Martha Strickland

Martha Jene Burke Strickland, MD, of Uvalde, Texas, was born to Martha Mattie Bland Burke and Jenie Lee Burke in Hobart, Oklahoma on September 20, 1922. She was preceded in death by her parents, and brothers Jenie Lee Jr, Edward, James and Billy, and sisters Mary Edwards, Helen Newcomber White, Evelyn Parker, Virginia Burke and Sarah Lee Beumer. She is survived by her sister Barbra Thrower, San Antonio, Texas, son Burke Strickland, Houston, Texas, daughter Martha Jene Strickland, MD, Jacksonville, Florida and granddaughter Aspen Smith, MD, Helotes, Texas.
Marthas family moved from Hobart to Hobbs, New Mexico where she graduated from high school at the age of 15. She attended University of Oklahoma and was named to Phi Beta Kappa her junior year, and graduated as an MD at the age of 22 after working her way through undergraduate and medical schools. She did her pediatrics internship and residency in Atlanta, Georgia, where she met and married the love of her life, Aubrey Strickland in 1945, to whom she was married for 45 years until his death in 1990.
Martha and Aubrey moved from Atlanta to Lafayette, Indiana, where both their children were born, and where Martha pioneered the school wellness program as the first school doctor in the community. In 1955, she became a Fellow of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and upon completion of a postMD Masters Degree in Immunology and Allergy, she became a member of the permanent staff.
When Aubrey found employment in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, she moved her family to White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she opened a private medical practice. A few years later, she became the Director of Medical Education and Coordinator of the Premature Infant Care unit at St. Pauls Childrens Hospital and subsequently set up and managed the neonatology unit at Hennipen General Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota as Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In that role, she was also an Associate Professor of the University of Minnesota Medical School and received their first ever studentselected award for teaching excellence. Her groundbreaking work during this time was documented in professional medical journals and is cited to this day.
After a year of studying advanced allergy treatment techniques with a doctor in Fredricksburg, Texas, Martha moved to Uvalde, Texas and opened a pediatrics and allergy practice across the street from Uvalde Memorial Hospital, where she was on the medical staff for many years. After five years at that location, she built the Cenesa Hills Clinic on East Leona Road, which at its height had a dozen employees. After her husband died, she scaled back her practice to allergy treatment only, and subsequently retired in 2005 after 60 years of continuous service in medical practice.
In addition to being a dedicated physician, Martha was a loving mother and wife, and a life long Christian. She gave far more than she received year after year, in her medical practice and personal relationships, helping many others in need, and in her extensive church activities.
She will be missed by both friends and her loving family. Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 5, 2010 at 2:00 PM at RushingEstesKnowles Chapel. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Visitation

RushingEstesKnowles Mortuary
220 S. Getty St.
Uvalde, TX  78801
Thursday, November 4, 2010
8:00 am

Service

Chapel

RushingEstesKnowles Mortuary
220 S. Getty St.
Uvalde, TX  78801
Friday, November 5, 2010
2:00 pm

Cemetery

Hillcrest Cemetery
Hwy. 90 West
Uvalde, TX  78801

Memorial Contributions

8115 Data Point Drive
San Antonio, TX  78229