Martha Moore Tipps

Martha Moore Maxwell Tipps (December 28, 1915-July 27, 2020)

Our beloved Mother, Martha Moore Maxwell Tipps, was an amazing woman who was admired and loved by all those who were fortunate to have known her. She passed away quietly on July 27, 2020 after 104 years of a talented and enthusiastic life. She graduated as Valedictorian from her Palco, Kansas high school class and went on to graduate from Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas with two degrees, one in Music Education and the other in Performance. While at Baker University she was Concert Master of the college symphony orchestra. After graduating college she began her musical teaching career and a year later married her sweetheart, Don Earl Maxwell. They moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where Earl worked for Long Bell Lumber Company. In 1949 they moved to Amarillo, Texas and at that time Martha resumed her teaching career. Martha and Earl were married 50 years.

Martha was an excellent musician. From 1922 through 1929 she and her family, called the “Musical Moores,” traveled together every summer from their home in Gardner, Kansas to perform throughout the Midwest on the Chautauqua circuit. Chautauqua was entertainment for people who didn’t have any other form of entertainment and consisted of speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers and preachers. They traveled from town-to-town in almost every state west of the Mississippi to perform. Martha played the soprano saxophone, her 3-year-old brother Chet played the trap drums, her two older brothers, Phil and Don, on the trumpet and saxophone and her parents on the piano and trombone. Martha was quoted as saying “It was a high class type of entertainment. It wasn’t an ordinary show.”

The Depression ended the Chautauqua performances and at that time Martha stopped playing the saxophone and began to play the violin and piano. She played violin for 35 years with the Amarillo Symphony while at the same time teaching students in elementary schools and giving private lessons. Martha could never pass a piano without stopping to play – her audiences loved it.

Martha loved to travel, especially camping and fishing trips with her husband and daughters. She was an avid fisherwoman and caught her share of delicious mountain Trout. These trips provided her family with many wonderful memories of the joy of being together and the beauty of the Southwest.

Martha was enthusiastic about life and never shrank from a challenge. Even though she never knew how to swim she and Earl traveled down the rapids of the Rogue River and had a fabulous time. At one point in her life she was on a cruise with her daughters and while on Grand Cayman was thrilled to hold a very large turtle while at the turtle farm. Her smile while doing that was infectious.

After losing her husband Earl, Martha was fortunate to marry another fine man, Bob Tipps whom she knew from her Sunday school class. For thirteen years Martha and Bob shared many cruises and fun times. Three years after Bob died Martha, at the age of almost 90 years, and after living in Amarillo, Texas for 55 years, courageously moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington to be near her daughters.

Martha exuded talent, joy, love, discipline of self and was what we called a “tough cookie.” We will all miss her very much and are blessed to have her as a shining example of how to live life to the fullest.

Our Mother is survived by her daughter Judith McDaniel, son-in-law Jack McDaniel, daughter Nancy Maxwell, son-in-law Richard Ashton, granddaughter Heather Coller and her husband Harold, granddaughter Jan Thompson, granddaughter Jennifer Ogden and her husband Phil, grandson Colin McDaniel and his wife Christy, 10 great grandchildren Jesse Thompson, Savannah Thompson, Jacob Coller, Audrey Coller, Harrison Coller, Jackson Ogden, John Ogden, Stephen Ogden, Joanna McDaniel, Charlie McDaniel and by her step-daughter Angi Peck and her husband Ray, step-son Maurice Tipps and his wife Lea and also by many friends.

A celebration of Martha’s beautiful life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA.