Martha Nance (née Carlson) was born and raised on the Milk River Ridge in the hamlet of Jefferson, Alberta. Jefferson no longer exists, but Martha recalls that it was a thriving little community. There were stores, churches, three elevators, teacherages, a garage, residential neighborhoods, and its own Owendale post office. Martha rode her bike while her friends rode their horses; she is not an “animal person.” Martha believes to this day that Jefferson’s schoolteachers sincerely cared about the children and helped them do well in life. Schools closed in Jefferson in 1960-61, and all the children were then bussed to Cardston for their formal education. Jefferson eventually disappeared due to transportation making a close place non-essential.
Martha defines herself as being part of the Baby Boomer generation. She was from a family of five children, and she was the youngest child. She says that as the youngest, she always knew she was “privileged” and never had to go without.
Martha’s father came from Sweden to Canada as a teenager, avoiding conscription into the Swedish army. He was sponsored by the Strom farm family of Burdett to emigrate but went back to Sweden before returning to Canada permanently with his brother and nephew.
Martha’s mother’s family came to Canada from Norway with one child, and they had five more children after settling in Canada. Martha’s mother was born in Saskatchewan. Martha’s Norwegian grandmother always remembered seeing the luxurious Titanic ship in Liverpool while they were setting off for Canada on a much lesser ship. Once in Canada, they took an “immigrant train” to Saskatchewan. Martha’s Norwegian grandfather never returned to Norway, but her grandmother was able to go back 50 years after arriving in Canada.
Martha’s parents met in Jefferson. Her parents did well in farming, and Martha says this gave her family a good life. She describes her parents as successfully working as a team to operate, maintain, and grow their farm. Martha learned many life lessons from her parents, with financial literacy being a very significant one. She understands the meaning of hard work and perseverance in keeping a family successfully afloat.
Martha first went to Sweden at age 12 with her family but says she is not much of a traveler. She recalls that what she experienced on her Swedish trip demonstrated the difference between rural Canada and urban European lifestyles. She does travel to see her daughters, who both reside in the mainland United States.
Martha graduated from Cardston High School, then moved in with her grandmother and attended Lethbridge Junior College, taking Business Administration. Martha met Dave Nance in Lethbridge. He was working for his father in farm machinery, then opened House of Books as the University of Lethbridge was being built. Martha and Dave married and had two girls. When the girls were 5 and 7 years old, the family moved to Pender Island (in the Vancouver Island channel); they operated the general store and post office. As parents, they became concerned about the negative teenage social circles, so Martha took the girls to live in Victoria to change their social networks to something more positive. Dave sold the general store and became “retired” at 47 years old. This required a big adjustment for them, and Dave had to adapt to new roles, including learning to cook and clean.
Martha recalls that she worked outside the home for about four years before their children were born. She describes herself as a “jack of all trades and master of none.” Martha says her most important role was as a wife and mother. She has always seen herself as more of a support person to others than a leader and is most comfortable in that role.
When both of their daughters were at the University of Victoria, Martha and her husband moved to Osoyoos, BC, for six to seven years. Then, in 1994, they moved to Lethbridge to be closer to her mother. Martha and her husband were married for over 51 years. She was widowed six years ago.
Martha enjoys gardening, and her lovely established yard is a testament to that. She likes to cook and bake, though she can resist many foods that tempt her—except for her 5 p.m. glass of red wine.
Martha considers herself a Tibetan Buddhist in her personal belief system and philosophy. She was introduced to this faith system via her daughter. Martha stated, “Being mindful would simplify our lives; mindfulness is the tool to have harmony and balance; we need compassion.” She says she is trying to follow a ‘Patient Path,’ accepting things as they are.
Martha, an LSCO member for about 20 years, still feels the organization’s Mission Statement rings true to her. She keeps active and volunteers in the kitchen and wherever she is needed. She also regularly volunteers for the Lethbridge Horticultural Society, especially at the flower gardens by the Henderson tennis courts.
Martha likes the outdoors, enjoying activities such as walking and kayaking in the summer. She enjoys most kinds of music, such as country, classical, and jazz. She also enjoys knitting and Wordle. She says she is reverting to her “youth of play” by enjoying activities like ladderball and card games. Martha believes it is important to smile and laugh and not get lost in negativity. “Don’t take yourself too seriously, or you will lose your ability to laugh at yourself.”
Martha lives by the rule: “If you don’t have anything nice to say about somebody, don’t say anything.” She is not a proponent of “sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you,” as she says that “you can never take words back!”
Martha presents as a warm, friendly, and generous person, and I was pleased to learn this little bit more about her. She is a gift to the LSCO community!
Previous Member Spotlights can be found on our website at www.lethseniors.com/blog
If you are interested in being interviewed for a Member Spotlight please contact Hannah at [email protected] or 403-320-2222 ext. 302