Obituary of Martha Aspitarte Wither

MARTHA ASPITARTE WITHER Martha Aspitarte Wither passed away after a short illness on March 16, 2017 in the presence of her loving family. Martha Selma Roberts was born July 9, 1928 at the Roberts homestead, Donnelly, Idaho, to Alaska Levi "Lee" Roberts and Selma Martha Kleint Roberts. She was the fourth child of five with two brothers, Carl and Orville, and two sisters, Alice and Ellen. As a Donnelly High School senior, she was on the girls basketball team that won the Idaho State Championship against the much larger Boise high schools. After graduation, Martha moved to California for telegraph operator training but decided to enter the University of Idaho fall semester. There she met Thomas Aspitarte who after a whirlwind courtship persuaded her that 'two could live as cheaply as one'. They were married Dec. 19, 1948 in Boise. Tom continued his undergraduate studies at U of I while Martha supported him by working in a bank. Their daughter Ann was in born in 1950 in Moscow. In 1952, in Corvallis, Oregon, their son Tom was born. Graduate studies were suspended for a few years and the family moved to Terre Haute, Indiana where son Dave was born in 1955. The family returned to Oregon State University to complete Tom's PhD. In late 1958, the grand adventure continued when Tom and Martha accepted a job with United Fruit Company in La Lima, Honduras. By 1960, the family relocated to Camas, WA and added daughter Cindy in 1964. Martha successfully raised four children and, after they left home for college, Tom and Martha travelled extensively through the US and Europe. Sadly, Tom died in March, 1988. She resumed travelling and enjoyed more than 45 Elderhostel and international tours. She was one of the founding members of the Osprey Walking Group during this time. Later, she connected with a longtime family friend, Ross Wither, and, after an old-fashioned courtship, they were married in 1992 at the St. Johns Presbyterian Church in Camas. The two families blended and Martha was delighted to gain three adult children and their families. Another sad loss occurred when Ross suddenly passes away in 1999. By herself, she travelled to foreign countries such as China and Turkey. Her many activities at this time included volunteering at the Treasure House Thrift Shop, two bridge groups, her large garden, and many handwritten letters to family and friends. In her final years, she helped her son Tom establish a vineyard on the Washougal River known as "Martha's Vineyard of Skamania County". She had amazing stamina and would regularly walk 3 miles with the Osprey Walking Group in the morning, then spend the rest of the day working on the rows of grapevines, loving every minute of the beautiful outdoors. Martha Aspitarte Wither is survived by her sister, Ellen Pline of Nampa, ID; and her Aspitarte children, Ann Kimerling Jon, Corvallis, OR; Tom Aspitarte Rae, Washougal, WA; David Aizpitarte Joanna, Eagle, ID; Cindy Mueller Mike, Bellevue, WA; 9 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She is survived by the Wither children, Bill Wither Mary, Lynch Station, VA; Jan Kellogg Dave, Whitefish, MT; Bonnie Roggenkamp Terry, Battleground, WA; 7 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Services will be held at the St. Johns Presbyterian Church, 1206 NE Birch St., Camas on Tuesday, March 21st, at 2:00 p.m. A reception for family and friends will follow at the church. To honor Martha's passion for education, the family is requesting, in lieu of flowers, to please consider the Thomas R. and Martha S. Aspitarte Memorial Scholarship in Microbiology, OSU Foundation, 850 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333.