Martha Madeline Rivard

Lt. Col. (Ret.), Martha Madeline Rivard, passed away January 5, 2020. She was born in Enfield, Illinois the daughter of the late Marcus Lafayette and Lottie Mae (McFarland) Brown. She was a graduate of the Barnes Hospital School of Nursing and was a Registered Nurse and Physician Assistant for many years and had been an Adjunct Professor at SIU Carbondale and Southeastern Illinois College in Southern Illinois. Martha worked at the IU Medical Center and VA Hospital in Indianapolis for a number of years. She retired from the US Army Reserves after more than 21 years. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Richard Rivard, October 10, 2020, her parents, her brothers, Dr. Mark Brown and Richard Brown; and her sister Carolyn. Martha is survived by her children, Kara J. Austin and her husband Eric, Allyn Rankin and his wife Paula; Dr. John Rivard and his wife Julie, Gerald Rivard and his wife Julie and Richard R. Rivard; grandchildren, Mary, Alex, Cassie, Chloe, Garrett, Charlotte, Nicolas, Elizabeth and Sophia Grace; great-grandchildren, Elijah, Maverick and Archer; and nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held 12:00 p.m., January 9, 2021 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 3496 E. Morgan St., Martinsville, Indiana. Visitation will be held at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the service time at 12:00 p.m. Burial will be in Mt. Pleasant Greenwood Cemetery with military honors. We are celebrating her life and marking her entry into her Father's House January 5, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. with a memorial service at her grave at Mt. Pleasant Greenwood Cemetery.