Martin, Henry I. -- 1914 - 2011

MARTIN, BABCOCK, MARTIN-SCHRAMM, PETTIT

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 7/10/2012 at 11:39:35

Henry I. Martin passed away peacefully on Friday, April 8, 2011 at Barthell Eastern Star Home in Decorah, Iowa, where he received loving care for eight years. He was 96 years old. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Dorothy (Babcock) Martin. They were married in Fort Madison, Iowa on November 18, 1939.

Mr. Martin was born December 10, 1914, in Monmouth, Illinois and graduated from Dallas City (Ill.) High School in 1931. He was an excellent student athlete participating in basketball, football and track. He aspired to a career in civil engineering but was denied that dream due to the Great Depression. Like so many of his generation, Hank Martin joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 and performed numerous services in Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Mr. Martin commenced his international career with Deere and & Company in 1937 at the John Deere Harvester Works as a grain elevator assemblyman. He moved to the John Deere Plow Works as a millwright’s assistant until 1954, when he was transferred to the Killefer Works in California where he served as Plant Superintendent until 1957. He returned to the Plow Works as Works Manager until 1959, when he was reassigned to Germany to serve as the General Manager of John Deere Lanz, with factories in Mannheim and Zweibrücken. He became the Assistant Director of Manufacturing of Deere & Company Region II, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany and served in that role until 1966. Mr. Martin then served as the General Manager of John Deere Pty. Ltd. located in Nigel, Transvaal in the Republic of South Africa until 1971 when he returned to Deere & Company in Moline, Illinois. In a career that spanned six decades with service on three continents, he retired in 1981 as Coordinator of Service Parts at the Milan (Ill.) Parts Depot.

Mr. Martin enjoyed a wide range of interests and activities. He was an avid fresh water fisherman, a 32nd Degree Mason, and served as the president both of Rotary International and the Chamber of Commerce while in Nigel, South Africa. He was recognized as a skilled and effective manager, and mentored many in the next generation of leadership at Deere & Company. In retirement he became an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Moline, Illinois, particularly with stewardship efforts.

He is survived in death by three sons, two daughters-in-law, and two grandsons: J. Stephen and Marilyn Martin of York, Penn., Thomas S. Martin of Reno, Nev., and Jim and Karen Martin-Schramm and their sons Joel and Joshua of Decorah, Iowa. He was also preceded in death by his parents and a sister Janice Pettit.

A visitation for friends and family will be held at Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory, Ltd. 6601 38th Avenue, Moline, Illinois from 1-2 pm on Tuesday, April 12. A graveside service will be held at 2:30 pm at the Moline Memorial Park Mausoleum Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 1330 13th Street, Moline, Illinois 61265. Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah assisted the family with local arrangements.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database