Martin, Wesley (1848-1935)

MARTIN, WONDERS, PETERSON

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 4/21/2017 at 14:46:18

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, Monday, April 29, 1935

WESLEY MARTIN, PIONEER, DIES

HAD BEEN IN ILL HEALTH FOR 2 YEARS

Was Dean of Legal Profession in This Part of State

SERVICE WEDNESDAY

Had Been Practicing Law Here for 59 Years; Leader in Church

Wesley Martin, 86, died this morning at 9:30 o'clock at his home, corner of Bank and Broadway streets, of a heart attack. He had been in poor health for two years, but his last severe illness dates from about Jan. 1. His sister-in-law, Mrs. A.J. Peterson, who long served as his stenographer, made her home with him.

The funeral will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the Foster funeral home, conducted by his pastor, the Rev. W.H. Hoge, of the Baptist church. Burial will be made in Graceland cemetery beside the body of his wife.

The death of Mr. Martin leaves Webster City with but one Civil war veteran, E.N. Lee.

Mr. Martin was dean of the legal profession in Hamilton county, and in fact of central Iowa. He came to Webster City from Illinois in 1876 and had been in the continuous practice of law here for 59 years.

While Mr. Martin had been in poor health for some two years, he had not neglected his law practice and until about the first of last January, he missed comparatively few days from active participation in the legal work of his firm, Martin & Alexander. He was last in the office some ten days ago.

While Mr. Martin will be best remembered in this community in which he had had so large a part of developing and building, for his high standing in the legal profession, he always took great pride in his activities in the church. He joined the Baptist church in this city back in it's earliest days, shortly after the church was organized by the late Rev. L.M. Call, who was its pastor for many years.

He became a deacon soon after joining and had held it throughout all the years since, until his health became poor, since which time he had been a deacon emeritus. He also early became superintendent of the Sunday school, which place he relinquished in 1913, after 23 years of service. Retiring from the superintendency, he took over a class of men and women, of which he had since remained the teacher. He missed but few Sundays from this class until some two months ago. The pall bearers at his funeral will be selected from this class, which he had taught for 32 years. The attorneys of the county will act as an escort.

Mr. Martin for years had been Webster City's most prominent citizen, whose life was a model and inspiration to both old and young. His church and his community held equal rank in his activities with his large and successful law practice. He had a wide personal acquaintance over the county and state. During all his active life he had been prominent in both the Iowa State Bar association and the American Bar association. He attended both annual meetings with great regularity.

Mr. Martin was a veteran of the Civil war and his military experience also included service with the regular army. He entered upon the practice of law here in 1876 and had since been engaged in the work of the profession, his ability, his legal learning and his devotion to his clients' interests winning him high rank. He was born in Navarre, Ohio, Dec. 19, 1848, his parents being Samuel and Mary Martin, who died when he was quite young, so that he was reared by his grandparents.

Mr. Martin was educated in the public schools of New Philadelphis, Ohio, but was not yet 16 years of age when on May 2, 1864, he enlisted for service in the Civil war as a member of Company C, One Hundred and Sixty-First Ohio Infantry. He was with that regiment for 126 days and in November of the same year he enlisted in the Second New York heavy artillery with which he served until the close of hostilities between the north and south.

Mr. Martin joined General Grant's army Nov. 27, 1864, in front of Petersburg and was in the closing battles of the war under that great commander until the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. Among Mr. Martin's valued papers is the "President's Thanks and Certificate of Honorable Service," signed by Abraham Lincoln and Edwin M. Stanton. He marched in the Grand Review before President Lincoln. After the war he joined the regular army with which he was on duty in the south and west for three years. His military record was indeed a creditable one. While but a boy in his "teens" at the time of his enlistment, he displayed bravery and loyalty equal to that of many a man of twice his years.

Mr. Martin had always given his political allegiance to the republican party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. In 1881 he was elected mayor of Webster City. During his term he organized the city as a city of the second class and was the first mayor under the new organization. His administration brought about various needed reforms and improvements and at the same time was economically conducted, there being no useless expenditure of public funds. He brought to the discharge of his duties in connection with the business of the city, business like principles and habits and the work of the office was carefully systemized.

On Dec. 24, 1874, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Wonders, a daughter of William Wonders, of Webster county, who was a farmer by occupation and also engaged in coal mining in that county. She died in 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Martin were members of the First Baptist church and Mr. Martin also belonged to Acacia lodge, No. 176, F. & A.M. of Webster City; Winfield Scott Post, No. 66, G.A.R., the Commercial Law League of American and the American Bar association. He was a man of genial, social nature, possessing attractive qualities that won him personal popularity, while his developing powers as a lawyer long maintained him in a creditable position as a leader of the Webster City bar.

Mr. Martin was, indeed, Webster City's Grand Old Man - a man who has left as his monument an impress for good on the community such as few men anywhere ever are able to do. His death terminates a residence of nearly 59 years in this city, spanning a long period in his life reaching from his modest entry into the law business as a poor young man, to many positions of trust and confidence within the gift of the people. During this time he gained and held the love and high respect of the community and made a reputation in his chosen profession that extended beyond the confines of the state. He was prominent in both the Iowa and American Bar associations and had attended their conventions for many years.

As a young man he was a farm hand. Later he was a laborer in a brick plant. He got little schooling, but he studied much and soon was able to get a position as a school teacher. His life was well rounded out, crowned with success because of his indominable will to learn, to study, to work and to pursue his life's ambition in the law with untiring energy and honesty of purpose. His career stands as an inspiration to the young people of today. No man stood higher in the estimation of the people of this community than Mr. Martin and he gained and held this estimable position by dint of long working hours, honest service and a deep seriousness in both his profession and his religion. He found much time for church activity and for many years had been a leader in the Baptist church here. Not for many years had he been absent from his pew on Sunday unless ill or out of the city. He had a deep sense of right and wrong, firmly grounded convictions on religion and an inexhaustible fund of good, clean humor.

It was in 1873 that he began the study of law at Cambridge, Ill., in the offices of Col. A.R. Mock, a leading lawyer in that part of the state. Judge John P. Hand, later a member of the supreme bench in Illinois, was a student with him in the same office. It was on Jan. 4, 1876, that Mr. Martin was admitted to the practice of law at Springfield in that state.

Mr. Martin came to Webster City, which was then but a village without a railroad, May 13, 1876, making the trip in a stage coach. He at once became active in the community and, with his untiring energy, his staunch courage and his firm convictions of right, he immediately assumed a high place in the affections of all the community - a position he had held ever since.

For a year he practiced along and then formed a partnership with the late O.O. Hall, which continued until September of 1883. In the following year he formed a partnership with C.E. Zelle, who died within about a year. From 1886 until 1891 he was in partnership with George Wambaugh, now of Des Moines. Since then he carried on his business alone until Sterling Alexander joined him in 1918.

Mr. Martin had always devoted himself closely to his profession and won the respect and esteem of the members of the bar here and over the state for his fine and discriminating legal attainments. But he always found time for church activities and in addition to other church activities he had served 25 years as Sunday school superintendent at the Baptist church. He also found time for work in the Grand Army of the Republic and for many years had been its commander, a post he held at his death. Always a republican and always more or less active in politics, Mr. Martin nevertheless had kept away from political offices or preferment. He did, however, serve the community in many ways and had been mayor of this city, city solicitor and city treasurer. In 1887 he declined a nomination for the state senate and many times could have been judge in his district had he allowed the use of his name. Professionally he had been successful, but in building up this success, he never lost his hold on honesty of purpose, fairness and justice. No man in Webster City was more universally esteemed for his goodness of character than Wesley Martin.