Martha McMillan

October 1, 1939 – July 2, 2025

Martha McMillan was born on October 1st,1939 to Alvah and Betty Cottrell in Portland, Oregon.  She was the 3rd, of 7 seven children and a twin to her brother John.

On the early morning of July 2nd, 2025, Martha went home to be with the Lord.  She passed away peacefully of natural causes.  Her daughter Teri was by her side at the time of her passing at the Hospice facility in Longview Washington.

Growing up she attended Immanuel Temple Church in Portland with her family.  At the age of four she gave her life to the Lord and received a call to become a nurse and to take care of people.  Martha followed that call.  After graduating from high school, she attended Portland School of Practical Nursing and followed years later by attending The Portland School of Childbirth Education and Midwifery.  She then worked at Multnomah County Hospital (Now OHSU) Emmanuel Hospital, Forest Grove Hospital and Birthing Center, Portland Birth Home, and did Home Births as well. In her retired years she went on several Medical Mission Trips to Honduras with Heart-to-Heart Ministries.

Martha met her husband Clayton McMillan while working at the County Hospital when one of her patients asked if she was married.   When she answered ‘NO’, the little lady proceeded to tell her that she had a grandson that needed to meet a lovely young lady like her.  Clayton and Martha dated for the first time on February 14th, 1959, and were married September 2nd, 1960.  They had three children, Wayne McMillan, Teri Piper, and Vicki Germunson.  They were also blessed with 9 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.

Martha enjoyed Studying the Bible, praying for and helping people, walking on the beach and talking to God.  She learned to sew at the age of 4, by putting hems in dresses for her mother.  This became a favorite past time as she spent many hours sewing blankets, burp rags and bibs for babies at two Caring Pregnancy Centers and an orphanage in Honduras. She also crocheted Stockings for newborn babies at the hospital in Seaside Oregon and filled them all with handmade items. She greatly enjoyed her cat and playing games.  Her favorite flowers were yellow roses.

She lived a life of Faith and her heart’s desire was that everyone she knew would experience Christ the way she did. Her life was full of Miracles to the point she wrote a book that she subsequently called Martha’s Miracles.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents Alvah and Betty Cottrell, her twin brother John, her brother Dan and sister n-law Dorothy, sister Ruth, and granddaughter Stephanie.

There will be a Celebration of Life held on August 1st, 2025, at 1:00pm at the Toutle Community Fellowship, 5067 Spirit Lake Hwy, Toutle Washington 98649. Refreshments following the service

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