Martha Marie Bartlett

1922 - 2023

Martha Marie Bartlett was born Marie Martha Fleurette Hachey on September 25th, 1922 to Alphonse Hachey and Theodeline Thibault Hachey. Martha’s father was from New Brunswick, Canada and came to Rumford, Maine as an immigrant laborer. Her mother was from Quebec.

Over the years the family’s last name was sometimes written as Hachey or Hache’, taken from their French Canadian background. Martha was the fourth child in her family of seven children. While she was an American citizen, she was always proud of her French Canadian roots. During her life she traveled to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec with her husband Fred Bartlett, Sr. and son (Teddy) Fred F. Bartlett, Jr.

During the fall, for several years, Teddy came to visit her and his father to take them on trips She also enjoyed traveling to California with her late sister, Simone Ramsey, to visit Teddy. Martha loved Christmas. She would spend weeks in earnest preparation for the holiday season. She would shower her family with many gifts. It was her mission to ensure that everybody had a wonderful time. She would seek out from every family member their wish list and strove to make it happen. She also enjoyed cooking for family, especially her roast beef and brown potatoes.

Martha’s brother, Edmond M. Hachey, was the parish priest for many years in Waterville, Maine as well as at St. Phillips Catholic Church in Auburn, Maine. During many summers, family members would go to Messalonskee Lake where he had a camp to enjoy cookouts, swimming, and meet relatives.

Martha was a devout Catholic who attended Mass at St. Theresa’s Church in Mexico, Maine, as well as Saint Phillips Church in Auburn, Maine. She attended Stephens High School with her future husband, Fred. They married on February 19,1942 at the age of twenty. Martha had four children, Elaine Collins of Minot, Maine, Fred F. Bartlett, Jr. of Niland, California, Gregory Bartlett of Freeport, Maine, and David Bartlett of Newry, Maine. She lived on Granite Street in Mexico until she moved to Auburn, where she worked at the Bolster Heights Residential Care facility as a CNA. She took great pride and care in providing support to patients at this facility. Although she was small in stature she nevertheless assisted in moving patients and providing for their needs as professionally as possible. She often spoke of how important it was for her to support them through their difficult situations.

Although Martha never went to college, she valued education and strongly encouraged her children to pursue opportunities that would help them “better themselves.” She once told her son, Gregory, on the first day he attended college at the University of Maine in Farmington as they said goodbye, “Get in there and make something of yourself!”

On October 1st, 2022, the town of Minot honored her as centenarian with the Boston Post Cane, a New England tradition started by the now-defunct Boston Post newspaper in 1909, which is awarded by select boards to the oldest resident of a town. She is the 10th Minot citizen to receive this award.

Martha’s pride and joy was having children around her to interact with and enjoy. Nannie “B” has three grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and seven great, great grandchildren. In fact, it may be said that this has been an important ingredient in the longevity of her life, or maybe it was her daily drink of Moxie. When asked how she has been able to live such a long life, she smiled and simply said, “ I don’t know; I have surprised myself!” Martha was a loving, devoted and hardworking wife, mother and grandmother who will be dearly missed.

To leave a message for the family in their online guestbook, please visit www.thefortingroupauburn.com

Visitation Fortin Group / Auburn, Saturday, January 21st from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, followed by her Funeral Mass at St. Philip's Church at 12:00 PM.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of The Fortin Group Funeral Home, 217 Turner St. -Auburn, ME 207-783-8545