Amaryllis D. Martin

Amaryllis D. Martin, 87, of Evansville, departed this life on Friday, February 2, 2007, at 6:35 p.m. She was born to Alice (Sims) and William Bronson Darden in Montgomery County, Tenn. She professed her faith in Christ at a very young age.

After her marriage to Leroy Martin, they moved to Evansville, where she finished her education. She had begun studying to be a nurse, but decided she did not want to continue in that profession. She enrolled in Evansville College and studied to become and elementary school teacher, finishing four years of work in three years.

She immediately began working on a license to become an English and biology teacher. She received her masters degree from Indiana University and did post-graduate work at Purdue University, the University of Southern Indiana, and the University of Evansville.

She became the first licensed Reading Specialist in the state of Indiana. Her first year of teaching was done in the last one-room school in Vanderburgh County. After closure of that school her superintendent recommended her for a teaching assignment in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. She taught in the EVSC for 37 years, 14 years at Lincoln High School and 23 years at Bosse High School.

During her tenure at Bosse, she was appointed as counselor. She was also counselor coordinator for the school. While serving as counselor and counselor coordinator at Bosse, Amaryllis and some of her counselees wrote a handbook depicting various career choices in Evansville. Amaryllis was a life member of the National Education Association.

She was a member of the Indiana Retired Teachers Association and the Evansville Retired Teachers Association. Serving as a member of the North Central Association for the Accreditation of High Schools and Colleges, she was privileged to see that high schools in Indiana retained their accreditation. She also taught part-time at the University of Evansville.

She was a member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated, an honorary organization for women educators. She served four terms as president and one term as treasurer of that organization. For three years, she served as Chaplain of the Retired Teachers Association. Later she served one year as president of that association.

She was a 30-year member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Darmstadt, where she was active until her health began to fail. She was on the Lutheran Board that established the first Lutheran Day Care Center. She also served as Director of Social Ministry at Trinity. She was on the board of the YMCA, Public Library Friends, and the West Side Improvement Association. She was a licensed Real Estate Broker, working out of several Real Estate Offices in Evansville.

Amaryllis loved to travel. Among her travels she visited seven countries in Africa, the Orient and Europe.

The family is very grateful to Ann Jones, Lisa Smith, the staff at Vista Care Hospice, the staff at Rathbone Retirement Home and very close friend to Amaryllis, Mrs. Margaret Wilkinson.

Amaryllis was preceded in death by husband, Leroy; mother and father, Alice and William Darden; and sister, Phyllis J. Jenkins.

She is survived by her brother, James M. Darden Sr., of Clarksville, Tenn.; three nephews and five nieces, Bonita W. Perkins, of Conyers, Ga., Terri Lynn Jenkins, of Clarksville, James M. Darden Jr. (Anne), of Shelbyville, Tenn., Clifford Darden, of Evansville, Kenneth Wayne Darden, of Clarksville, Patricia Washington, of Upper Malboro, Md., Yvonne Metcalf (James), of Upper Malboro, and Amaryllis McDonald (Samuel), of Mesquite, Texas. To mourn her loss, she leaves great-great-nephews and nieces and a host of friends.

Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007, at Locust Hill Mausoleum, officiated by Reverend Martin Keller, with entombment at Locust Hill Mausoleum. Friends may visit Tuesday from 1 p.m. until service time at the mausoleum.

Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church of Darmstadt, 1403 W. Boonville New Harmony Road. Condolences may be made online at www.mem.com. Arrangements by Alexander North Chapel, 4200 Stringtown Road.