Celeste Hurley Martin

Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at Collier-Butler Chapel for Celeste H. Martin. Reverend(s) Wayne Burns and Troy Walker will be officiating. Burial will be at Pilgrim’s Rest Cemetery. Music will be provided by Anda Lane McNabb and the Eulogy will be provided by Annette Wardrop. Collier-Butler Funeral and Cremation Services is directing.

Mrs. Martin was born in Tennessee and moved to Sheffield, Alabama as a child. She graduated from Sheffield High School at age 16 and graduated from Auburn University (Alabama Polytechnic Institute) at age 19. She later received a Master’s Degree from Auburn University.

Mrs. Martin moved to Etowah County in 1958 when she was employed by the Extension Service to work with rural 4H clubs. She later became the home economist, and two years later became the coordinator of the Etowah County Extension Service. Mrs. Martin was the fifth female in the state to be named Coordinator. She retired from the Extension Service in 1995.

Upon her move to Etowah County, Mrs. Martin met and married Jack Martin and they had a son (Ricky) and two daughters (Jennifer and Mary Anna). In 1996, Mrs. Martin was blessed with her first grandchild (Celeste Smith) and 2 years later was blessed with her second grandchild (Rob Smith). Shortly after her retirement, she lovingly and selflessly closed her home to spend the next five years with her grandchildren. She loved her days at home in Southside, but also enjoyed leisurely days at her beach home with her family. She travelled extensively overseas with her daughter Jennifer and her sister Eleanor and traveled to Arizona to see her beloved Tigers win the National Championship. Celeste Martin was truly an Auburn woman. She believed in Auburn and loved it.

Mrs. Martin loved all of God’s creatures, making her home open to numerous “furry children”.

She was a member of East Gadsden United Methodist Church and Berean Sunday School Class.

Mrs. Martin is preceded in death by her husband Jack Martin, her son Evitt Jack (Ricky) Martin, Parents Noah T. Hurley and Lillie Hurley, Clarence J. Alexander and Iretta Alexander and her sister Eleanor H. Garrett.

She is survived by her daughter Jennifer (Tom) Wright Mary Anna (Robbie)Martin-Smith, grandchildren Jaclyn Celeste Smith and Robert Douglas Smith, the Alexander family - Margaret, Kay, Linda, Samuel, Reeta, niece and nephews Deborah (John) Strawn, Tommy Garrett and numerous other nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her “furry children” Midnight, Yellow, Orange, Honey, Sonnie, Cher, Dagwood, Blondie, Bead, Aubie, Missy, Bae-Bae, Fluffy , Barkley, Chrissie and Spot News.

Pallbearers will be Richard Roberts, Gray Warren, Lori Pruitt, Frank Turk, Samuel Alexander and John Strawn. Honorary pallbearers will be all Extension Service Employees, EFNEP retirees and the Berean Sunday School Class.

A special thanks is made to the Emergency Room staff at Riverview Hospital, Dr. Stephen Bakir, Dr. Jimmy Jones, Dr. Alan Goldstein and Dr. John Payne.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the Cheaha Regional Humane Society, 3605 Morrisville Road, Anniston, AL 36201 and/or Celeste Hurley Martin scholarship, 4-H Club Foundation, 226 Duncan Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849

The family will accept friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be made at www.collier-butler.com.

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