Martha (Starks) Neely was born January 15, 1895 in Windsor, Ontario to Vincent and Sarah (Brooke) Starks. The her father joined his brother, Charles Starks, in Ypsilanti around 1904. Martha attended a number of Ypsilanti schools and was one of the few Black women of her day to graduate from Ypsilanti High, in 1916. She married Howard Neely, whose family had come to Ypsilanti around the same time from North Carolina. Her sister, Viola Carter, was also interviewed for this series. Mrs. Neely passed away on May 2, 1992.
