Obituary of Martha Evelyn Badger

In the autumn of 1921, Babe Ruth hit his first World Series home run; President Harding dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery; and The Sheik, starring Rudolph Valentino, smashed movie attendance records from Los Angeles to New York. Those were just a few of the events that occurred the season that a baby girl named Martha Evelyn Hassett was born. Martha was born on October 3, 1921, in Waterloo, Oregon, to parents Frank and Manilla Hassett. In 1923, the family, which also included 3 siblings, moved to Brookings, Oregon. Four more siblings were added in the coming years, and they and Martha attended and graduated from Brookings High School. When Azalea Park in Brookings was built, Martha and her classmates were invited to write an essay about what the park would mean to them. Martha won the contest, and was selected to be the firs Azalea Queen for the Azalea Festival in 1939. In later years, she was invited to return and ride the parade floats on the Festival’s 25th and 60th anniversaries, and as the Grand Marshal in the 43rd and 50th anniversary parades. After high school, Martha attended Ashland College, with intentions of becoming a teacher. She left before graduating, though, and married Ray Olson on November 12, 1940. The couple began a nomadic life as they moved up and down the west coast, never living in one place for more than a couple of years. Their family grew to include their sons, Dean, Neil, and Gary, followed eight years later by their daughter, Cindy. Martha loved gardening, and always had flowers and vegetables planted in each of her homes. She enjoyed making watermelon pickles, sewing, and doing needlework. Various pets, including dogs, cats, and birds, found their way into the family also. Martha and Ray were faithful in church, and both sang in the choir. Her family meant a lot to her, and she attended many reunions with her siblings and various other extended family. In 1990, Martha and Ray returned to live in Brookings-Harbor, Oregon. They enjoyed walks on the beach, and she loved to hunt treasures of shells, rocks, and pieces of driftwood. Ray died in 1997, and two years later, Martha married Arnold Badger. She loved tending her garden and the plants in her greenhouse, and taking pictures of the deer which strolled through the property, along with the birds, which were attracted to the numerous feeders placed around the yard. Beginning in 2004, Martha’s physical and mental health declined to the point that she needed ongoing care for her last years. She lived with her daughter for a time, then with loving caregivers in a private home. Martha went home to be with the Lord on February 27, 2010, in Tacoma, Washington, at the age of 88. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Ray Olson; her sons, Dean Olson and Neil Olson; her brothers, Virgil Hassett and Charles Hassett; her sister, Ruth Murphy; and her second husband, Arnold Badger. She is survived by her son, Gary Olson; her daughter, Cindy Lopez; her brother, George Hassett; sisters Marie Nye, June Juelson, and Leta Jackson; 6 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandsons. A memorial service was held on March 5, 2010, at Sunset Bible Church, in University Place, Washington. We are rejoicing that she has begun a new life in Heaven, but will miss her pretty blue eyes and big smile.