November 9, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
There couldn't be a more meaningful time to honor former Hingham resident Marthur Burgess Bumgardner -- who lived at Linden Ponds for a number of years before her recent passing at the age of 98 -- than on Veterans Day.
A top-ranking member of Women in the Air Force -- a program created in 1948 when President Harry Truman signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act allowing women to serve directly in the military -- Bumgardner was one of 1,100 members of the 94th Troop Carrier Wing, which was New England's only Air Force Reserve flying unit.
Her assignment with the 94th was as assisting Wing personnel officer in the processing of all orders to effect proper job classification, promotions, and other overall changes of personnel within the entire Wing.
Bumgardner spent four years on active duty with the Air Force in the 1950s, including two in Newfoundland, followed by three more years in the Air Force Reserve. She achieved the rank of sergeant.
One of her friends Sara Goldman Curley -- who met Bumgardner in 2004 when they worked for the same law firm, where Bumgardner was a legal secretary -- had kept in touch with her over the years.
"Marthur was a very proud veteran. It was engrained in who she was, and she often talked about her [military] service," Curley said. "She was very loyal and devoted -- as good a person as you could find."
One of her favorite pastimes was sending newspaper clippings to friends about topics she thought would interest them.
Curley explained the origin of Bumgardner's first name. "Her father was named Arthur, she had a brother who was also named Arthur, and her mother's name was Marguerite, so her parents combined the two names," she explained.
Bumgardner's father, Arthur I. Burgess -- a former Quincy attorney -- was a World War I veteran and a colonel in the Army during World War II. He served in the Judge Advocate Division in Paris and in both the China-Burma-India theater and the European Theater of Operations. He was president of Quincy Savings Bank for many years and served as a state representative in the late 1920s or early 1930s.
At least one of her brothers also served in the military, which Curley said was likely the source of inspiration to join the military herself.
Bumgardner shared an old newspaper clipping with Curley about her military service. The story -- publication date unknown -- explained that at that time, more than a dozen WAF personnel worked with the officers and airmen of the "Minuteman Wing" one weekend each month at Laurence G. Hanscom Field in Bedford and during their annual two-week tour of duty.
"When not on active duty with the Air Force Reserve, Burgess searches titles for various attorneys in the South Shore area," the article states, including working for her father.
In a 1954 letter of recommendation from the Office of Information Services at Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in New York, N.Y., Information Services Officer Robert E. Tierney, Major, USAF, noted that Bumgardner "has come into contact with many dignitaries of the U.S. and many foreign countries while serving as private secretary to the Base Commander, Colonel West."
In that role, Bumgardner also served as a receptionist. "This base has become a tourist mecca, especially in the fishing and hunting season. The receptionist position is a busy one," Tierney wrote to Lt. Col. Ernest C. Carwile, Office of the Commanding General at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.
Tierney praised Bumgardner for her efficiency and for being a good worker, noting that "she is very well thought of here in this Command."
Tierney went on to say, "All in all, Ernie, [Sgt. Bumgardner] is a high type gal and should prove to be an asset in whichever office assigned."
Bumgardner completed an executive secretarial course in 1944 at Burdett College and earned a BBA degree in liberal arts and business from Northeastern University in 1961. She went on to earn 16 credits toward a master's degree in education (economics major) from Indiana State College in 1963.\
What contributed to Bumgardner's longevity, Curley believes, is that she was "a very strong person -- strong in every positive sense of the word. Marthur saw the good in everything and enjoyed life. She was a very positive person and lived independently at Linden Ponds until early this year."
Bumgardner earned the respect of those around her, was well-read, and enjoyed traveling. "She was a remarkable woman," Curley said.
Her nephew, John Burgess, told the Hingham Anchor that she was his favorite aunt. "She was just a wonderful lady, always very active and hardworking," he said. "She was always there for me. She could relate to not only people her own age but also to the younger generation. My friends and I helped her with tasks around her house when we were teenagers, and they liked her very much and she liked them."
Burgess recalls Bumgardner commuting from her home in Kingston by bus every workday for many years when she worked as a legal secretary. "It was a tough commute," he said.
His aunt felt that service to her country was very important. "I'm proud of her for always putting the country first," he said. "She worked very hard and really enjoyed her time in the Air Force, including serving on weekends and on active duty for two weeks every year while in the reserves."