The success of 100 Mile House has been built largely on the backs of many volunteers who, through the years, have worked hard to improve the community and the lives of those who live within it.
Dorothy Martell was such a person, and on March 6, 2011, at the age of 92, she passed away in Victoria, after a short battle with an illness.
Dorothy was one of the members of the local Jens family, which included her brothers Slim, Rudy and Walter Jens, who were pioneers in the South Cariboo logging and saw-milling industry.
She married Gordie Martell in 1942 while living in Vancouver, and following the Second World War in 1949, the couple moved to Canim Lake where Dorothy's brothers were starting what would eventually become one of largest forest companies in the South Cariboo - the Canim Lake Sawmills.
Gordie worked for the brothers, and in 1950, he and Dorothy were given the green light to live in one of the first three company houses that were built on what is now Exeter Road.
Working as a telephone operator kept Dorothy busy for a while, but her longtime ambition was to have a small store where she could sell china cups, baby items and sewing goods. The dream came true in 1956 with the opening of Martell's Store at the top of 99 Mile Hill.
Her daughter, Linda Wardell, recalls how the entire family was involved in its construction.
"We all had a hand in building it from the ground up. I remember when the first wall went up."
It was a struggle to get the store up and running, as in those early years, land in 100 Mile House was owned by Lord Martin Cecil, who leased it to private individuals for housing or business, she explains.
The Martells' first choice of location for their store had been in downtown 100 Mile, but upon learning that new businesses were required to pay a portion of their profits to existing businesses, they opted to purchase their own land at 99 Mile, which was out of the estate holdings of Martin Cecil.
Unlike other local businesses, Martell's Store was open seven days a week, including evenings and holidays. It was much resented by the merchants in town who sued them for contravening the Blue Law, which enforces the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest.
The store continued to operate on its own hours and terms, and in doing so, attracted a lot of business from pipeline construction workers who put in long, irregular hours.
Martell's was not only their source of work clothes and groceries, but also served as their banking centre. Dorothy would take their paycheques, deduct their store purchases and deposit the remaining balance in the bank for them the next day.
The store thrived and grew on the basis of customer service, and 1965, it was sold to Norm Sperling who changed the name to Norm's Market. The store later changed hands again, to Norm's son, John Sperling and is now known as 99 Mile Supermarket.
While Dorothy still owned the store, running the business and raising three children kept her busy, but there was always time for volunteering with the many organizations that formed in the growing village.
Dorothy joined the 100 Mile Lady Lions in 1957 and held the positions of secretary, treasurer, district historian, district treasurer and district president.
Her many years of involvement with the club earned her a 30-year service award, which was the first of its kind ever to be given to a Lions member.
Other organizations that benefited from her involvement were 100 Mile & District General Hospital Auxiliary and Mill Site Lodge Auxiliary; she was the charter president for the 100 Mile Parent/Teacher Association; president of the 100 Mile Women's Institute; and treasurer for Hillcrest Waterworks.
Dorothy was the first female alderperson to be elected to serve in 100 Mile House, serving from 1968 to 1970, and was a charter director for the Cariboo Regional District.
The list, which goes on and on, also includes her involvement in forming the 100 Mile House and District Historical Society in 1975, and her greatest accomplishment was making 187 tapes of recorded interviews with area pioneers. Copies were forwarded to the provincial archives and copies also went to the families of those interviewed.
Another of her most important roles with the Historical Society was her passionate involvement in getting the historic McNeil House moved from 105 Mile to the 108 Mile Heritage Site.
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett knew Dorothy well and says it was always her friend's vision to have a museum in 100 Mile House. It was an idea she poured countless hours into, and if anybody could have succeeded, Barnett adds, it would have been her, but it was not to be.
"Dorothy was very interested in history and tried so hard over the years to get a museum. To me, a museum is the piece of history of 100 Mile House that is missing."
All of her hard work that was invested in volunteer organizations didn't go unnoticed as she was chosen as the 1991 South Cariboo Citizen of the Year.
Even at her award banquet, she addressed the audience about a need for a museum. She was quoted as saying, "We're the only place around here without a little museum and archives to highlight the lives of the pioneers.... We have to do it before it's too late, before a lot of material is lost forever."
Gordie passed away in 1990, and shortly after his death, Dorothy married his brother, Wilf, who had also recently lost his spouse.
The couple moved to Creston, and later to Victoria, where Wilf received needed medical treatment, and family members were close by. Wilf passed away in 1990.
With Dorothy's passing, she leaves an important legacy to the District of 100 Mile House, and one that has already been built on over the years.
She will remain an inspiration to those who follow in her footsteps.
This includes her daughter, Linda, who at Dorothy's Citizen of the Year banquet, summed up her vision of her mom by saying, "We're really proud of our mom. When it comes to all of her involvement with the community, we just took it for granted that that's what a person did."
