Martie Brennan

“It’s strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man’s mind for so many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by something you’ve seen, or something you’ve heard, or the sight of an old familiar face.”— Wilson Rawls, *Where the Red Fern Grows*

Beloved sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, Martha Grace Horrocks Brennan—known always as Martie—was born in the very small town of Putnam, Oklahoma, on July 28, 1936. She was a child of the Dust Bowl. Her parents were Lela Maggie Brown and Howard Ellis Horrocks, and she was one of four children: older sister, Cora Jane; younger brother, Harvey Frank; and youngest sister, Janet Alice Sawatzky.

She was always a lover of books, a good student, and enjoyed school most of all. She would often be found hiding in the closet of their small soddy home, reading a book. As a young girl, she lived for a year with a family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, working as a nanny and even traveling to California with them.

Martie longed to see more of the world, and to escape the seemingly certain marriage to Tommy Hanks, a Hanks brother who longed for her, she decided to join the military. From 1954 to 1956, she served as the base librarian at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. While there, she met a tall, handsome sergeant named Don Brennan, who became the love of her life. They were married in 1956 and left the military to attend Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho.

Their oldest son, Jeffrey Howard, was born in Cheyenne; their daughter, Tammie Louise, and son, Darren Earl, were born in Pocatello, Idaho. Martie graduated with honors from ISU in 1966 and began her lifelong love of teaching elementary school at Syringa Elementary in Pocatello. Her preferred grade was always third grade—she said that students at that age were old enough to sit still and listen, but young enough to adore their teacher. And adore her they did.

Don decided to pursue a part-time career in politics, being elected to the City Council and later Mayor of Pocatello in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Much ribbon-cutting and hand-shaking ensued. In 1974, he received an appointment to serve as the Executive Director of the Council on Vocational Education. The family moved to Boise, where Martie would remain for the rest of her life.

In 1975, Martie began what was truly her favorite position: teaching third grade at Highlands Elementary in Boise, Idaho. Many of the most influential people in Boise who grew up in the Highlands area had Mrs. Brennan as their third-grade teacher. They still call her their very favorite. She was that teacher who changed lives, who made school a place to look forward to. She had several signature “units” that she taught year after year. The most popular was a unit on the Statue of Liberty. The children learned odd and wonderful facts about the statue, including outlining the actual measurements of the statue on the field in duct tape so they could understand just how big it was.

Another highlight was when J.R. Simplot came to the class and brought his huge flag to show them just how big it was as it flew over their school; they could even hear the flag daily in those days.

Her very favorite part of teaching, though, was the chance to read aloud to her kids. She was an actor in a teacher’s body and could make those books sing. Her favorites were *Where the Red Fern Grows* by Wilson Rawls and *Tuck Everlasting* by Natalie Babbitt. She would read aloud for 45 minutes immediately following lunch, when the kids were full and played out. She would encourage them to lay their heads on their desks and “just listen.” Her daughter Tammie’s love of books came from her mom, but those two books are impossible for her to read now…

Martie received many awards during her career in teaching, including the Red Apple Award for Boise Teacher of the Year in 1986.

In 1987, the political bug hit Don again, and he was elected to the Boise City Council. Once again, she found herself cutting ribbons and living the part-time life of a politician’s wife.

In 1996, Martie retired from teaching, and in 1997, Don retired from state service. Martie started a cottage business recording fairy tales on cassette tapes, and later moved to CDs. The recordings were called *Familiar Fantasies*. She sold them for years, and they are still cherished, stored in boxes and treasured places, safe for grandchildren and great-grandchildren to listen to. Some of the tales she recorded include *Rapunzel*, *Hansel and Gretel*, and *Jack and the Beanstalk*.

In the early 2000s, Martie was appointed to the Boise Library Board of Directors, beginning her final chapter and fulfilling her lifelong love of books and libraries. She was the impetus and strong voice behind the establishment of Boise’s branch libraries, including the one where her Celebration of Life will be held, the Bown Crossing Library. We will celebrate her life in the Martie Brennan Room.

Much of Don and Martie’s later years were spent traveling and enjoying their children and grandchildren. Darren lived in Texas, then Kansas; Tammie in Salt Lake, Seattle, and finally Boise; Jeff in Boise. In 2003, Martie and Don traveled with Tammie and Dave to China to pick up her last grandchild, Grace Elizabeth, who was named for her. China was a place of wonder, and picking up her was the experience of a lifetime—walking on the Great Wall, visiting the Forbidden City, being interviewed by a reporter from the New York Times. But nothing topped that final plane ride home when the one-year-old rode in her grandmother’s safe arms, while the rest of the family suffered from what was likely SARS. The bond between granddaughter and grandmother remained so very strong.

Don died in 2011 after a short illness, and Martie enjoyed her time volunteering on the Library Board, reading in her grandchildren’s classrooms, and walking. She spent seven years as the "Westy’s Walker," logging two miles per day around the lanes at Westy’s bowling alley near her home. She read and read, visiting the Collister Library (one of her libraries) weekly with her signature pink book bag for a new supply of books.

The last chapter of her life began in 2021 with a move to Valley View Independent Living. She spent her days reading, coffee-klatching with the ladies, and reading aloud weekly to the residents of the assisted living side of Valley View. She suffered a fall in May of this year and spent the rest of her days quietly reading and talking with her beloved family, sharing those last moments of her wisdom and courage. She died after a short illness on a beautiful Friday afternoon, September 27, at 1:40 p.m. She was surrounded by her adult grandchildren, who whispered words of love and goodbyes.

She was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Don Brennan; her parents; older sister, Cora; and younger brother, Harvey.

She is survived by her sister Janet Alice Sawatzky, her very lucky children: Jeffrey Howard (Alisa), Tammie Louise (David), and Darren Earl (Laura). Six grandchildren: Gabriel Donald (Rachel), Avery Connor (Paris), Tanner Jeffrey, Colton Ruch (Kate), Ian Donald, and Grace Elizabeth. She has two great-granddaughters, Sunny and Charlotte. She leaves behind the widest circle of friends, family, colleagues, and students whose lives she changed in so many ways.

Her amazing life will be celebrated on Saturday, October 5, at 4 p.m. in the Bown Crossing Library, 2153 E. Riverwalk Drive, Boise, Idaho. It will be in “her” room, the Martie Brennan Room, where countless children now enjoy story time. A reception will follow at Bown Crossing Tavern at 5:30 p.m. All are invited to come and share her legacy. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that attendees bring a new children’s or young adult book. These will be donated to the Friends of Boise Libraries.

“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of the unlived life.”— Natalie Babbitt, *Tuck Everlasting*

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