SCHOTTELKOTTE Martha J., 63, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died surrounded by family on Sunday, January 4, 2026. Creative, magnetic, fierce, loyal, and funny, Martha was many things to many people, and she lived each role with intensity and love.
Martha was curious, always learning and growing. Her career spanned industries – photography, landscaping, family services, career development, caretaking – all tied together by a single thread: instilling confidence and hope. She lived as an artist in her creations and in her way of being. With a foundation in Catholicism, she appreciated traditions across religions and felt closest to God with her animals and in her oasis of a yard. Martha loved music, puzzles, boating, and cheering on the Bengals and Reds. Her daughters were her greatest pride and purpose.
Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Michael A. Bernert; her parents, Albert J. and Virginia L. Schottelkotte; and her stepmother, Elaine Green. She is survived by her daughters, Halie B. Schottelkotte and Annie Laurie S. Bernert; her stepdaughter, Madeline M. Bernert; her son-in-law, Joseph G. Cantrel; and her partner in life and travel, Jim Harsnett. One of twelve siblings, Martha was shaped by the vibrancy of a large family – one that grew through marriage and the neighbors she so deeply cherished.
She lived in the present and for the future, with adventures ahead of her, ideas still forming, and places yet to see. Martha leaves behind a legacy of curiosity, beauty, and courage.
Visitation Tuesday 3–5 p.m. at Geo. H. Rohde & Son Funeral Home, 3183 Linwood Ave., 45208, with 6 p.m. service at First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati, 536 Linton St., 45219. Martha loved colorful flowers.
If anyone would care to send flowers, please call Covent Garden Florist on Salem Avenue at 513-232-4422.
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