Compiled by Don Pady, KAC Archivist
Gail Lee Martin, District 5, El Dorado, passed January 17, 2013. She joined KAC in 1991 and was a continuous and contributing member, author, speaker, and bibliographer. The literary genres of non-fiction and poetry were her early writing specialties, but she shifted to bio-bibliography in later years when she became KAC's State Archivist from 1996 to 2005. During these ten years she collected, organized, described and advertised the extant records which she brought together from all KAC Districts. Gail explained her role as Archivist when she presented papers and research-related book talks to state and district meetings. When she took on the persona of Kansas Authors Club charter member, Margaret Hill McCarter, school children were said to believe that Gail portrayed Margaret exactly as she would have lived, acted and wrote.
Her books and articles reflected her fond appreciation of both long-departed and present-day friends and relatives. She grew up in the gas-fields of central Kansas when life during the 30s and 40s was hard and unforgiving. She had little time and energy to write while raising five children, and whatever she put down on paper, she probably threw her notes and jottings away when doing deep cleaning. But when she and her daughter, Cynthia Jo, joined KAC in 1991, Gail's writing began to flourish. She published many of her articles, poems and short stories in such periodicals as Kanhistique, Reminisce, Good Old Days, Golden Years, and KAC's Yearbook. Several years before her death, she published My Flint Hills Childhood; Growing Up in 1930 Kansas (2009), and with her daughters, Cynthia Jo Ross (District 5, Towanda) and Virginia Allain, she published Clyde Owen Martin; Family Memories of His Life and Times (2010)
Her obituary on the web is here.
A memorial has been set up with Kansas Authors Club and will be used for a book award. Writing was an important part of Gail's life. The address for that is below:
Kansas Authors Club
C/O Vicki Julian - Financial Secretary
2210 Vail Way
Lawrence, KS 66047
Please note on the check that it is for the Gail Martin memorial.
Gail Lee Martin, District 5, El Dorado, passed January 17, 2013. She joined KAC in 1991 and was a continuous and contributing member, author, speaker, and bibliographer. The literary genres of non-fiction and poetry were her early writing specialties, but she shifted to bio-bibliography in later years when she became KAC's State Archivist from 1996 to 2005. During these ten years she collected, organized, described and advertised the extant records which she brought together from all KAC Districts. Gail explained her role as Archivist when she presented papers and research-related book talks to state and district meetings. When she took on the persona of Kansas Authors Club charter member, Margaret Hill McCarter, school children were said to believe that Gail portrayed Margaret exactly as she would have lived, acted and wrote.
Her books and articles reflected her fond appreciation of both long-departed and present-day friends and relatives. She grew up in the gas-fields of central Kansas when life during the 30s and 40s was hard and unforgiving. She had little time and energy to write while raising five children, and whatever she put down on paper, she probably threw her notes and jottings away when doing deep cleaning. But when she and her daughter, Cynthia Jo, joined KAC in 1991, Gail's writing began to flourish. She published many of her articles, poems and short stories in such periodicals as Kanhistique, Reminisce, Good Old Days, Golden Years, and KAC's Yearbook. Several years before her death, she published My Flint Hills Childhood; Growing Up in 1930 Kansas (2009), and with her daughters, Cynthia Jo Ross (District 5, Towanda) and Virginia Allain, she published Clyde Owen Martin; Family Memories of His Life and Times (2010)
Her obituary on the web is here.
A memorial has been set up with Kansas Authors Club and will be used for a book award. Writing was an important part of Gail's life. The address for that is below:
Kansas Authors Club
C/O Vicki Julian - Financial Secretary
2210 Vail Way
Lawrence, KS 66047
Please note on the check that it is for the Gail Martin memorial.