Ann “Annie” Taylor Martin, age 83, of Coleman, died Sunday, May 2, 2021 at St. David’s Hospital in Austin, Texas surrounded by her family.
The family will host a visitation from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, May 7, 2021 at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel, 400 W. Pecan Street, in Coleman. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 8, 2021 at the United Christian and Presbyterian Church, 1609 S. Commercial Ave, in Coleman with Tracy Baker, pastor of the United Christian and Presbyterian Church, officiating. Interment will follow in the Coleman City Cemetery. Services are entrusted to Stevens Funeral Home in Coleman.
Her bright eyes and loving spirit made their debut on November 14, 1937, a daughter of Ben Franklin Taylor and Myra Payne Taylor. Ann grew up in Coleman and graduated from Coleman High School in 1955. She married her best friend and childhood sweetheart, Lang C. Martin on December 30, 1956 in Coleman. Ann graduated from the University of Texas in 1959 and started her teaching career. She taught computer and home economics in Talpa, Novice, and Westbrook. After her retirement from teaching, Ann obtained her real estate license and then became a real estate broker. She worked in real estate for 14 years. Ann enjoyed cooking, sewing, architecture, and all manner of crafts and organization. She also enjoyed reading her Bible, novels, and working crossword puzzles, a time-honored aspect of her life. Ann’s happiest times were with her family and with her artistic endeavors. She enjoyed being the hostess for any event and she was fulfilled and happy when she was creating, whether it be a home, a project, a meal, or whatever the occasion.
Where do we even start when talking about Annie? Well, it’s pretty easy. You simply start with a single word… Mom. According to Dad, and evidenced by the library of scrapbooks we found this week, no one we can think of was more determined to be, excited to be, or committed to be a Mother. She knew from a very early age that being a Mom was her purpose, her passion, and her joy. And she was good at it. No, she was Great at it. Her boys may not have always thought so “in the moment”, but the truth is we knew we had someone special watching over us.
And most of the youngsters in Coleman who had the good fortune of growing up while we were growing up…. Well, they also knew how serious and tenacious she was about being a Mom. As they quickly found out, Mrs. Martin had no qualms at all about “mothering” them too. It was just who she was, and it was wonderful.
But she was more than a Mom. She was also an incredible sister to Kay and Ted. From the stories we’ve heard all our lives and even some of the new stories we’ve heard this week, she got an early start honing her child rearing skills on her little sister and especially on her little brother. And as all three reached adulthood, we all had the privilege of watching her example as she transitioned from “big sister” to simply… “sister”.
The term “mother” is also part of “mother in law”. And, true to form, she was great at that too. The relationship she built with Shauna was so much more than “in law”. Shauna was the daughter she never had, and Mom made the most of it. Sure, they had their moments (like Moms and daughters do), but they forged a bond that was strong, everlasting, and beautiful to behold.
And, of course, her 28 years as a Grand “Mom” made her light up. She was Ann or Mom to everybody in town until 1993, and then she became “Annie”. We shouldn’t have been shocked, but we were. The disciplinarian melted when she became “Annie”. Stern patience became just… patience. Ryan and Samantha couldn’t have asked for more. She doted on those kids and they on her.
Faith also played a big role in Mom’s life. We learned by her example, by the discussions we had growing up, by seeing the ever-present stack of books she was reading, by the environments she put us in… It was a consistency that was subtle but thundering all at the same time. She didn’t just “go to Church”. She had a relationship with her Savior, and it showed. And for that, we are forever grateful.
It may be debatable, but perhaps her greatest role while on this earth was also her longest running role. And that was the role of wife. Mom and Dad were married for 64 years, but they were soulmates for much longer than that. Dad’s grandfather pointed at Lang one day, when he was in 3rd grade, and told Ann, “You need to marry that boy.” Her instant and matter of fact response was… “I plan to.”
Mom and Dad were, in our eyes, the perfect couple. She had the capacity to be supportive, loving, challenging, and fiercely loyal. She was thoughtful, brave, and inspiring. No matter what was going on around them or what hurdles life was placing in front of them, Dad knew he had a partner that was unwavering and that, together, they would be ok.
She went through life with a smile on her face and, more often than not, humming while she worked on her projects. She could get completely lost in a task, humming and “piddling”. But in the end, she would come out the other side with something unique and awesome. All three Taylor kids are creative and artistic in their own ways. With Mom, it was pursuits like cooking, sewing, architecture, writing, crafts, and (most notably) organization. The “organization” was awe-inspiring and, sometimes, a bit comical. Tabs in her pocketbook, for example, to make it easy to locate and retrieve credit cards and driver license.
We could go on and on talking about Mom and telling stories “on her” and “about her”. But you get the picture. And, if you knew her well, you have stories of your own. Stories we can’t wait to hear and re-hear. She was a rare lady in a rare generation. We will miss her terribly, but we know where she is and we know she is pain free, smiling, and (probably) humming just a little bit too.
We love you Annie!
Ted, Greg, and Shauna
Preceding Ann in death are her parents, Ben and Myra Taylor, and her son, Gary Martin.
She is survived by her husband, Lang C. Martin of Coleman; two sons, Greg Martin and wife Shauna Martin of Coleman, and Ted Martin of Abilene; her grandson, Ryan Martin of Waco; her granddaughter, Samantha Martin of Waco; her sister, Kay Rankin of Coleman; and her brother, Ted Taylor and wife Sonjia of Coleman.
Memorials are suggested in memory of Ann to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org, Shriners Hospitals for Children at www.lovetotherescue.org, or to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Remembrances, condolences, and messages of comfort can be expressed to the family at www.livingmemorials.com. Stevens Funeral Home is honored to serve the Martin family.
