A very special person has passed away. Martha Margaret Engledow died Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, of natural causes at the age of 102.
Martha was born July 4, 1918, in Pittsburgh, Pa., to Marie Coster Purkey Sorenson and James Christian Sorenson, the second of three children. That summer, the Spanish flu pandemic in Pittsburgh was especially harsh on newborns. She survived, a healthy baby girl.
She grew up and moved with her parents, sister (Kay) and brother (Tom) to California during the Great Depression. Martha graduated from Alhambra High School in 1935 and began a career as a beautician. She married Clinton Wilder Engledow on Aug. 20, 1938, in Wilmar. Marthaâs mother gave her the advice, ânever end the day mad at each other; always talk it out.â This advice lasted her all of her married life and she passed it on to all her grandchildren. Every night when they went to bed, Clint would tell her, âYou are the best thing that ever happened to me.â That went both ways.