Ira Edwin Martin (1838-1897)

MARTIN, HAWTHORNE

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 6/15/2011 at 00:44:11

From Story County Watchman May 28, 1897

IN MEMORY.--Ira Edwin Martin was born at Cohocton, Steuben Co., N. Y., April 2, 1838. In 1853 he moved to Iowa with his father. In 1859 he crossed the plains with an ox team and came to California where he spent eight years in the gold mines.

In 1867 he returned to Iowa was married to Miss Belle Hawthorne. In company with his wife he returned to California, and they made their home for two years at Half Moon Bay. In 1869 they removed to Goleta, where she died Sept. 20, 1882, and where he continued to reside until the day of his death, May 8, 1897.

There were born to them seven children of whom three sons and three daughters survive, the oldest daughter and first born having died in childhood. The early settlers remember Mrs. Martin as a woman of superior refinement and education, of a sweet temper, and withal, a rare type of true Christian womanhood.

Mr. Martin was one of the pioneers of Goleta, and has witnessed the transformation of cattle ranches into orchards and gardens. He has been identified with the M. E. church of this place during almost its entire history. He was one of the public school trustees for twenty-one years. He was a carpenter by trade. While engaged in building a house for a neighbor in 1890, he had a severe fall, which not only made him lame for the rest of his life, but which was undoubtedly the cause of the decline in health which followed. In fact he was never a well man after the accident occured.

The funeral which took place at the M. E. church at 2 p. m. of the 10th inst., and which was conducted by the pastor, Rev. W. B. McMillan assisted by Rev. Fisher of Goleta, was very largely attended. Conspicuious among those present were the old settlers of the place. The interment took place at the Goleta cemetery, of which he had been one of the trustees from the beginning. I. E. Martin will ong be remembered for his manly worth, his honesty of purpose, his upright Christian character, and his open-handed generosity. The family desire me to express their profound gratitude to their friends and neighbors for the many and continued kindnesses shown to their father in his long illness and to them in their great sorrow that has come to their home. FRANK E. KELLOGG.
--Independent, Santa Barbara, Cal.