Martha Anne Freeman

MARTHA ANNE FREEMAN

MARTHA ANNE KERR CHAFFEE FREEMAN passed away peacefully on Monday, July 13, 2020 at the age of 97 and was known by family and friends as M.A. She was born on December 22, 1922 and was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1945, she married Richard Johnson Chaffee and moved to Oxford, Massachusetts. In the 1960s, M.A. moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and subsequently married Ned Freeman. Santa Fe, New Mexico had been M.A.’s home since 1976.

M.A. was an avid tennis player in high school and college tennis teams, and later was ranked nationally. M.A. rode horses from age three until her 80s. She gave up tennis in 1995 for wilderness and mountain hiking, and gardening. She was an avid reader and had a life-time interest in history, politics and international relations.  In 1976, during a cross country trip through 24 mostly western states, M.A. discovered Santa Fe.  She was active in numerous Santa Fe organizations, including El Rancho de las Golondrinas, the Council on International Relations, the Friends of the Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe Stages, the Sierra Club and the Southwestern Association for Indian Affairs.

M.A. joined Las Golondrinas in 1994 and contributed in many ways:  Volunteer, Guide, Front Desk Secretary, organized a 14-hour oral history, worked with the Spanish Barb horses, was a member of the Capital Campaign, and for the past fifteen years assisted in compiling archives.  In 2006 she was named Volunteer of the Year and in 2014 was honored for having served 4000 plus hours.

M.A. is survived by a brother David Jay Kerr of Dallas, Texas and two sons, Richard J. Chaffee, Jr. and his wife, Susan, of Long Lake, Minnesota, and Jay Allen Chaffee and his wife, Jeanne Marie, of Houston, Texas; a daughter, Catherine Anne Chaffee of Albuquerque, New Mexico; two grandsons, Christopher Allen  Chaffee of El Paso, Texas and Samuel Allen Chaffee of Houston, Texas; one granddaughter, Jessica Chaffee Wales, two great grandchildren, Margaret-Jane Lily Wales and Hamilton Walker Wales of Falls Church, Virginia; two nieces, Karen Kerr and Diane Roemer of Dallas, Texas; and a grandnephew, Tucker Roemer of Austin, Texas. A celebration of life will be announced later.  If desired, memorials may be made to either the El Rancho de las Golondrinas, attention Dan Goodman, Executive Director, 334 Los Pinos Rd., Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507 or the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, attention Douglas Meikeljohn, Director, 1415 Louisa St.,#5, Santa Fe, NM 87505.