[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 37 (Thursday, March 14, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JEAN T. MARTIN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 14, 2013

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay 
tribute to the life and legacy of Mrs. Jean T. Martin, a beloved 
Alabamian who passed away on March 11 in Selma, Alabama at the age of 
89. As a dedicated public servant, Jean Martin was known in our local 
community as the long-serving Selma City Councilwoman, an avid local 
historian, and a gifted journalist. Gracious and proud of her Selma 
roots, Jean was the personification of a southern belle. Personally, 
Jean Martin was a close family friend and a trusted mentor. I am deeply 
saddened by her passing but I am comforted in knowing that her legacy 
will live on through the countless life lessons she taught me and so 
many others.
   Mrs. Jean Martin was born in Selma on September 9, 1923. She 
attended Dallas Academy and was a graduate of Albert G. Parrish High 
School. Jean later met and married army serviceman Phillip David 
Martin. While the young couple would live many places both home and 
abroad, Jean and her husband would soon find their way back to her 
beloved Selma.
   Upon her return to Selma, Jean worked at Craig Air Force base in 
accounting, finance and personnel. She would remain at Craig Field 
until its closing. Her next career move would catapult Jean to her 
status as a gifted writer and journalist. She began working as a 
community editor for the Selma Times Journal. Jean had a special way of 
writing that brought to life the sights, sounds, and people that she 
covered in Selma, Dallas County and surrounding areas. Jean Martin 
would continue to work for the Selma Times Journal for the rest of her 
life. For more than 30 years, she served in various capacities at the 
newspaper and was Life & Style editor emeritus at the time of her 
death.
   Jean Martin was also an exemplary public servant. She served on the 
Selma City Council from 1996-2008, representing Ward 3 and eventually 
becoming the Council's President pro tem. During her tenure, she was an 
exceptional servant leader who passionately advocated for her 
constituents making an indelible mark on our community.
   Jean Martin will also be remembered for her wealth of knowledge 
about Alabama history and friendly disposition as the long-serving 
curator and founding board member of the Old Depot Museum. Through her 
efforts at the museum, Jean became a trusted historian, steadfastly 
preserving the rich history of her beloved city of Selma. Jean was 
involved in numerous community organizations--a founding member of 
Cahaba Concern; an active member and officer of the Selma-Dallas County 
Historic Preservation Society; Chair of Selma's annual Pilgrimage; a 
board member of the Cahaba Center for Mental Health and Mental 
Retardation; and a board member for the State advisory board for the 
Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel. Jean also served on various 
advisory committees for the Alabama Historical Commission.
   On a personal note, Jean Martin served with my mother Nancy Gardner 
Sewell on the Selma City Council and was a beloved colleague and close 
family friend. My brothers and I affectionately called her ``T Jean.'' 
She was an amazing mentor and role model to me and I credit my love of 
community to her extraordinary example. I know that in Congress I stand 
on her shoulders because Jean Martin broke so many glass ceilings as a 
strong woman who gave generously and led nobly. I will miss her wise 
counsel and advice dearly. While we grieve the loss of this beloved 
member of our community, let us strive to emulate her example of public 
service and carry on her efforts to make the Selma and Dallas County a 
better community.
   Jean Martin was a phenomenal woman who used her substantial talents 
and abilities to better the lives of those she served. On behalf of the 
7th Congressional District, the State of Alabama, and this Nation, I 
ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and legacy of my 
beloved mentor Mrs. Jean T. Martin.

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