Martha Harris, formerly of Troy, VT, passed away on April 7, 2019 in Thief River Falls, MN. She was 76 years old.

She was born in Winchester, Mass., on Dec. 5, 1943, the daughter of Phillip F. and Maxine (Farrar) Harris. After raising her family in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and a career as a special education teacher, Martha took a gamble on her lifelong passion for cooking and moved to Vermont's Northeast Kingdom to open a bed-and-breakfast near Jay Peak, which she owned and operated for a number of years. For Martha, cooking was a way to express her love – and she made a lot of meals for her family and friends. She also doted on her many rescued pets over the years. Though she wasn't a native, she loved Vermont and left her heart there when she moved to Minnesota in 2017.

She is survived by her children, Laura Fricke of Bothell, WA; Scott Fricke of Thief River Falls, MN; and Stephen Fricke of East Lyme, CT; and her seven grandchildren, Natasha, Suzanne, and Lily Krasle; Rothanna and Kailyan Fricke; and Kyler and Caleb Fricke. She was predeceased by her husband of 28 years, Gary H. "Bear" Birchard.

Donations can be made to Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter, 4473 Barton Orleans Road, Orleans, VT 05860

No services are planned at this time.