Martha Dublin Howard McMahill was born in Brownwood, Texas on November 22,1920. Her parents were Lindsey and Lena Dublin, and they owned ‘Dublin’s’ on Main Street. Martha graduated from Brownwood High and attended Howard Payne, where she got an Associate’s degree in Secretarial Business. Martha also competed in many beauty pageants around the state. She met Skipper Howard, a football star, at Daniel Baker, and fell in love. They married before the war. While most of the men were enlisted and gone, Martha worked at the radio station to help it stay on the air.
After the war, she & Skipper started their family, and lived in Brownwood. Skipper helped run “Mrs. Howard’s’ Bread, which competed with “Mrs. Baird’s” bread for territory in Texas. When the bakery sold, Martha and Skipper moved the family to Colorado. She worked for a greeter service several years, and then took a job as Executive Secretary at the United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs. She worked for Dr. Ben Lindburg and excelled at her job.
After her divorce, she moved to Texas and worked for Merchant’s Greeter Service. Because she missed Colorado so much, she had the company expand to Colorado, with her in charge! This is where she met her second husband. They had similar interest and traveled in their RV around the U.S. and Canada.
In the late 70’s, they moved to Woodland Park, to escape the fast-growing city of Colorado Springs. Martha volunteered at the Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce. Being retired gave her and her husband time to belong to a square dance group, go fishing, travel wherever they wanted, and live in the mountains.
When Martha lost her second husband in 2008, she moved out East to Lewes, Delaware, to be near to her daughters. Her oldest daughter, Janet, lived in Washington, D.C. and she went to many events at the Kennedy Center in D.C. as well as visiting museums. At her senior living facility, she earned the title of Best Bridge Player and loved being involved in the many events there. Martha’s last move was to Sun City, Arizona, with her daughter, Gloria & her husband, in 2018. Her granddaughter, Leah, also lived nearby in Phoenix. Martha continued to be active, even at 100 years of age! And she got to know her 4 great-grandchildren.
Martha always loved meeting new people and was a people person all her life! Her love of flowers and planting a beautiful garden of flowers was passed down to both daughters. The changes in technology amazed her & she read the NYTimes every day, to keep up with what was happening in the world. She passed away one month short of her 103rd birthday.
Preceded in death was her husband, Skipper Howard and daughter, Janet Anne Howard, along with her second husband, Virg McMahill. Survivors include daughter Gloria Howard Bold &husband Steve Bold, of Sun City, Arizona; granddaughter Leah Bold Mondlick & husband Josh Mondlick, of Phoenix, Arizona.; grandson Brett Bold and wife Stacy Bold, of Grass Valley, California; stepson Brian McMahill and Tess McMahill, of Loveland, Colorado; and stepdaughter Allyn McMahill Schwinn and husband Jim Schwinn, of Lenexa, Kansas; Great Grandchildren include Abe Mondlick, Zane Mondlick, Halle Mondlick of Phoenix, Arizona and Sienna Bold of Grass Valley, California.