Maybeth Martin

Born June 13, 1925, in Princeton, she was the daughter of O.V. and Ina (Rhodes) Shaffer. She spent her young life in Princeton, graduating from Princeton High School with honors in 1943, where her father was both the principal and superintendent of schools. During high school she worked numerous summer jobs, including ‘walking beans’, acting as a caretaker at a local cemetery and especially enjoyed her time as a lifeguard at the Alexander Park Pool. Following high school, she enrolled at Beloit College, where she was an active member of the Delta Gamma Sorority, an organization she continued her involvement with for most of her adult life. While in college, she met Malcolm Martin, and they were married after his graduation from Beloit. They were divorced in 1980.

In addition to raising a family, she was a very active volunteer in the Rockford community. She was instrumental as a volunteer in the early years of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, later serving on its Board of Directors and continued to serve RSO for many years, having been the founder of the RSO Guild. She was involved in the first "Symphony in C" fundraising event, which became a blueprint for fundraising at many other symphonies across the country. She volunteered for more than 40 years for the American Red Cross, assisting servicemen and women with travel arrangements, bringing them home when there were family emergencies. She was a long-time member of Second Congregational Church in Rockford, singing in the Sanctuary Choir and ringing handbells with the Belles of 2nd Cong for more than 30 years. The Martin Ringers, named after her deceased daughter Rebecca, has become one of the most recognized church handbell choirs in the nation.

She was a volunteer in the formative years for the Winnebago County Center for the Blind, and was a women’s rights advocate and worked relentlessly for more than 25 years as a volunteer and staff member of the Northern Illinois Women’s Center and the Rockford Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Her ongoing love and service to Beloit College continued for most of her adult life, both as a volunteer and a trustee, and in 1997 she became the recipient of the Beloit College Alumni Association Distinguished Service Citation.