Martha Y. Oakes
Martha Y. Oakes
Martha Y. Oakes, 87, of Boise, died peacefully at her home at Willow Park Assisted Living on Monday, August 22, 2011. She follows in death her beloved husband of 61 years, Paul Oakes, who died on January 4, 2009.
Martha and her twin sister Barbara were born in Ontario, Oregon on November 6, 1923 to Rebecca (Betty) and James H. Young. As our mother told it, Martha and Barbara had the perfect small-town childhood in Fruitland, Idaho where father Jim tried his hand at potato farming before turning to the grocery business, running Young’s Grocery in the heart of Fruitland for many years. Martha was an avid reader, finding hiding places in favorite trees to sit and read for hours, but also learned to sew and knit beautifully, and became quite a talented artist. Martha and Barbara graduated from Fruitland High School in 1941 and went on to the College of Idaho in Caldwell where Martha, majored in Philosophy and acted in C of I theatricals.
She met Paul Oakes of Caldwell at C of I in the fall of 1941, but had to wait until after the war, during the summer of 1946, before becoming reacquainted. Martha had graduated Suma Cum Laude from college the spring before and was teaching high school English back in Fruitland and then at Boise High School while Paul finished his degree. They were married on June 22, 1947 and in the fall of the same year Paul enrolled at Stanford University. Paul and Martha lived in Palo Alto, CA and Martha worked at the Stanford Library while Paul pursued a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. After graduation in the spring of 1950 they moved back to Boise where Paul accepted a position with Idaho Power Company where he worked until his retirement in June of 1986. Martha’s parents had moved to Boise in the fifties when James was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives, serving as Secretary of State from 1956-1959. Paul and Martha started a family in fairly short order, and Martha was everything a mother can be to her four devoted children. Their home and beautiful yard in Boise was always filled with children, friends and activity, extending that hospitality to their adored cabin in Luck’s Point, McCall which had what they claimed to be the best view on the lake. Martha went back into the classroom as a substitute teacher in the Boise school system in the 1970’s, and spent 27 years volunteering 3 days a week, reading to firstgraders at Madison Elementary School.
Martha is survived by her twin sister Barbara Dunaway of Lewiston, Idaho; her children Thomas Oakes (Sally) of Georgia, Rebekah Oakes Wisniewski (Steve) of New York, Daniel Oakes (Nancy) of Montana and Marjorie Thomas of California, and her seven grandchildren, James, Tanner, Miriam, Trayton, Emma, Miles, Kadin ,Lillian and great-grandchildern Gavin and Cinderella. Martha was a fierce advocate for children and early childhood education, so memorials are suggested to Family Advocates of Idaho (3010 W. State Street, Boise, ID 83703) or Whitney United Methodist Church.
A Funeral Service will be held Saturday, August 27, at 10:00 at Whitney United Methodist Church with a graveside to follow at Morris Hill cemetery.
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