Martha Helen Long Davies

Martha Helen Long Davies February 22, 1931 - September 4, 2023 From spider monkeys to hairless dogs, from baby skunks to 4-point deer, Martha Davies never met an animal she didn't love and welcome to her home. Bend's own “deer lady” has now gone on to her eternal home. Martha passed away peacefully on September 4th in the home she had lived in for sixty years, surrounded by her loving family. Born in 1931, Martha was the third and youngest child of Helen and Herschel Long. She and her brothers, Billy and Jimmy, grew up in the small rural community of Hopkinsville in western Kentucky. Jimmy, who was just two years older, was her best friend. They spent long summer days exploring the caves and river beds near their home, often coming home with artifacts from the homesteaders and Indians who previously occupied the land. Martha enjoyed school, but mostly she enjoyed the social life. As a teenager she was a ballet dancer, a high school cheerleader and a Red Cross lifeguard. She met her future husband, Jim Davies, while attending college in Bowling Green, Kentucky . There's rumor that their relationship started with a food fight. They were married at the First Methodist Church in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in 1952. She and Jim recently celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary. Jim's medical education and career carried them from Kentucky to Texas, Germany, Washington and Idaho. Along the way they learned to ski and had five lively children: Steve (b. 1953) and Tim (b.1955) were born in Louisville, Kentucky. David (b. 1956) was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Michael (b.1958) was born in West Germany, and last, but far from least, Paddi (b. 1959) was born in Colfax, Washington. During Jim’s tenure as the medical doctor for the University of Idaho-Moscow, the family went on a road trip to Mt. Shasta. They drove through Bend, Oregon and fell in love with it. Soon after, they moved from Moscow, Idaho to Bend where Jim joined the Cascade Medical Clinic. After moving into their Aubrey Butte home in 1963, Jim and Martha became active in their church, the Mt. Bachelor skiing community, local arts associations, the Central Oregon medical community and their children’s schools and sports. Martha and Jim have been a beloved part of the Central Oregon community for over 60 years. The Davies family quickly became an integral part of the Mt. Bachelor community. Jim was on the Ski Patrol, while Martha was busy with fundraising, social committees and watching their kids race for the Skyliners team. And, of course, the whole family regularly hit the slopes. Leather lace-up boots and mega-long skis never slowed them down. Martha in particular once logged 105 slope days in a single ski season. Many a Sunday church service was attended in clunky ski boots and wool sweaters, with seven sets of skis strapped to the roof of the station wagon. But it wasn't just skiing that Martha was passionate about. She loved to create. She was an accomplished painter, using a broad spectrum of oils, watercolors, charcoal, and colored pencils to capture the world around her. And to clothe the people around her she sewed, knitted, and quilted. For many years, Martha also used her creative talents to make beautiful floral arrangements for their church and for friends. In her final years, Martha developed a love for beading. She made one-of-a-kind necklaces that she shared with friends and donated to the Humane Society to sell in their thrift shop. This was a labor of love that provided her an opportunity to share her incredible creativity. Martha and Jim also loved the beautiful Central Oregon outdoors. The family spent many a weekend hiking the Cascade Mountain trails and waterskiing on the high lakes. Later, both Martha and Jim took up fishing, any fishing – fly fishing, trolling, deep sea fishing, lazy boat fishing, mountain stream fishing. They tried, and loved them all. Along with their love of fishing was a new found passion for scuba diving. Donning tanks, masks, and fins, they explored oceans around the world, diving with tropical fish, turtles, and whales. Later in life, as Jim neared retirement from his medical career, Martha and Jim began traveling the world via cruise ship. With Jim acting as the ship's doctor, the couple visited all of the world's oceans and dozens of countries on various cruise lines over an eight-year period. This not only allowed them to travel to exotic places, but it gave them the opportunity to scuba dive in tropical locations around the world. Another lifelong passion for both Martha and Jim was the search for Noah's Ark. Their faith and an interest in archeology introduced them to numerous researchers, explorers, and adventurers in pursuit of the final resting place of the biblical Ark. Numerous trips to Turkey, alone and with other explorers, allowed them to become very familiar with the area around Mt. Ararat in eastern Turkey. Jim's climbing adventures on the mountain led to some hair-raising tales. Throughout her life, Martha freely and unconditionally loved a multitude of animals large and small. Sharing her world were a baby duck, a spider monkey named Buben, a couple horses, an injured bobcat, an abandoned litter of kittens, dozens of dogs, including numerous Irish Setters, and a Chinese Crested Hairless dog named Porky. In her final years, Martha adopted the deer community of Bend's West Hills. The mama deer would bring their babies each year and Mom became the “deer lady” for many generations of deer. Huge five-point bucks would nuzzle up to her because they had known her since they were fawns. In addition to deer, she became the caretaker for a family of skunks, and a few visiting raccoons who came around for her treats. The love Martha bestowed on her animals was only eclipsed by the love and caring she showered on her family and friends. Growing up, her kids were first and foremost in her life and were showered with lots of love, encouragement, and energy. Her family had the best nurturing, compassionate, fun, but disciplined, lives imaginable. As they aged and married, their spouses and grandchildren were lovingly brought into the growing family. In addition to the love and energy she bestowed on her family, Martha was devoted to her friends. She never forgot or missed a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion. Friends and family alike were blessed with a card, a letter, or something that she created especially for the recipient. Finally, Martha was a woman of unwavering faith. She always put her trust in God and believed that He had a special plan for her. Her will and determination crept in at times, but ultimately, she left things in God’s hands, all the way until her last day. Although now gone on to her forever home, Martha lives on in the hearts of her loving family and her many cherished friends. And in her multitude of paintings, beads, photos, and artistic creations, Martha's love and passion for life shine brightly for those that loved her so. A private family gathering will be held October 6, 2023. Cards of encouragement and condolence may be sent to Jim Davies c/o Niswonger-Reynolds Funeral Home, 105 NW Irving Ave., Bend OR 97703. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Central Oregon Humane Society or any animal-related charity.

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Martha Helen Long Davies

February 22, 1931 - September 4, 2023