Cora Lea Martin

1942 - 2022

Cora Lea Martin Pratt - Cora Lea Martin (Corkie) was born October 1, 1942 in Salida, Colorado, the seventh child of Lysle and Bessie (Mayfield) Martin. She died December 24, 2022 in Pratt, KS. She was preceded in death by her parents, young brother Harold (Buddy), three siblings and their spouses; Bobby Joe (Helen), Claudine (Jack Pyle), and Raymond (Patty) as well as brothers-in-law Bob Melton and Don Colborn; nephews, Craig Melton, Alan Colborn, Jackie Pyle; and niece, Jill Pyle. She is survived by sisters, Helen Melton of Columbia, Missouri and Peg Colborn of Salina, Kansas; as well as nieces Cathy Summers (William), Amy Vigil (Richard), Melanie Knocke (Phil), Wilma Robertson (Cliff), Wanda Riggs (Vernon) Melody Martin (Christina) and nephews Martin Colborn (Roxann), Michael Colborn (Kathleen), Richard Colborn, David Colborn (Cristi) and Keith Martin (Vianey). In addition, Myonne Borst of Pratt, her longtime friend and dedicated caretaker/companion, a host of additional family and friends and, as Corkie would say, "in-laws and outlaws" from all 50 states. Corkie attended schools in Salida Colorado and Haviland, Kansas, graduated from Friends Academy in 1963 and then completed a secretarial course at Wichita Business College. She served in law enforcement for 32 years as a dispatcher/911 operator in Greensburg, Kinsley and Pratt, Kansas, retiring from the Pratt Police Department in 1999. She then worked at SCTelcom and later at Pratt Community College before retiring fully in 2007. Always inquisitive, Corkie viewed the world as a ready-made classroom and would embark on detailed research of any topic which caught her interest. As the first in her family (and a wide circle of friends) to conquer use of the computer, she was able to pursue subjects as varied as astronomy and Egyptian customs and could always be counted on to have the answer to almost any question. If the subject was not close at hand, she would put her own projects on hold to track down any query and satisfy every request. An avid genealogist and family historian, Corkie searched out information on generations of her ancestors, traveling throughout three states to document her studies and ultimately publishing a book for her family covering 100 years of detailed ancestral data. Corkie loved fishing, wildlife and occasional trips to casinos with her friend Myonne. In later years, she was confined to home with severe rheumatoid arthritis and yet, continued her family history work via computer. She always enjoyed photography and began a new hobby of ornithological photography when most people were expecting her to relax and "rest on her laurels." She will be sorely missed. A Graveside service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Friday, January 6, 2023 at Attica Cemetery, Attica, Kansas. Online condolences may be made at www.larrisonmortuary.com.