Barbara Joan Martin-Ells

July 28, 2008 12 AM PT

BARBARA JOAN MARTIN-ELLS

Barbara Martin-Ells, born June 19, 1921, in Detroit,

Michigan, passed away on June 27, 2008 (at 87

years of age).

Barbara was born in Michigan and came to

California as a young adult. Most of her early

life growing up was spent in or around Detroit,

Michigan. In her early married life, she and her

husband and their three children lived in Sherman

Oaks in a very nice mansion; and after their

divorce, she and her mother subsequently moved to

Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley. To further

her pursuit of work to make a living to support her

children, she moved the family to Hollywood and

spent many years there.

Finally, she secured employment at Ford

Aeroneutronics in Newport Beach and moved the

family from Hollywood to Orange County. She

lived many enjoyable years in Corona del Mar and

then bought a house in Costa Mesa where she

also lived for many years. She retired out of R.R. Donnelly & Co., a book publishing

company located in Irvine. She was especially proud that when she retired as their

office supervisor, she left behind a legacy in that the employees she had hired and

trained were still with the company after all these years.

After she retired, she founded a library service company/home business and enjoyed

the fruits of her labors there as well as supplying employment to others. This was a

source of great pleasure to her and she remodeled her house and built up her estate

quite well.

Mom was a wonderful person with many interests who was well-loved in her

community. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, a good movie, good conversation and

intellectual pursuits. She was an affectionado of good jazz (which her church supplied

in unlimited measure). At home, she also liked to have “game time” and we enjoyed

many happy hours together playing games such as Scrabble on the dining room table.

Her main joy in life in her years preceding her passing were her church and children.

She genuinely loved and cared about her children and did everything she could to

ensure their welfare. That is not to say she did not have many disappointments in life,

which she did. She bore all these with a stoicism ingrained in her by generation after

generation of forebears who had sacrificed much to propel their children onward to

success.

She drove up until she was 82, volunteered at her church, visited with friends and

spent time with her children and neighbors. If there is anything that she would have

wanted for her life that she was not able to achieve, it would have been that her second

husband, Hugh Alan Ells, could have continued on with her into her golden years.

Unfortunately, that was cut short by his untimely death. Still, she righted herself again

and kept looking onward to the day that they could be reunited. Her family is happy

that she is finally able to realize this goal and to soar in the heavenly world with her

beloved family and friends.

She loved boats and all things nautical and loved living so close to the ocean. She was

a brave warrior who overcame much to secure a home for her family and loved ones.

She fought the good fight and has won her place in heaven. May she know that we love

and miss her and that her memory is alive in everything we say and do. Funny how the

impressions come when least expected and all the memories flood to the surface of

someone who loved well, gave of herself freely, and never looked back to what may have

been.

She was preceded in death by her loving son, Barry James Martin, a taxi-cab driver who

lived in Reno, Nevada for many years, and then moved to Costa Mesa to be with his

mother. Also her sister, Bonnie Potter, who lived for many years in Jackson, Michigan

with her husband, Dave Potter, a bank president, before moving to Costa Mesa to

be close to her sister, Barbara. Dave Potter’s two sons, George & Bill Potter, are both

attorneys - George Potter living still in Jackson, Michigan with his wife Donna. George

is well-regarded in his community and has received many awards for his philanthropy.

Bill Potter resides in Melbourne, Florida with his wife Wendy.

Bill has done extensive work in the reserves and spent time in the Balkans helping

them there with their political problems. His legal knowledge went far in helping them

solve the rampant corruption there. Barbara’s sister Bonnie had one daughter, Ann

Potter, who lives in Florida and is an insurance agent.

Previously, Barbara lost her mother - Capitola Ruth Muggley and her uncle (Capitola’s

brother, John Muggley); as well as her father, George Calvin Bayley. George’s ancestors

sailed around Cape Horn (on the tip of South America) and survived, which is a near

miracle because not every ship that passed through the Straits of Megallan made it

through. The Straits of Megallan is a very dangerous place where the waves can reach

20 feet in height and many ships have capsized and lots of lives have been lost there in

those tumultous seas.

Her first husband, Winford Lafayette Martin, passed away relatively early in life due to

circumstances unknown to us. He was from Bowling Green, Kentucky and moved to

California as a young adult.

She is also preceded in death by her beloved Aunt Elinor F. Bayley, of Milwaukee,

Wisconsin; as well as her beloved cousin, Edwin R. Bayley, who was a newspaper

journalist of some renown who worked for the Milwaukee Journal and wrote a book

called “Ask Harvey, pls”, which is a hilarious account of his experiences working for his

boss, Harvey W. Schwandner, executive director/city editor of the Milwaukee Journal/

Sentinel (published by the PRAIRIE OAK PRESS, Madison, Wisconsin).

She is survived by two loving children: Wendy Lynn Martin of Costa Mesa, a

Compliance Specialist at a Vietnamese Money Transfer Business in Garden Grove;

and Randy Wynn Martin of Petaluma, California, a propane refrigerator renovation

specialist. Also her beloved cousin, Elizabeth Coffman-Childers of Reno, Nevada, a

retired Girl Scout executive, whom she dearly loved.

She is also survived by three step-children: Donald Sherburne Ells, of Seattle,

Washington, a counselor; Brent Read Ells of Costa Mesa, who is a CPA; and Andrea

Diane Ells of Newport Beach, a Registered Nurse who runs the Gentiva program at

Hoag Hospital (In-Home Health Services). The fourth step-child, Richard Alan Ells,

who was the first-born, passed away relatively recently in 2000 so he is already in

heaven and possibly greeting her too at the present time. Rick Ells was an accomplished

musician who played lead guitar in a band in and around the Newport Beach area in

his younger years. Alan’s first wife is Charlene Sherburne who is living in Newport

Beach at the present time.

As far as grandchildren she was mightily blessed: David Shane Tindall, Wendy’s son,

plus three great-grandchildren by Shane’s first wife, Dawn Tindall: Megan Tindall,

Jacob Shane Tindall, and Morgan Jillian Tindall. The great-grandchildren and their

mother reside in Camden, New York, while Shane and his second wife Andrea reside

in Elkton, Maryland. Shane and Andrea are antiques dealer.

In lieu of flowers, her wish would be for support and fellowship at her beloved church,

Center for Spiritual Discovery (which is the Costa Mesa Church of Religious Science

venue), 2850 Mesa Verde Drive East, Suite 111, Costa Mesa, CA 92626; (714) 754-

7399; www.cmcsd.org. The church meets Sunday mornings at the Costa Mesa Senior

Center on the corner of Pomona & West 19th Street in Costa Mesa. The pastor is Dr.

Jim Turrell, who is fantastic.

In honor of her I would like to submit this poem I wrote about her, which is also a

tribute to Paul Williams and his song Evergreen, one of her all-time favorite songs. The

poem is entitled “Unshed Tears”.

Unshed tears, a lifetime of regret, things that went awry

Wisdom, wisdom, where hath thou gone - to learn these brutal things

I didn’t plan to come down from on high

To experience such as this

Wisdom, wisdom, take me home - let me sleep unto bliss

Another day, another way, I’m not ready yet to see

Maybe later, in the healing hands of God

I can make my peace

But that’s later on and wisdom only sees

the unshed tears that I must cry!

The pain that I must face!

For it’s part of the plan & part of my healing too, to face it yet again

Ugly memories, plans gone awry, disappointments of a spouse,

the longings never fulfilled.

I will forgive in time and make a hasty retreat

to let myself be pulled into the bowels of agony

stuck with the crying souls in the mire below.

Oh Lord let me soar unfettered, I have paid my dues

I only wish to soar back home and reconnect with those soul memories

that I once believed in

I am a tired soul and ready to go on, my work is here finished,

or so I faultly believe

Only God and life will make that choice for me, but until then I wrestle

with these unshed tears

And so it is, Amen.

Affirmation

Joyously I reconnect with what I left behind.

Joyously I reunite with my rightful self and feel the wisdom of the ages.

In glory I go home, in joyous harmony I let go of all that’s binding me to

pain and fear.

And so it is.