MARTENS, Martha M. (1928-2023)

MARTENS

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 4/29/2023 at 12:16:30

Martha Marie Martens
(August 11, 1928 - February 4, 2023)

Services for Martha Marie Martens, 94, of Martensdale, Iowa, who passed away Saturday, February 4, 2023 in West Des Moines, will be held 10:30 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2023 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Martensdale, with burial following in the Linn Grove Cemetery, Prole.
Martha grew up on a farm in rural Dallas County and graduated from Granger High School. She was the oldest child in her family and was the first grandchild on both sides of her family. After graduating from high school, Martha's goal was to become a nurse. She was too young to attend nursing school so she attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa for a year, then moved to Des Moines to attend Iowa Lutheran School of Nursing. Upon graduating in 1949, Martha began a long rewarding career as a nurse beginning at Iowa Lutheran Hospital, working in many departments, but loved taking care of the children that came into the Emergency Room the best. Martha later became the first school nurse at Martensdale St Mary’s school. She enjoyed caring for the children and promoting good health habits. Even when she was working at the school Martha continued to work every other weekend at Lutheran Hospital, finally retiring after 40 years of service. In 1951 Martha married Philip Martens and they settled on his families' dairy farm in rural Martensdale. They were blessed with five children to nurture and love. The family attended St Paul Lutheran and Martha taught Sunday school there for over 50 years. She was always willing to help out at the church and in the community any way she could. Martha was also involved as a 4H leader and Farm Bureau. Martha will be remembered for her quick friendly smile, and patience and kindness to everyone she met.
Martha is survived by her children, Ernest Martens, Keith Martens, Alice (Howard) Kulzer and Wayne (Karen) Martens; grandchildren, Amy Martens, Chad (Angie) Martens, Eric (Abby) Martens, Scott (Hannah) Martens, Kara (Matt) Jordahl, Zachary (Gretchen) Kulzer, Emily (Corey) Martin, Zach (Carol) Dykstra, Katherine (Zac) Pollock; great-grandchildren, Jake Mrzena, Ashlyn Vanderpool, Noah, Emma and Arial Martens, Noah Niehaus, Cade and Gage Boersma, Hailey Martens, Lewis and Logan Martens, Vincent, Joseph, Jacob and Joy Martin, Henry, James and Graham Jordahl, Nolan and Jaxon Pollock, Simon Kulzer; great-great grandchildren, Hendrix, Zeplin, Kruger and Velzy Vanderpool; sister, Naomi Bradbury as-well-as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Philip Martens and son Mark Martens; parents, Ernst and Marie Carrie (Peitzman) Knoll; brother Karl Knoll, sister, Virginia Bice.
Visitation will be held 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola. Memorials may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church or IRIS Iowa Radio Reading Information Service. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a village to provide support, comfort, care and love to people on their end-of-life journey. Martha’s village included: St. Paul Lutheran Church, Overton Funeral Home, Iowa Commission For the Blind, Iowa Radio Reading Information Service (IRIS), First Circle of Friends from Lutheran Services of Iowa, Members Care from Grace Lutheran and Cedar Ridge Village/SunCrest Hospice. In the musical Les Misérables that goes: “….to love another person is to see the face of God.” Martha’s family saw the face of God in all of the people who cared for Martha, and we thank all of you! Memorials may be directed, in Martha’s name, to St. Paul Lutheran Church or IRIS Iowa Radio Reading Information Service. [This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, http://www.overtonfuneral.com/]