missouri at Christmas and in the summer. Nana loved the cookouts at the family camp in Winthrop, because everyone was together. She sat by the water for hours and watched the stars from her room. She loved Christmas Eve at her granddaughter, Tammy’s home in Winthrop. The kids loved wat-ching Nana dancing and making everyone laugh. Of course, Nana was always around the food table. She loved to eat, that came from the Bryer side of the family. She loved going to the Bryer reunion at Ruby and Paul’s, and she sang along with her brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. She loved the guitar playing and, oh yes, the food. Evie and “Popeye” Dennis always came and stayed with sis and Sammy, the dog, so she would never be alone when Tom and Nina had to be away. She visited her siblings and they always took the time to see her when she could no longer travel to them. Many of her nieces and nephews spent time with her, Sherry, Carol, Sissy, Joan, Mildred, Beverly, Marie and “Zippy” Charlie. She was predeceased by her husband, William, in 1996; her granddaughter, Monica Anne in 1963; and her brothers and sisters, Frank, Bertha, Sterling, Allen, Wally and Edie. She is survived by her brothers, Bob Bryer and wife, Ruby, Carl Bryer and wife, Katherine, and Billy Bryer and wife, Terry; sisters, Ruby and husband, Paul Storey, Evelyn and husband, Dennis Ryder, Linda and husband, Roger Murphy, Rena and husband, Fran Murray, Barbara Everett and Lorraine Bryer; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Peter and Louise Martin and Bud and Edna Huntley. No services will be held according to Ethelyn’s wishes. She will be buried with her husband, William G. Martin, at Maine Veterans’ Cemetery, Augusta. Arrangements are under the care of Direct Cremation of Maine, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast.
ETHELYN ISABEL (BRYER) MARTIN
