Martha Likins

1929 - 2016

MARTHA LIKINS Martha Likins died on Sunday, July 17. She was 86 years old. Martha Jane Copeland Likins was born in Pittsburgh, PA on December 22, 1929 to Arch and Edna Copeland. She was the youngest of five siblings, all of whom, as well as her parents, predecease her. Martha attended the local schools in Mt. Lebanon, PA until she was in her teen years when she attended The Grier School, a college preparatory boarding school for girls located in central Pennsylvania. It was there that Martha made life-long friends, learned to love learning and to ride horses, as Grier has a special program for English equestrians. From Grier, Martha attended Bucknell University, ultimately graduating from Vanderbilt University with a degree in nursing. Martha then went on to earn her Master's degree in Nursing Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Martha's young adult life was spent nursing and traveling. Her nursing career took her to various places, including New York City, Casper, Wyoming, Portland, Oregon, and finally Arcata, where she lived for more than 50 years, most of them in her beloved house on Chester Avenue. Martha loved Arcata and Humboldt County, embracing the town and the community and all its uniqueness. Before settling in Arcata, Martha traveled. She did a "tour" with her mother, visiting places in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. She spent a year with her girlfriends traveling through Europe, and then returned again as the chaperone for a few of her nieces and nephews. Her love to travel didn't stop when she became a mother. She took her daughters on many trips, including to Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, and one summer, camping across the United States. Martha was a long-time School Nurse at the Humboldt County Office of Education. She discovered school nursing after her divorce - a perfect nursing job for a working woman with young children, as she never worked weekends, school holidays, or summers. She served schools throughout Humboldt County, especially loving Glen Paul and the schools in Hoopa. She retired after over 20 years of service, only to get involved with Hospice, the same group who nursed her to a peaceful and dignified death. Martha's life was one of commitment to service and faith. She was a lifelong advocate of women, women's health, and women's education, and a lifelong Presbyterian, having been baptized into the church as infant and serving as a deacon and elder. Her final years were spent in care with Redwood R&R, a lovely and loving facility. She was content with her life and dreamed happy dreams. Martha is survived by her daughters, Mary and Virginia, and their adult sons, JD, Dominik, and Adam. She lived a full life, was well-loved, and will be well remembered. May her memories be a blessing. Per her wishes, Martha was cremated. A service will be held at Arcata Presbyterian Church on September 3rd. Memorial gifts may be made in her memory to Arcata Presbyterian Church, 670 11th St. Arcata, CA, 95521; Vanderbilt School of Nursing, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37240-7727; or Eureka Planned Parenthood, 3225 Timber Fall Court, Ste. B, Eureka, CA, 95503. Please sign the guestbook at www.times-standard.com