Martha Laird

1924 - 2017

Martha Laird

October 28, 1924

September 27, 2017

Longtime Nevada resident Martha Laird died on September 27, 2017 in Reno, Nevada. She was born on October 28, 1924 in Tucson, Arizona, the fourth child of Charley and Anna Baird.

As a child she moved to mining communities in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and California as her father sought employment. The family finally settled in Tonopah, Nevada, where she attended high school. Martha met and married Edward Scrivens in Tonopah in 1942. They had a daughter, Beverly. In 1946 Martha married A.F. (Jack) Bordoli in Goldfield, Nevada. They lived at the Bordoli Ranch in Railroad Valley. She described this as the happiest time of her life. They had three children: Jacqueline, Martin, and Alfred. Alfred died shortly after birth. When their son Martin (Butch) died of Leukemia they sold the ranch and moved to Carson City, Nevada in 1958. Two years later Jack died, in December 1960.

Martha met and married Cecil (Red) Laird in 1962. Together they camped, hunted deer, and fished. She became a great bowler and golfer. She worked during Legislative sessions in the Bill Room as an Attaché filing bills for the Assembly. She had a love for rocks, any shape or color, and she painted pictures from ground natural colored rocks. She also hunted arrowheads while living at the ranch. Martha was a card carrying member of the Citizen Band of Potawatomi Indian Tribe. When Red died in 1997, Martha continued to bowl and golf, feed the birds around her house, and hunt rocks. In time she needed more care and finally moved into a Group Care home in Reno where she died.

Martha is survived by her daughters, Beverly Fricke of Gardnerville and Jacqueline Bordoli (Berry Courtney) of Reno: Grandchildren Stephanie Morris, Wendy Miller, and FCC Bryan Courtney USN: Great-grandchildren Justin Fricke, Cody Yoakum, Addison Miller, and Paige Miller: plus numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charley and Anna: siblings, Helen, Eleanor, Anna May, Stella, RoseMary and Charles (Bud).

Services will held at Waltons Chapel of the Valley, 11 a.m. Carson City,Tuesday Oct. 3.