1942 – 2015

LEWISTON — Martha Lynn Anderson Jordan, 73, a resident of Turner, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, June 9, at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. Martha was born May 17, 1942, in Lewiston, the daughter of Clayton and Helen DeCoster Anderson. She was raised in Auburn and graduated from Edward Little High School with the Class of 1960.

Throughout her school years, Martha was athletically inclined and became a formidable volleyball player. She also served as head majorette of the Webster Junior High School band. Continuing at Edward Little, she participated in all intramural sports, served on many clubs and committees and was a cheerleader for the Red Eddies. Martha has been blessed to have maintained friendships with many classmates and has enjoyed the annual summer lunches. The annual trip to Pine Point was something she always looked forward to.

After high school, Martha worked at Central Maine Power Co. in Lewiston until a sailor in a white uniform swept her off her feet and she married Roland Jordan of Turner in 1961. Roland was still in the Navy and for a time, they lived in Norfolk, Va. They later moved back to Maine with son, Kevin, and Roland went to work at UPS. Martha remained at home until second son, Bruce, came along and entered kindergarten. For the next few years, Martha worked at Turner Elementary School as a teacher’s aide to keep schedules the same as the boys. For the next 10 years, she worked for the United States Postal Service, both in Turner and Buckfield.

As a young family, they enjoyed spending time at family camps and tenting, most often in the Northern Maine Woods, finally buying an old skid camp in Eustis. For years, they enjoyed fishing, hunting, hiking, biking and snowmobiling, as well as a dry roof over their heads!

Ultimately, Martha got tempted by the auto business and spent 25 years as a salesperson, one of the earliest female pioneers in that career. She was not the first but probably the longest lasting; she spent the most years at Emerson Chevrolet in Auburn. Martha worked through the changing times of male dominance and has been amazed by the changes in attitude over the years.

She retired in the spring of 2004, and in the fall, went to work at L.L. Bean seasonally for the next nine years.

She finally retired for good when her and her husband’s health problems began to surface. In the years after the boys were out of school, Martha and Roland led snowmobiling tours to Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota during annual vacations. In her later years, she took great pleasure in watching her grandchildren participate in athletics around the state of Maine.

Martha will be missed by her family and many dear friends. She had a gift of compassion and empathy for those with whom she came into contact. Martha took great pride in her children and grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband, Roland Jordan of Turner; her sons, Kevin and his wife, Anne, of Dexter; and Bruce and his wife, Kim, of Turner; grandchildren, Casey, Abbey, Amanda and Degan Jordan; siblings, Bob Anderson of Florida, Scott Anderson of Idaho and Rachel Anderson Choate of Farmingdale; and her nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, to whom she was like a grandmother. Messages of condolence may be sent to www.finleyfuneralhome.com.