Fearless Females: Nina Martine, Concert Pianist, Shining Star

My great aunt NINA MILLER MARTINE was born Feb 9, 1893 in N. Yamhill, Oregon, the youngest daughter of my maternal great grandparents, CHARLES ALBERT MARTINE and ALICE MILLER. Top row of photo: my maternal grandfather RANDOLPH BENJAMIN "ROLLA" MARTINE;  LIZZIE MAY MARTINE (m NICK NICHOLS); WALTER LLOYD MARTINE. Bottom row: my maternal great grandfather CHARLES ALBERT MARTINE; NINA MARTINE; my maternal great grandmother ALICE (MILLER) MARTINE; FREDERICK EARL MARTINE. Photo taken about 1900 probably Seattle, King Co WA, my collection. 

Just after their marriage in 1880, CHARLES and ALICE (MILLER) MARTINE were living in Chillicothe, Livingston Co  MO. CHARLES' occupation was listed as a grocer in the 1880 census, and I suspect he was working with his father  (my gg grandfather) JOHN F MARTINE and brother-in-law James Asa Myers. Then, by 1884, CHARLES and ALICE MARTINE  moved to Alburqurque NM.  By 1886 they were in Wyandott KA. By 1887 they were living in Kansas City MO, and that is where my grandfather ROLLA was born, in 1888. According to a business directory for Kansas City MO 1887-1891, CHARLES A. MARTINE was working as a bookeeper for the National Bank of Commerce. The family lived first at 612 Elisabeth St in 1887, and then at 924 Ohio St. It appears that they moved to Oregon around 1893, as that is where youngest daughter NINA MILLER MARTINE was born. By 1897 the Martines were living in Seattle, WA, this according to JOHN F. MARTINE's Civil War Pension records. Family members indicate that they lived in the White Center area of S. Seattle. Around 1908 they moved to Stanwood WA in Snohomish Co, not far from where I live now. They were present in the 1910 Stanwood Snohomish Co WA census, but only youngest daughter NINA MARTINE age 14 was living at home. She attended Stanwood High School. CHARLES A. MARTINE is listed in the Polk Business Directory for Stanwood, Snohomish Co WA for the years 1908 through 1915. He was working has a bookeeper for the Bank of Stanwood. After 1915 the Martines moved back to the Seattle area, again to the White Center area. At they end of their lives they had a home at 10602 19th SW, Seattle, King Co WA, according to their death certificates.

NINA MARTINE became a concert pianist of some renown during the early part of the 20th century. The only adult photo I've seen of her (c. 1920, see below) shows an intense-looking woman with bobbed hair and piercing eyes. She graduated from Stanwood High School about 1913. She studied piano in NYC, and taught and performed extensively on the E. Coast. She was affiliated with a music school in Wallingford, Connecticut. She never married. At the end of her life she lived and taught piano in Olympia, WA until the ripe old age of 91, then moved to Oregon to be near her nephew Robert Nichols.  She died in Linn Co Oregon April 6, 1989 at the age of 96. 

Have a great day!

Betty