Martha Ellen Trottier, wife, mother, true friend, fierce Aggravation player, and luckiest bingo player ever, passed away on Saturday, June 27, 2015 in the Valleyview Hospital at the age of 79 years. She will be greatly missed and held always in our hearts by husband Bert and daughters Melonie, Debbie, Brenda and family.

Martha was born on February 21, 1936 to George and Ruth Bayley of Crooked Creek, AB. She was part of the large Bayley family, consisting of four half brothers and sisters, and 10 brothers and sisters. They all learned early in a family that big that you better speak up for yourself or you might not be heard. Martha could certainly hold her own. She was known for her ability to speak her mind and share her opinions, and she did so with honesty and love.

Martha married Bert Trottier in 1956 and the couple soon became Bert, Mert, and the three squirts. The majority of the years raising the girls was spent in Sturgeon Heights on the farm where they raised cattle and horses. Marthaâ??s yard was always immaculate, as she mowed every piece of grass in sight. But it was her garden â?? her vegetables and her flowers â?? that were amazing and where she spent her time. She excelled at growing vegetable gardens large enough to feed the entire community, coaxing flowers to flourish, and daring weeds to poke their heads up in her garden. She took a lot of pride in trying new varieties or plants that were unusual, just to see if she could get them to grow. And of course the ones that she was especially fond of were given names. Patrick Swayze was a short handsome sunflower that forgot to grow very tall, but Charlie Pride reached all the way up to the sun. When Bert and Martha moved to Valleyview in 1998, Marthaâ??s garden again became a focal part of their yard â?? one whole lot just devoted to the garden. Many people admired her weed free garden framed by her beautiful white fence.

Once her daughters were in school, Martha worked off the farm at the Oscar Adolphson Primary School in Valleyview, the Valleyview Town Office, and for Parks and Recreation, both at Youngâ??s Point Provincial Park and in the Valleyview office. She also helped clerk auction sales when she and Bert co-owned the Trottier and Hammon Auction Mart and Hammon and Trottier Auction Services.

As her girls, we thought Mom was the best. We spent countless hours in the kitchen baking with her when we were young â?? flinging bread dough around until it was grey in color and had all kinds of texture rolled into it. With never a shortage of patience, Mom baked the dough masterpieces we created. We loved how she didnâ??t believe in spanking â?? and we learned very quickly that when she said she was going â??to skin us alive,â?? it was a pretty idle threat (although it took some of our friends a little longer to catch onto that). Every major decision in our household growing up was put to a vote â?? true democracy in action. If the three of us kids could agree, we usually got things swinging our way! We voted one summer to either go on a holiday to PEI or buy one of those big TV Stereo console units. Although Mom would have loved to go to PEI, the three of us outvoted her for the console unit. We did get our pay back loud and clear every Sunday morning when she blasted her favorite tunes. We still have the songs Beautiful Sunday and Hot Rod Lincoln etched into our brains. In regard to fairness, Mom was the queen. What one kid got, so did the others, or there was a discussion with the whole family to decide what would work better and still be fair. She was always our biggest fan and supporter, no matter what it was we were doing or involved in. She told us we could do anything we put our minds to, and we believed her.

Our mother kept a garden, a garden of the heart.
She planted all the good things that gave our life a start.

We are our motherâ??s garden and yes, her legacy.
The love that she reflected will hold special memories.

Written by Faye Beart.

Given that she was the â??bestâ?? mom, it wasnâ??t surprising that she was also the â??bestâ?? grandma, spending countless hours with the grand-kids, organizing special holidays for them individually on the farm so they could spend one on one time with her when they were younger. She loved to paraphrase mispronunciations of the grand-kidsâ?? early sayings, so you would often hear her say things like â??she was going shopping at the GIJâ?? (aka the IGA) or that if you didnâ??t watch it â??she would gwab you by the weft weg.â?? Isnâ??t that right, â??Honky Donky Dammaâ???

Martha had a lot of good friends because she was a good friend and a good neighbor. She was quick to pitch in when needed, helping older friends at the lodge or the hospital, often making sure she was there to assist them at meal time. If you ever told Martha you really liked something in her house, she was apt to jump up and give it to you to keep. Well why not if you liked it that much?

The list of Marthaâ??s Favorite Things includes a nice fresh tablecloth, Nabob Coffee, seed catalogues, her little brown blankie, the mute button on the remote, a good book, 6:00 am strolls through the garden, and her spot on the love seat.

Throughout the 59 years of their marriage, Bert and Marthaâ??s house had a revolving door. Everyone was always welcome, the coffee pot was always on, and there was usually a great dessert, some cookies or butter tarts that Martha had made waiting to be served. Martha also made a pretty wicked bottle of wine and was happy to make extra batches for her friends and family, many of whom enjoyed bringing back their empty bottles to get refilled over and over again. Bert & Martha opened their home to friends and strangers alike. Some would stay for weeks (accidentally or on purpose), others came just to stay overnight, maybe to enjoy a bubble bath and a little loving hospitality. Whatever the reason for the visit, guests were made to feel at home and a part of the family.

Martha is survived by her loving husband Bert Trottier, her daughters Melonie Humphreys (Ian), Debbie Pushor (Laurie) and Brenda Moore (Kerry); her grandchildren Tyler Moore, Dallas Moore (Ellen), Ryan Humphreys (Jaimie), Michele McKinnon (Christopher), Cohen, Teague, and Quinn Pushor; and great-grandchildren Cassandra Moore, Ashton and Talon Humphreys, and London McKinnon; siblings Betty, Cliff, Dorothy, Gordon, Bill and Edna; as well as numerous extended family members.

Martha is predeceased by her parents George and Ruth Bayley; siblings Elmer, Orville, Vera, Audrey, Gladys, Vi, Bob, and Ethel. Martha was a straight shooter known for speaking her mind, and she usually had plenty to say. Although she loved to be the center of a conversation, she never liked to be the center of attention. Upon her request, there will be no funeral service.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Piercey and Dr. Marino and the staff at the Valleyview Health Centre for the care they provided the last few months. Big hugs to her numerous friends who not only were so important to her over the years, but who really stepped up in the final months to ensure she felt so loved. The family will be forever grateful for the visits, the love disguised as baking, the hospital pajama parties and movie nights, and the tenderly delivered foot and hand massages.

In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree or perennial in your garden that will make you think of Martha for years to come. We think she would like that.

And for you Mom, â??See you later alligator. We love you to pieces, you mieces.â??