Happy birthday, Martha

NEW LONDON — Birthdays come and go, but once in a while a special one comes along that has to be celebrated, and New London's Martha Sturges recently did that for her 104th birthday. Born Aug. 3, 1921, Martha was born and raised in Iowa but moved to New London sometime in the 1950s when her husband Herb joined the local bank. They raised their two sons, John and Mike, in the village and Martha soon became an important part of the community and many of its organizations. She and Tom Neel founded the New London Area Historical Society, she taught Sunday school at the Methodist Church, she was an active member of the New London Grange and she was a leader of the local Chautauqua reading chapter. She was also a member of the Firelands Genealogical Society. Her working career included being a secretary for the Manhattan Project in the 1940s and later being employed by the Northern Ohio Telephone Company. Her birthday was Sunday, Aug. 3, but her friends and fellow residents of The Laurels of New London surprised her with a party and cake Monday, Aug. 4.