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Althea Mae Martin Downer

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Althea Mae Martin Downer

Birth	:	4 Dec 1918 Clyde, Cloud County, Kansas, USA
Death	:	3 Oct 2011 Attica, Harper County, Kansas, USA
Burial	:	Mount Hope Cemetery, Clyde, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate	:	39.5969009, -97.4116974
Description	:	Roy and Althea Downer – Peace Corps X – Jamaica I often chided my mom about writing the love story she and dad shared as it would have been a best seller. They fell in love in Hutchinson, KS while mom was attending business school and dad working there in 1936. They were too young to marry so they dated on and off until they went their different directions. WWII came along, but dad kept track of mom’s whereabouts through a mutual friend. In 1944 he was stationed at Patuxent River Naval Air Station (MD) and she was working as a... Read More	Roy and Althea Downer – Peace Corps X – Jamaica I often chided my mom about writing the love story she and dad shared as it would have been a best seller. They fell in love in Hutchinson, KS while mom was attending business school and dad working there in 1936. They were too young to marry so they dated on and off until they went their different directions. WWII came along, but dad kept track of mom’s whereabouts through a mutual friend. In 1944 he was stationed at Patuxent River Naval Air Station (MD) and she was working as a civilian typist at the Santa Ana Army Air Base (CA). Dad nervously picked up the phone and called mom. The conversation went well and finally he blurted out “If you still feel the same way about me as I feel about you, I want you to come to Maryland and get married”. They were married October 18, 1944. Along with their marriage vows they made a pact that they would move back home to Kansas, raise their family in a small town and not leave until all had graduated from high school. In 1960 President John F. Kennedy began the Peace Corps. The minute dad heard the news it became a topic of conversation at our dinner table. He painted the picture when he said “Imagine getting to go to a foreign country, learning their culture and being able to help them in some small way?” – it was a perfect calling for my parents. Their youngest child, Warren, was only 10 at the time and the Peace Corps didn’t allow children, so dad’s dream got tucked away until 1969. The time was right and mom and dad and I drove to Salina to take the Peace Corps test. They hovered over the mailbox until they got notice that they were going to Jamaica! Dad was 52 and mom 50, so leaving family, friends and your home of 25 years was no easy task, but the dream was becoming a reality. Mom wrote letters of their fun in San Diego. I remember one in particular when she talked about taking the Luscher Color Psychology Test. She picked all the bright cheerful colors and evidently dad picked black in the first slot. After the results came back the psychologist pulled mom aside and said they were concerned because of dad’s choices – putting black in the first slot depicted renunciation. Mom laughed because she knew dad had done this on purpose! For those who knew my dad, you know he loved to play games of any kind and toying with the PC psychologists was the best kind of fun. Upon arrival in Montego Bay they stepped off the plane to sweltering heat and were immediately handed a Rum Bamboozle. Mom slurped hers down and later said she had no idea that Jamaican rum was a lot stronger than our stateside Bacardi. Needless to say she had a very giddy afternoon. Later they settled into their lodgings in Kingston and found that dad would be teaching welding in Trench Town and mom would be teaching secretarial skills in the Peace Corps office. Mom jotted down the daily events in her diary knowing that when this was all over they would have the details of their PC adventure. Once arrangements had been made for their assignments they packed their bags, got on a J.O.S. bus and mapped out their route from Crossroads to the Peace Corps office. Watching out the bus windows they could see the Jamaicans with their brightly colored clothes and the Reggae music blaring from loud speakers on every corner just added to the excitement of the day. Mac and Jean Taylor, Cherry and Marsha were waiting at the office to greet them and help them get acclimated. Instant friendships were formed and lunch at the Hummingbird Restaurant down the road was next on the agenda. I’m not sure if mom and dad were more impressed with the local Jamaican dishes or that cold Red Stripe beer! By afternoon they made their way to the house of Trevenian Road. The Trevenian Road house became a home away from home for many of you and my parents felt so blessed to be accepted by you as they were the oldest volunteers in the group (aside from Jack Willis and the two Paulines). I remember when I came to live there every weekend it was wall to wall PC kids because hotels were expensive and one more on the Downer floor wasn’t going to make a difference. There was always plenty of rum, plenty of Dunhill cigarettes and more importantly, plenty of good conversation. My folks left one family behind in Kansas only to find another family in Jamaica. As my parents reminisced over the years they remembered things like book runs (any excuse to get the PC jeep) to funny sounding places like Port Antonio, Falmouth, Montego Bay, and Negril; huge lemons and avocados that fell on their roof in the middle of the night; going to the movies and Jamaicans throwing beer bottles at the screen if they didn’t like the ending and the taste of a spicy meat patty and a Red Stripe beer. But more importantly, my parents never forgot a one of you. You remain in their hearts eternally because you were their family on one of their life’s biggest adventures. God bless you! • Dad fought a hard battle with cancer of the esophagus and died in 1984 shortly after their 40th wedding anniversary. Mom is now 92 years old and lives with Warren and his wife, Barbara. She spends her days on the computer, reading and watching movies. By Dee (Downer) Saddler

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Althea Mae Martin Downer's memorial?
Althea Mae Martin Downer's memorial is located at: Mount Hope Cemetery, Clyde, Cloud County, USA.
When did Althea Mae Martin Downer death?
Althea Mae Martin Downer death on 3 Oct 2011 in Attica, Harper County, Kansas, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Althea Mae Martin Downer's memorial?
Latitude: 39.5969009
Longitude: -97.4116974

Family Members:

Parent

John Anderson Martin

(1874 - 1937)

Mary Pearl Personette Martin

(1893 - 1918)

Spouse

Leroy Alford “Roy” Downer

(1917 - 1984)

Siblings

Harold Ustle Martin

(1900 - 1923)

Dorothy L. Martin Plumly

(1915 - 2009)

Children

John David Downer

(1945 - 2018)

Dorothy Louise Downer Saddler

(1947 - unknow)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Mount Calvary Cemetery
Clyde, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5917015, -97.4143982

2. Cedar Grove Cemetery
Clyde, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5494003, -97.4056015

3. Pleasant View Cemetery
Ames, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5346985, -97.4431000

4. Walnut Grove Cemetery
Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5699997, -97.4993973

5. Agenda Cemetery
Agenda, Republic County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6761017, -97.4336014

6. Saint Joseph Cemetery
Saint Joseph, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5074941, -97.4022328

7. Beck Family Cemetery
Agenda, Republic County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6818000, -97.4863000

8. Green Mound Cemetery
Rice, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5248450, -97.5081630

9. Hollis Cemetery
Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6383018, -97.5361023

10. Rice Cemetery
Rice, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5614014, -97.5552979

11. Nelson Cemetery
Rice, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5257988, -97.5410995

12. Riverdale Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5106010, -97.2930984

13. Willoughby Cemetery
Agenda, Republic County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7402992, -97.4244003

14. Union Cemetery
Wayne, Republic County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6977997, -97.5457993

15. Saint Peters Cemetery
Aurora, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4763985, -97.5180969

16. Princeville Cemetery
Aurora, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4672012, -97.5010986

17. Iwacura Cemetery
Morganville, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4550000, -97.3510000

18. Gotland Cemetery
Sibley Township, Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6091995, -97.6125031

19. French Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Cloud County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4395200, -97.4148290

20. Sherman Cemetery
Morganville, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.5316300, -97.2243700

21. Zion Cemetery
Agenda, Republic County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6749992, -97.5939026

22. Rose Hill Cemetery
Wayne, Republic County, USA
Coordinate: 39.7111015, -97.5661011

23. Minersville Cemetery
Talmo, Republic County, USA
Coordinate: 39.6568330, -97.6229250

24. Bloom Cemetery
Morganville, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4519005, -97.2778015