Martha Jean Crouch

Martha passed away Aug. 23, 2004 at Bishop Spencer Place. A Memorial Service will be 2:00 pm Fri., Aug. 27, 2004 at Central United Methodist Church, 5144 Oak KC, MO. Cremation. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to Bishop Spencer Place, 4301 Madison Ave. KC, MO 64111. Martha was a lifelong resident of the Kansas City area. She was born Feb. 22, 1928, the youngest daughter of James "Happy� and Velma Smith. As a student of Paseo High School, she began her lifelong love of singing and choral music, graduating in 1947. Martha�s other passion was nursing. She received her degree from the Indep. Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing in 1952, where she spent her 38 year career. At the age of 50, she returned to school and received her Bachelor�s degree in Health Care Management from Park College. She was a pioneer in her field, developing one of the first on-site day care facilities associated with the hospital. As a nurse, teacher, and a diabetic, she focused her talents developing a patient education program for diabetics. This was the first such program in this area, winning her the Pulse Award for outstanding health programs in Missouri. For her contributions to health care, she was appointed as the first woman to the Missouri State Board of Health in 1972. She continued as a diabetic educator until her retirement in 1990. One of Martha�s gifts was providing knowledge and skill to diabetics, allowing them to manage their illness
with confidence. Martha married Thomas M. Hamline in 1955 and they had two children, Her son Steve, and his wife, Ramona, of Larkspur, Co., have two children, Melissa and Mike. Her daughter Lori Beth, of KC, has a son, Andrew. Martha was very proud that her children were accomplished, balancing family and career. She was their role model. Martha�s grandchildren loved her deeply and were her great comfort and joy. When she was faced with declining health, her children and grandchildren showed to her the compassion she had shared with so many. She is survived by 2 children and 3 grandchildren. Martha was preceded in death by her first husband, Thomas M. Hamline; as well as her second husband Olyn Crouch; brother James Smith; sisters Virginia Pence, Dorothy Smith, and Hortense "Susie� Melson