MARTHA DAVIDSOHN
1944-10-28 2021-05-16
Martha "Marty" Davidsohn, 76, of Sioux Falls, passed peacefully on Sunday, May 16, 2021 at Ava’s House.
Born to Emmett and Eunice (Natz) Zerfas on October 28, 1944, Marty spent her young life in Sioux Falls, graduating from Washington High School. She continued her education at Marquette University in Milwaukee, earned her teaching certificate, and went on to grad school at UW Milwaukee.
Deeply concerned about the rights and freedoms of others, Marty volunteered much of her time to the Civil Rights Movement throughout her college years.
After university, she moved to Phoenix, AZ where she met her husband, Uryon Davidsohn. They had one daughter, Sharon. After the death of her husband, Marty returned to Sioux Falls to care for her aging parents.
An active member of Mt Zion Temple, she participated regularly in Torah study, enjoyed discussing spiritual matters, and baked many a challah for important occasions.
Employed at The Golden Fleece in the late 70s, she pursued excellence in creating and promoting fiber arts. Instrumental in establishing fiber arts guilds in Brookings and Sioux Falls, she was an accomplished knitter, spinner, and weaver, despite crippling arthritis that twisted and bent her hands. Defiant in the face of that adversity and numerous other physical challenges to her mobility, she continued contributing in every way she could.
During her 26 years at Siouxland Heritage Museums (Old Courthouse and Pettigrew), she coordinated events and helped found the Plaza Concert Series. Marty loved art of all sorts, especially live music. She was thankful that her beloved concert series and volunteer work with Friends of Traditional Music, and the Sioux River Folk Festival allowed her to support musicians and bring joy to her community with their music.
An early supporter of the Sioux Falls Food Coop, she often volunteered and was quick to promote the Coop to others to ensure that its benefits would continue to be available to the community.
Her love of travel led her to places like Scandinavia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Nova Scotia, and Ireland. Marty’s curiosity about other’s culture and history impelled her to share what she experienced.
Marty’s love of her large family and large family of friends will be remembered. What will stand out most, is that Marty loved people. She extended kindness, decency, generosity, and respect to all in her community.
Grateful to have been a part of Marty’s life are her daughter, Sharon Rogers (husband, Wayne), Granddaughter Melissa Wolf (husband, Michael), step-children Michael, Daniel, and Rachel Davidsohn, brother Joe Zerfas (wife, Marty), niece Aimee Morlan (Kevin), nephew Tobin Zerfas (Michelle), and many, many Zerfas cousins; plus knitters, spinners, musicians, and the Mt. Zion Congregation.
Marty was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Ury, and step-daughter Yael.
Celebration of Life will be held at the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Sioux Falls from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on Saturday June 19th, 2021.
Rude’s Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, Marty requested donations be made in her name to one of the following:
Mt. Zion Temple, PO Box 756, SF, SD 57101
Old Courthouse Museum
South Dakota Public Broadcasting
Friends of Traditional Music
Feeding South Dakota
Sioux Falls Food Co+op
Martha lived about two blocks from me in Sioux Falls. We often played together, sometimes at her house and sometimes at mine. She was a good friend. I have many fond memories of our times together.
tribute by Etta (Janie) Russell