Martha was born at Garfield Hospital in Washington, D.C. on February 17, 1944,  the fourth child and second girl of William Albert Xanten (1905-1981) and Dorothy Mae Herbsleb (1910-1976).  

She was the younger sister of Billy (nick-named Sonny), Carol Blair and David Baldwin, and had one younger sister, Deborah Grace.  The family lived on Military Road in Chevy Chase, D.C.,  but spent much of their time, and all of their holidays growing up, at their maternal grandparent's estate on Kalmia Road in Washington, D.C. 

Bill and Dot Xanten were married at St. Alban's church on the grounds of the National Cathedral on December 5, 1936.  Bill graduated with an engineering degree from George Washington University and was the Commissioner of Sanitation for District of Columbia until his retirement in 1962.   Dorothy attended nursing school in Philadelpia, PA., and was a registered teaching nurse at Garfield Hospital prior to her marriage.  

Martha's grandparents on the maternal side;  George W. Davis (her step-grandfather) and Grace Blair McMasters Davis lived in the Kalmia Road Estates in D.C. for over 35 years. George was the owner of Claw & Davis Market in D.C. a supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables to restaurants in Wash, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.   Martha's paternal grandparents William Albert Xanten and Florence Baldwin Xanten, lived in Brooklyn, NY during the turn of the last century.  He was a reknown tenor, who sang with the Metropolitan Opera, and met Florence (a concert pianist) at a rehersal in Philadelphia.   Martha had both paternal and maternal relatives; her Uncle, Frank Otto Xanten and his wife Fanny, and Jack Herbsleb and his wife Peg, whose daughter's Anne and Patty were Martha's only first cousins.   

Martha's first marraige to her childhood sweetheart David Tindall, took place at All Saints Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase, D.C., in 1962.   She married Robert Hunter Dunning in 1979, and her son Ross was born at Sibly Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. on July 8, 1980.

Martha attended Lafayette grade school, Alice Deal Jr. High and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, in Chevy Chase.  She worked for many years as the Office Manager at the law firm of Volpe, Boskey and Lyons, in Washington, D.C., followed by six years in the foreign service with the U.S. Department of State, serving in Copenhagen, Denmark and Nassau in the Bahamas.   She then worked for Covington and Burling law firm in D.C. for almost 16 years, ending her career working for the federal government.

She is survived by her son Ross, her two brothers; Bill and David, her two sisters; Carol and Deborah, her cousins Ann and Patty, and her nieces and nephews:  Bill, Adam, Tiffany, Amy, Susan, Beth, Jennifer, Tessa, Grace, Blair, Katherine, Karen, Wendy and Nicole, and her great nieces and nephews, Andrew, Alissa, Maddy, Alex, Heather, Ryan, Matthew, Allie, Julian, Josh and Solomon.