WICHITA — Mary Lou (Bauer) Martin died Sept. 8, 2015. Born July 22, 1938, she  was the daughter of Chester E. and Naomi Anderson Bauer. She grew up in Hudson graduating from Hudson High School in 1956.  She was a loving wife and mother, beloved friend of many, a musician, and an artist. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance and music education in 1960 from Southwestern College in Winfield, and a Master of Music degree in 1962 from Northwestern University. She was an organist and choir director at several churches, and directed many children’s musicals in that role. She was an elementary music education specialist in the Great Bend, Arkansas City, Buhler, Winfield, and Wichita (Cloud Elementary School) school districts. For five years Mary Lou was the accompanist for the Kansas Boys Choir in Hutchinson. She was the founding director of the Walnut Valley Youth Choir in Winfield and directed that choir from 1991 to 1998. From 1988-98 Mary Lou’s husband, Carl, was president of Southwestern College. As the college’s First Lady, she filled several roles including being the welcoming and gracious hostess for events on the campus and was inducted into the Educators Hall of Fame at Southwestern College in 2006. Mary Lou was a program consultant for Arts Partners and docent for the Wichita Art Museum. As member of College Hill United Methodist Church she participated in the Contemporary Studies Class and was a member of the choir for 15 years.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Carl E. Martin, Wichita; a son, Andrew Timothy Martin and wife Janelle (Bettin), of Topeka; a daughter, Mary Megann (Martin) Kennedy and husband Dale of Fort Worth, Texas; four grandchildren, Jacob, Zachary, and Katie Martin, and Grant Kennedy; brother Thomas A. Bauer of Great Bend, and his three sons Sam Bauer and his wife Melissa, Luke Bauer and his wife Tracy and Frank Bauer; and a sister in law, Leora K. Kline and her husband Bruce E. of Kettering, Ohio and her children April Kline and her husband David Bush, and Jonathan Kline and his wife Jackie Kline.
A celebration of Mary Lou’s life will occur at 2 p.m. on Saturday at College Hill United Methodist Church, 2930 East First Street, Wichita.  A memorial service also is scheduled at 11 a.m. on Friday in the Deets Library of Southwestern College in Winfield, and a memorial event in Hudson will be announced later. Memory funds have been established at College Hill United Methodist Church, for sanctuary improvement, 2930 E 1st St N, Wichita, KS 67214 and Southwestern College to honor a gifted Builder, 100 College St, Winfield, KS 67156. Share tributes online at: www.dlwichita.com

Funeral arrangements provided by
Downing & Lahey East Mortuary**
6555 E. Central
Wichita, KS. 67206
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Sept. 15, 2015