Martha Minier Bird

Martha Minier Bird November 6, 1920 - November 19, 2012 Martha M. Bird, age 92, of St. Augustine, passed away on Monday November 19, 2012 at Flagler Hospital. Born on November 6, 1920 in Velva, North Dakota to Bacon B. and Ruth (Sample) Minier, she moved with her family to Minot, North Dakota in 1923. Martha graduated from Minot State Teacher's College with a degree in deaf education. Her first job was in Physical Education at a school for the deaf & blind in Devils Lake, North Dakota. She taught for three years at Santa Fe, New Mexico, and moved to Pennsylvania where she met her future husband Paul C. Bird. She had first met Paul at Chautauqua, N.Y. as a teenager. They were married in 1946 and moved to St. Augustine, where both were employed at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. Martha started in physical education followed by classroom teaching, sign language interpreter and Supervising Teacher. They later moved to Washington, D.C. where Martha taught as a professor at Gallaudet University while Paul was working on his graduate degree in administration. Martha, Paul with son Richard moved to Romney, West Virginia to work at the West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. In 1956, the family moved back to St. Augustine. During these years, Martha and Paul traveled around the world and would take groups of deaf individuals on tour. They published a book titled "Castles of Great Britain" and was distributed in paperback. They did extensive research in genealogy and would travel to Salt Lake to do research in the Mormon library. When they retired, they ran the Ministers Union, Annex and Westervelt for 8 summers at Chautauqua, N.Y. Martha was extensively involved in the Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church as a Deacon, Sunday School teacher, sign language interpreter and counselor to the youth group. Martha was a teacher and sign language interpreter for over 40 years. She was preceded in death by a sister, Laura Cook, and a brother, Davis Minier. Survivors include, a sister who lived with Paul & Martha, Winifred Minier; a son, Richard A. Bird and wife Carolyn of Westlake, Ohio, two grandchildren, Kathryn Ruth Doolittle and husband Tom of Delaware, Ohio and Richard Bird and wife Joey of Bay Village, Ohio; five great grand children, Logan, Riley and Carly Bird, and Evan and Katie Doolittle, and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec 12, 2012 at Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church. Donations may be made in Martha's memory to the Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church. St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.