Martha Kelly Anderson

Martha Kelly Anderson, 75, of Benicia, passed away on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at her home surrounded by her family. Martha was born on September 19, 1946 to Mark and Mary (Johnson) Kelly in Indianapolis, IN. Martha was raised in Indianapolis with her five siblings, where she attended St. Joan of Arc School followed by Ladywood - St. Agnes High School in Indianapolis. She worked at Kelly Girl Services with her father after high school, and later moved around the country as a Navy wife during the Vietnam War, living on the West Coast. She returned to Indiana to have her two children, and eventually settled in California in 1978. Martha was a woman of many great talents. She was a gifted artist who was skilled at painting and welding. Over the years, she created numerous works of art out of scrap metal that were displayed in art galleries throughout Sacramento and the Bay Area. Among her more popular works were clever statuettes of women brought to life out of small and random pieces of welded metal called the “Iron Maidens.” Martha was also a meticulous gardener who maintained a fantastic vegetable and herb garden that became the envy of her friends and family. Everyone would look forward to her tomatoes in summertime salads and other delicious meals. When she wasn’t creating art or working in her garden, she enjoyed archery, golf and bocce ball. Martha’s unique ability to identify and create beauty in art and nature was perhaps the great metaphor of her life. Martha made easy friends with everyone she met, and her infectious wit and enthusiasm for life resulted in numerous relationships developed and maintained from every phase in her life. Whether it was a grade school sweetheart or the Benicia police officer she met just months ago, she made a lasting impression on people through her genuine kindness and sincere interest in the lives of others. Martha was the life of the party, and she enjoyed laughing and loving to the fullest. She was always entertaining family and friends alike, and her sense of humor was never outmatched. She will be greatly missed by many who were lucky enough to call her a friend. “Mimi,” as she was known by her grandchildren, will always be remembered as the matriarch of the family, and her absence will be felt most by her husband, children and grandchildren. Martha was proud of her family, and she was always supportive and encouraging of their interests and accomplishments until the end. Martha is survived by her husband of 24 years, Thomas Anderson; daughter Charlotte Lazio (Christopher) of Sacramento, CA; son Edward McGarvey (Kristin) of Danville, CA; stepsons James Anderson (Michelle) of Ventura, CA and Scott Anderson (Kristen) of Lafayette, CA; grandchildren James, Nicolena, and Victoria Lazio; Sloane and Beckett McGarvey; and Milo, Kellen, Jack, Aiden and Oliver Anderson; siblings John Kelly of Kalamazoo, MI, Edmund “Ned” Kelly of Indianapolis, IN, and Mary Elizabeth Lederhos of Sterling, CO; and 13 nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, James Hugh Kelly and sister Margaret Kelly Deputy.

Martha Kelly Anderson

September 19, 1946 - September 23, 2021