Martin Bert NIEMAN

NIEMAN, BORCHERS, VANDER PLOEG, GEORGE, MOUW, BLANK, LUPPEN, EEKHOFF

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/15/2008 at 12:37:07

July 5, 2006
Mason City Globe Gazette, IA

BRITT - Martin Bert Nieman, 86, of Britt, passed away on Monday (July 3, 2006) at Westview Care Center in Britt. Funeral services for Martin Nieman will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 7, at Woden Christian Reformed Church, rural Woden, with Pastor Joel DeBoer officiating. Burial will be at Woden Christian Reformed Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Ewing Dugger Funeral Chapel in Britt and continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Martin, the son of Albert and Eva Borchers Nieman, was born Aug. 16, 1919, in Kanawha. He was baptized and a member of the Kanawha Christian Reformed Church. He attended country schools of Amsterdam Township through eighth grade. He then helped his father on the family farm northeast of Kanawha. Martin enlisted in the United States Army in March 1941 and proudly served his country with the 133rd Infantry Division during World War II while stationed in Ireland, Italy and Africa. Martin received the Purple Heart medal for injuries he received in April 1944 in Italy and was honorably discharged in August 1945. Following his discharge, Martin again farmed northeast of Kanawha.

On Nov. 25, 1955, Martin married Joyce Vander Ploeg at the home of Joyce's parents in Holland, Mich. In March 1956, they moved to their farm northwest of Britt. Martin and Joyce retired to their home in Britt in 1996. Martin was a member of the Woden Christian Reformed Church where he served on the church council and various committees. He loved farming and enjoyed watching sports, gardening, carpentry and spending time with his family and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Joyce; and three children, Karen (Pat) George of Lakeville, Minn., Jill of Lakeville, Minn., and Jim (Julie) of Kanawha; seven grandchildren, Christopher George, Benjamin, Courtney, Stephanie, Michael, Isaac, and Emily Nieman; sisters-in-law, Delia Mouw of Zeeland, Mich., and Lillian Vander Ploeg of Kanawha; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, sisters and their spouses, Grace (Ben) Blank, Tina (Edd) Luppen, Casper (Tillie) Nieman, John (June) Nieman, Ed (Dorothy) Nieman and Jennie (John) Eekhoff; and brothers-in-law, Harold Mouw and Clarence Vander Ploeg.