Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service for Martha Hertha Charest, at Hopewell Presbyterian Church, Thompson Ridge, at 1 p.m. Saturday April 13.
Martha was longtime resident of Burlingham and passed away peacefully at her daughter’s home in McMinnville, Tennessee, on March 1 at the age of 91 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Her remains were cremated and will be interred in Tennessee.
Martha was born the only child of Erich and Martha Wilkens on October 20, 1927 in Manhattan, New York City. She was educated in public schools in South Ozone Park, Queens. After high school she trained as a bookkeeper and her first job out of vocational school was at a bank on the second floor of the Empire State building.
On May 29, 1955 Martha married Armand Charest of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, at St Michaels Catholic Church in South Ozone Park, Queens. In 1959 they moved to Farmingdale, New York. In 1972 the family moved to Burlingham, New York. Martha lived there until 2014 when she sold her home and moved in with her daughter Melinda in McMinnville, Tennessee.
Martha was an excellent seamstress and loved sewing clothing and other fabric crafts. She was also a wonderful cook and baker. Her family and friends have many fond memories of the wonderful baked goods Martha could turn out of her kitchen. She was an active member of the local German club and a regular participant in their dinners and other events. She learned to play the piano as a girl and loved dancing, especially dancing to German music.
Martha worked at a variety of retail jobs in the Middletown area starting with J.C. Penny at the former Orange County Mall. Her last job was at the Target in the Galleria Mall, when Martha retired. She was a longtime active member of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church and a deacon for more than 20 years.
Martha is survived by her four children; Ronald, Melinda, Howard, and Jeffrey; seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. She treasured her role as “Omie,” to her grandchildren and great grandchildren and was greatly loved by them in return.