Martha "Marty" Mann

Marty died peacefully at home in Pine River, MN with family by her side at age 91 on October 9, 2026. Born May 24, 1935, at home in Kenmore, New York to Miles J Freeman and Elizabeth (McLeman) Freeman as the youngest of three. She graduated Nunda High School (NY) 1953, earned her RN from University of Buffalo School of Nursing, NY 1956, married in 1957 birthed four children and eventually settled in Macedon Center, NY and lived a full life of giving and service. She loved animals, especially dogs, and had many who accompanied her through life with Maggie being her final companion (d.2018).

Her life was a prime example of faith in action, a life of service and life-long learning as she cared for others through her work in community, church, as a nurse, wife, mother, grandmother, friend. Whether she was in a hospital setting, home care, hospice, parish nursing or in community while raising her family, she often took the lead with her strong professional and creative skills with confidence, always contributing to improve care, nurturing, and well-being.

She was most proud of her loving relationship with her husband (m. 1957), Richard G Mann, (d. 1985), and she was proud of raising her family of four children in western New York state (predominantly in Macedon, NY). She approached parenting with great enthusiasm guiding, providing experiences such as creating The Mann Clan & Co puppet shows, and serving as a 4-H club leader with her husband and best friends with the Skill Seekers of Wayne County, NY. The small things in life were always creative and fun.

Marty also loved being in partnership with her best friend, Bunny Lawrence (Macedon, NY), in creating and running The Country Patch fabric and craft shop (1978-1986) in Palmyra, NY. It was here that her many hobbies of crafting, quilting, knitting, painting really shined. She was invited to join the local Pal-Mac Rotary club and was the first woman to be part of that club. She also formed and served with the Gananda Rotary Club (NY) and received the Paul Harris Award (1990).

Her courage rose to the fore when she returned to her nursing profession after a 25-year hiatus. It led her on a journey of sharing her abilities and knowledge of caring for others and aiding in health and well-being, even when she would have preferred to be in a library or writing her novel.

She moved to the Pine River, MN area in 1994 and served with Good Neighbor Home Health Care and also began serving as Parish Nurse at Union Congregational UCC in Hackensack in 1997 after receiving certification from St. Joseph’s Hospital Parish Nurse program, at the time. Marty’s many contributions in her professional life were broad and she was especially proud of launching the Faith in Action Cass County Program (2001), the Prediabetic Program and Final Gifts Program while serving as Parish Nurse at Union Congregational UCC - Hackensack. She fully retired in 2016 at age 81.

She was an avid reader and enjoyed writing. At one point in her life, she wrote scripts for a ventriloquist entertainer and other comedians. Later she picked up ventriloquism skills herself and entertained and educated people on many topics using her vent characters. Her sense of humor seeped through many of her scripts. Her love of historical fiction led her to work on a novel featuring the building of the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC and the woman behind the chief engineer Roebling who was key in the bridge’s completion due to her husband’s illness. It was a creation that didn’t come to fruition yet held promise.

She enjoyed sports of all kinds and was curious about everyone she met. She lived out her faith through service wherever she was. She experienced her elder years as a time of grief and gratitude – grief at the passing of many loved ones, grief as her body and mind weakened, gratitude for each person who cared for her, grateful that she had everything she needed knowing God was always with her.

Marty was preceded in death by her: brother (George), father (Miles Freeman), uncle (Robert), husband (Richard), mother (Elizabeth Freeman), sister (Mary Jane), nephew (Mark), all of whom she aided in their death journey, except brother George. She is survived by her four children: Alex (Donna), Barbara Mann (partner Doug Weiss), Julia (Jeff) Sperry, and Eric (Kathy); granddaughter, Hallie Pond; grandson Grayson Sperry; and 12 additional grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren; nieces and nephews; and many friends.

A memorial service will be held at Union Congregational UCC Church in Hackensack on Friday, Nov. 13, 11am with meal (virtual tune in available). Memorial gifts may be made to Union Congregational UCC-Hackensack or Faith in Action Cass County. Interment of ashes will occur at a later time at Macedon Village Cemetery, Macedon, NY next to her husband.