Martha A. Woods Dirks
Martha A. Woods Dirks passed away on Thursday (May 28, 2009)
after a brief illness. A long-term resident of WaKeeney, she moved to Colorado
Springs in 2004. Martha was born on July 29, 1922, the youngest child of Dr.
Mordie L. Woods (1883-1959) and Minnie Maude Pettigrew (1884-1975) of Newton.
She was a 1940 graduate of Newton High School and served as 50th reunion
speaker. Martha was married to WaKeeney optometrist Dr. Arthur W. Dirks, who
died in 1997. They had three children: Renee Rowcliffe of Woodland Park, Colo.;
Dana Metcalf of New Bern, N.C.; and Arthur Lee Dirks of Taunton, Mass.
Martha was a retired associate professor at Fort Hays State
University, where she taught library science from 1969 to 1992. She received
her master's in library science degree from Wayne State University in Detroit
in 1969 and a bachelor of science in education from Fort Hays in 1963. She also
taught speech, debate, dramatics and French in Quinter and WaKeeney high
schools from 1963 to 1968.
She married Arthur, who grew up near Hillsboro, on Aug. 26,
1942, in Texarkana, Texas, where he was stationed at Normoyle Ordinance Depot.
Following the war, they lived in Memphis, Tenn., while Arthur obtained his
optometry degree and returned to Newton in 1949. In 1950, the family moved to
Ness City, where Arthur opened his optometric practice, and the couple became
active in many organizations and activities, including Order of Eastern Star,
scouting, American Legion, Red Cross auxiliary and community theater. She
served as president of the Ness County Business and Professional Women's Club
(BPW) and president of the Kansas Optometric Association Auxiliary in 1952.
After the family moved to WaKeeney in 1958, Martha remained
active in local and professional organizations, including Literary Club and
Locust Club in WaKeeney, and Fort Hays State organizations Retired Faculty
Association, Delta Kappa Gamma, Phi Kappa Phi, also serving as president, and
the Kansas State School Library Association, which she also led as president.
Following her retirement, Martha was active in the development of the new
WaKeeney city library.
Martha was a member of WaKeeney Presbyterian Church and also
attended Ogallah Christian Church.
She is survived by her three children; four grandchildren,
Kristin Dirks of Anchorage, Alaska, Matthew Metcalf of New Bern, N.C., Manda
Paine of Dryden, Wash., and Heather Coffman of McLouth; and four
great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, two
brothers and three sisters.
Her cremated remains will be buried with her husband, Arthur
Dirks, in WaKeeney City Cemetery.
She will be remembered with love and fondness for her
intelligence and commitment to a cultured world by all who knew her.
