Martha Frances Morton Burton of Holly and Kalamazoo, Michigan, passed away on March 27,
2023, just one day after celebrating her 85th birthday with close family. Born March 26, 1938 in
Ann Arbor to Hudson T and Ethelyn Morton (nee Servis), Martha was a graduate of Pioneer
High School and the University of Michigan.
As a young woman, Marty, as she was called, was adventuresome. She worked summers as a
lifeguard and traveled in the first cohort of Youth For Understanding, visiting Germany to rebuild
relations after WWII, under the watchful eye of Mrs. Alan Dulles. She wasn't hard to miss, with
her fiery red hair and infectious laugh. Her sense of humor tended to puns and practical jokes,
often eliciting a groan from her listeners. She was an avid card player and spent many an
evening in a hand of canasta at the family lake house.
She married Paul Burton, Jr in 1960 in Ann Arbor, following him to El Paso, TX where she
taught school and their oldest, Richard, was born. Upon Paul's Army discharge, the young
family returned to Ann Arbor, where their daughter Carolyn was born. They eventually settled in
Holly, Michigan, where Martha assisted Paul in building a home of his own design on a 5 acre
farmette. She embraced organic living, being one of the founding members of the Ann Arbor
Food Co-op and re-purposing the front orchard into an apiary. She was an enthusiastic canner
and loved to sew and quilt.
Martha continued to teach and substitute teach in the Holly Area schools, while serving as a
foster mother to countless babies and young children in the Oakland County foster care system.
She later worked for The Holly Herald and as a real estate agent. She developed a love for
genealogy and traced both her family and her husband's family back to the Revolutionary War,
the Mayflower and as far back as the 1200's.
She was very active in her churches, including Davisburg United Methodist, Clarkston Free
Methodist, Holly Episcopalian and the River Church. After her move to Hope Woods Senior
Apartments, she became active in Texas Corners church, as well as with the many activities at
Hope Woods. She also enjoyed politics, serving as a poll worker into her early 80's and being
very involved in PACs that impact children and babies.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Hudson and Ethelyn Morton, and her brother
Hudson III. She leaves behind her husband Paul to whom she was married for nearly 63 years,
her two children; Richard (Shelby) Burton and Carolyn (Mark) Glueckert; three granddaughters -
Katherine, Elizabeth and Aurora; her brother Charles (Susan) Morton and a wonderful family of
cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will take place at 1:00 pm, Saturday, May 13 at Hope Woods in Kalamazoo,
with a graveside service on Monday, May 15 in Ann Arbor.
GRANDPARENTS:
George Andrew Servis 1870-1940
Genevieve "Jennie" Elizabeth Saley Servis 1872-1933
Forest Hill Cemetery, Ann Arbor, MI
Hudson T. Morton Sr. 1845-1930
Anna Charlotte Fredlund Morton 1872-1906
Forest Hill Cemetery, Ann Arbor, MI
In-laws
Paul L. Burton, Sr. 1905-1972
Helen Ida Wetherald Burton 1907-1972
Sunset Hills Cemetery, Flint, MI
Grandparent in-laws
Dr. Marion LeRoy Burton 1874-1925
Nina L. Moses Burton 1821-1909
Forest Hill Cemetery, Ann Arbor, MI
Charles Elton Wetherald 1884-1969
Estella Margaret Albro 1882-1970
Sunset Hills Cemetery, Flint, MI
Martha Frances Morton Burton of Holly and Kalamazoo, Michigan, passed away on March 27,
2023, just one day after celebrating her 85th birthday with close family. Born March 26, 1938 in
Ann Arbor to Hudson T and Ethelyn Morton (nee Servis), Martha was a graduate of Pioneer
High School and the University of Michigan.
As a young woman, Marty, as she was called, was adventuresome. She worked summers as a
lifeguard and traveled in the first cohort of Youth For Understanding, visiting Germany to rebuild
relations after WWII, under the watchful eye of Mrs. Alan Dulles. She wasn't hard to miss, with
her fiery red hair and infectious laugh. Her sense of humor tended to puns and practical jokes,
often eliciting a groan from her listeners. She was an avid card player and spent many an
evening in a hand of canasta at the family lake house.
She married Paul Burton, Jr in 1960 in Ann Arbor, following him to El Paso, TX where she
taught school and their oldest, Richard, was born. Upon Paul's Army discharge, the young
family returned to Ann Arbor, where their daughter Carolyn was born. They eventually settled in
Holly, Michigan, where Martha assisted Paul in building a home of his own design on a 5 acre
farmette. She embraced organic living, being one of the founding members of the Ann Arbor
Food Co-op and re-purposing the front orchard into an apiary. She was an enthusiastic canner
and loved to sew and quilt.
Martha continued to teach and substitute teach in the Holly Area schools, while serving as a
foster mother to countless babies and young children in the Oakland County foster care system.
She later worked for The Holly Herald and as a real estate agent. She developed a love for
genealogy and traced both her family and her husband's family back to the Revolutionary War,
the Mayflower and as far back as the 1200's.
She was very active in her churches, including Davisburg United Methodist, Clarkston Free
Methodist, Holly Episcopalian and the River Church. After her move to Hope Woods Senior
Apartments, she became active in Texas Corners church, as well as with the many activities at
Hope Woods. She also enjoyed politics, serving as a poll worker into her early 80's and being
very involved in PACs that impact children and babies.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Hudson and Ethelyn Morton, and her brother
Hudson III. She leaves behind her husband Paul to whom she was married for nearly 63 years,
her two children; Richard (Shelby) Burton and Carolyn (Mark) Glueckert; three granddaughters -
Katherine, Elizabeth and Aurora; her brother Charles (Susan) Morton and a wonderful family of
cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will take place at 1:00 pm, Saturday, May 13 at Hope Woods in Kalamazoo,
with a graveside service on Monday, May 15 in Ann Arbor.
GRANDPARENTS:
George Andrew Servis 1870-1940
Genevieve "Jennie" Elizabeth Saley Servis 1872-1933
Forest Hill Cemetery, Ann Arbor, MI
Hudson T. Morton Sr. 1845-1930
Anna Charlotte Fredlund Morton 1872-1906
Forest Hill Cemetery, Ann Arbor, MI
In-laws
Paul L. Burton, Sr. 1905-1972
Helen Ida Wetherald Burton 1907-1972
Sunset Hills Cemetery, Flint, MI
Grandparent in-laws
Dr. Marion LeRoy Burton 1874-1925
Nina L. Moses Burton 1821-1909
Forest Hill Cemetery, Ann Arbor, MI
Charles Elton Wetherald 1884-1969
Estella Margaret Albro 1882-1970
Sunset Hills Cemetery, Flint, MI
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