Martha Thomas Barthel

Martha Thomas Barthel, 90, of Clayton, Missouri, left us peacefully on January 2, 2025. A beloved sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Martha will always be remembered for her kindness and charity, as well as her multitude of hobbies and interests.

Martha Louise Thomas was born to Benjamin Platt and Salome (Kreider) Thomas in Springfield, Illinois. She grew up a happy and industrious little girl. She and her sister ran a neighborhood newspaper. She spent her summers at her family’s cottage in Old Mission, Michigan, where she enjoyed swimming and tennis with cousins and lifelong friends.

Martha loved maps and helped her father, historian and Lincoln biographer, Ben, by drawing maps for his Lincoln books. She attended Ferry Hall School in Lake Forrest, Illinois (Class of ’52) for high school and William Smith College and Northwestern University for college (BA English ’56). Following college, Martha lived in San Francisco, California, and worked as a librarian. She returned to her hometown where she met and married Gerald Lee Barthel. After living for a year in San Bernardino, California, they made their home in Clayton, Missouri.

Martha had many hobbies and interests. She was an excellent seamstress, often made Halloween costumes, coats, and clothes for her children, and belonged to a neighborhood sewing club. She was a Brownie troop leader for her two daughters. She loved traveling and took many trips to Europe. Her love of antiques led her to join the Questers and to become the proud owner of the Gilded Cage antique store in Clayton. An avid square dancer, she met Harold Tessereau, her long-time companion, at a square dancing club.

She was a regular attendee and patron of the St. Louis Symphony and the St. Louis Art Museum. With an interest in current events and modern thinking, she attended many lectures and was a member of the Ethical Society of St. Louis. Her interest in history led her to volunteer at the Missouri Historical Society. She ran a culinary service out of her home, cooking some of her favorite dishes for church meetings and other groups.

Martha is survived by her sister, Sarah Thomas; four children, Jennifer Barthel (Christopher Gallagher), Lisa (Robert) Venne, Thomas Barthel (Marci Jones), and Erik Barthel (Kathi Leicester); nine grandchildren, Hattie Venne, Courtney (Ted) Lague, Elyse (Pedro Elexpuru Zabaleta) Elexpuru-Venne, Nora Gallagher (Devin Byrd), Nina Gallagher, Sullivan and Arianna Barthel, and Karl and Peter Barthel; and 2 great-grandchildren, Parker and Jane Lague. She is preceded in death by husband, Gerald Barthel, companion, Harold Tessereau, and brother, George Thomas.

Visitation and Graveside Service: Family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Boardman-Smith Funeral Home, 800 S. Grand Ave. W., Springfield, IL. Graveside Service will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Missouri Historical Society (mohistory.org).