For years the playground at Ramey Memorial Park was in the flood zone, taking a hit every spring when the park would inevitably flood, again, with no solution in sight, with the county keeping it on a wish list of projects. One family with local ties was able to make the wish a reality, bringing an all-inclusive and easily accessible playground above the floodplain at the far end of the park, set to serve Magoffin County’s youth for years to come.
Several years back Magoffin County Deputy Judge Kevin Howard received a call from his aunt, Tella Faye Preston, asking if there were any projects needing some assistance in Magoffin County. And Kevin knew just the project.
Preston’s sister, Clista “Pat” Howard Martin and brother-in-law, George C. Martin, had already both passed away, but they had left some money in a trust to be used for community projects. George’s friend and financial advisor, John York, along with Preston, had been tasked with the duty of overseeing the trust. They had given money to children’s hospitals, the church, and many other great causes, but hadn’t done anything to honor Clista specifically.
Clista grew up on Twin Lick in Magoffin County, with her sister, Tella Faye, saying they grew up poor, but somehow had enough. She moved to Ohio to find work, where she by happenstance ran into George, who was in the U.S. Air Force and stationed at the Wright‑Patterson Air Force Base, at a restaurant while both were out with friends. She was dating someone else, but when they met, again, at an officers’ dance and he took up all her dances, and the two became inseparable.
George grew up in Staten Island, New York, telling Tella Faye they grew up on pork and beans, with George shining shoes as a kid to help his mom make ends meet. As a teenager, he ran errands for a funeral home director and he remembered the man had five pairs of shoes and he vowed then he was going to own a funeral home, a decision that would eventually make his money.
Clista worked throughout their marriage, retiring from a factory and then working at the funeral home. They ended up owning three funeral homes over time, upgrading with each sale and purchase, and by retirement, they were self-made multi-millionaires.
But the two were very generous and gave back to their community and family time and time, again.
Clista passed away in 2018 and George in 2021, but they leave behind a legacy of philanthropy that lives on through their son, Tom, and the trust they had set up for worthy projects.
With the trust, they were able pay $140,000 to buy the property from Vint and Luella Dyer at the back of the Ramey Park, well above the floodplain, and donate the land to the county to be used for a playground. The county was going to have a ceremony to honor the opening of the park, but due to health reasons, the family would not be able to make it in for a ceremony, though the park is open to the public and is the perfect spot for a quiet, fun moment with your kids.
“We just want to thank Aunt Clista and Uncle George for their generous gift to the county,” Kevin said. “Aunt Tella and John York for approving the acquisition of the property, Vint and Luetta Dyer for selling us the property, and Bluegrass Recreation for helping in the design and construction of the playground.”
The George and Clista Howard Martin Memorial Playground has state-of-the-art inclusive swings and ramps to the play areas, making it accessible to all, as well as having a wraparound fence to help prevent elopement.
