Martha J. Kolln

It was with great sadness to learn about the passing of Martha Kolln, whose insights into the structures of the English language were notable. Her two textbooks Rhetorical Grammar, Grammatical Choices and Understanding English Grammar both influenced my students to enjoy the structures of English and use those structures for effective writing. It was not unusual, at the end of a term, for students to write on course evaluations how much they "loved" these books, quite an achievement to touch...

My children have fond memories of visits to Martha and Jack over Christmas, delicious cookies and an impressive tree. They were both so welcoming and charming. Our condolences to the Kolln family after so many losses in this difficult year. You are in our thoughts.

Her baked beans were the best. Enjoyed so many Saturday mornings out in the vineyard picking grapes.

I had Martha Kolln for an English class at Penn State. She always started our weekly quizzes with a joke to relax us before the test.

She was a gem.