Martha "Marty" Ann Blair

Martha Ann (Marty) Illum Blair, 46, passed away on Friday morning, February 23, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. Her memory will be cherished forever by her family, friends, and all who knew her.

Marty was born on June 23, 1977, to her parents, Douglas Brent and Maureen Bowler Illum. She joined the family consisting of her parents and siblings, Mark Douglas (Cheri), Paul Christopher (Jill), and sister, Sara Kay. She was later followed by two more brothers and a sister, Nathan William (deceased), Erik Benjamin, and Maren Elizabeth Dominguez (Joe).

She attended schools in Idaho Falls. While still in high school, one of her friend's family owned a business selling fruits and vegetables to restaurants. Marty's first job was working for her friend's parents. Marty then attended a tech school where she got her Certified Nurse Assistant degree (CNA). She also studied to become a dental assistant. She worked at various jobs in life, a server at Smitty's Restaurant, as an office manager with two different insurance companies, as a secretary in a moving company, and with a cleaning and restoration company.

She enjoyed a happy childhood with parents, siblings, and friends. Marty, her mom, and Sara filled Christmas stockings for each other every Christmas. For the July 4th Parade, she sweetly volunteered her mom to help sew old sheets from the motel and made costumes. They stuffed colored napkins into the chicken wire to look like fruit. After minimal help from the giggling girls, her mom put together a float and costumes for the parade.

From an early age, Marty loved to go camping with her family. Her parents bought a cab-over camper and many fun trips were taken in it. On one trip when Marty was about 4 years old, she shared the table bed with her grandma. It was pretty narrow so they snuggled with "chudder" - (each other) and giggled!

Marty married Robert Blair and they had two sons together, Jacob Lamar and Devan Robert Blair. They joined their older brother, Jordan Douglas Illum. Her boys were her world. She enjoyed spending time with them, either just hanging out or traveling, hiking, kayaking, or camping. Her life revolved around her boys, making sure they had whatever they needed.

She passed the love of camping on to her boys by taking them every chance she got. Sara and Paul started a tradition of camping at the "Dam" campsite. We named it this because every year they built a large dam to form a swimming hole in a stream that went through camp. Friends that joined us one year said they had never seen anyone work so hard to have fun! When it was finished, the family swam or floated on tubes. The tradition of family camping trips later turned into camping at a large piece of land Paul and Jill purchased in the mountain close to Bancroft and Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. The family went up there every chance they got. Paul cleared a trail from the camp up to the ridge which became a hiking and motorcycle trail up to the ridge then around through the forest and back down. It was such a peaceful and quiet place to be. Paul always built huge campfires where the family gathered to talk, laugh, play games, roast hot dogs, and make s'mores. Many wonderful memories were made there.

The family loved camping at Stanley Lake and enjoyed the beauty of it and the huge mountain reflected in the lake. They hiked the trail up to the Bridal Veil Falls and loved the camping there. Marty and Sara went on a hike that she told Sara was going to be a short and easy hike. It was neither short, nor easy. They finally made it to Alice Lake but it was exhausting. Hanging out, going camping, or going on road trips with her boys was the most fun she could ever have. She and Jacob got kayaks and they went on many float trips together or with friends. Marty loved to go on family trips with her boys, parents, and siblings to California, Oregon, Washington, and on a Mexican cruise. The family did a road trip to Oregon. The beaches are a little more sandy mud, and and every so often there would be a small hill of sand which was where the clams were hidden. They tried digging, but ended up cutting the heads off the clams. An old local gave them advice on how to dig to the side of the hole and the clams were fast, but it caved the hole in and then you could get the clams quickly. Marty was an expert clam digger after that and they cooked them up and had a clam fest. They stopped at a U-Pick berry farm. Pick one pint get one free. They ended up with a crate of blueberries and had them in pancakes and muffins and every possible way.

She was known for her sociable and lively personality and was a joy to be around. Marty loved spending time with her family, playing board games, going on road trips, cooking, barbequing, camping, and shopping. She loved being a dog mom to Rex, and she also ran 5K races. She enjoyed art and finished a very impressive painting on her very first try. She loved to garden and grew cherry tomatoes that were the size of a large apricot. They were humongous. It must have been her green thumb and great gardening skills. She teased that the Illum family had healthy genes from the special "manure" that was used in their garden from their childhood years. That special produce from that garden contributed to their hearty immune systems.

Marty was the mother of three boys, Jordan Douglas Illum, Jacob Lamar Blair, and Devan Robert Blair. Her boys were her life and everything she did was for them. Marty was a beloved daughter, mother, sister, aunt, and friend. She was always eager to support others, especially her family. She loved to be with her many nieces and nephews and they loved her attention. She was always bright and cheerful and fun to be with. She will be deeply missed by all.

She is survived by her sons, parents, and siblings.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Nathan; sister, Sara; son, Jacob Lamar Blair; her Illum grandparents, Elmer Walter and Wilda Larece Illum; her Bowler grandparents, Isaac Royal and Lenna Bowler; and her Uncle, Curt Bowler.

Services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, March 4, 2024, at Wood Funeral Home, 273 N. Ridge Avenue. A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to services.