Kenneth E. Martin
October 6, 1920 — October 16, 2014
Kenneth Eugene Martin was born on October 6, 1920 on a farm near Hancock, Iowa to Mervin and Rena (Heft) Martin. He was baptized and confirmed at Hancock United Methodist Church where he remained a life-long member. He attended Country School at Valley No. 5 and graduated from Hancock High School with the Class of 1940.
He was united in marriage to Margaret Metters on May 19, 1946 in Omaha, Nebraska. They became parents to three children: Richard, Phyllis, and John.
He entered the United States Marine Corps on January 6, 1942 and served during World War II in the Central and South Pacific areas, including Bougainville, Guam, and Saipan, Guadalcanal. He was a qualified rifle, machine gun, and pistol marksman. He received an honorable discharge from service on April 13, 1945.
Kenneth obtained his pilot’s license and took his first solo flight when he was in his mid-twenties. He was a member of different flying clubs: the Flying Fez, the 8 Ball Club, and he was a member of the Last Mans Club that formed in 1946. He flew children to Shriner’s Hospital in Galveston, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He was a member of the Hancock American Legion Post No. 720 for over sixty years and also a member of the Avoca Fred Funston Post No. 227, the AOPA for over fifty years, and belonged to the Tangier Shrine, and Masonic Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 297. Kenneth also served on the Farmers FMTC Board of Directors since 1971.
In 1966, Kenneth and his wife took in a foreign exchange student, Terje Frøystein, who with his family in Oslo, Norway has remained close to the family.
Kenneth died on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at the Avoca Nursing and Rehab Center just ten days after his ninety-fourth birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Margaret, and infant son Richard and brother James.
He is survived by his daughter Phyllis Martin Owen of Lincoln, Nebraska; son John Martin and his wife Kathy of Carrollton, Texas; four grandchildren: Alyssa and her husband Ben Brouwer, Eric Ulrich, Ashley and her husband Mike Stephenson, and Melissa and her husband Brandon Shangraw; three great-grandchildren: Olivia and Sophia Brouwer and Ava Stephenson; brother Dean “Curtis” Martin and his wife Dorothy of Council Bluffs, Iowa; sisters Neva Metters of Dallas, Texas and Twyla Martin of Ida Grove, Iowa; many nieces and nephews; other family members and friends.
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He was united in marriage to Margaret Metters on May 19, 1946 in Omaha, Nebraska. They became parents to three children: Richard, Phyllis, and John.
He entered the United States Marine Corps on January 6, 1942 and served during World War II in the Central and South Pacific areas, including Bougainville, Guam, and Saipan, Guadalcanal. He was a qualified rifle, machine gun, and pistol marksman. He received an honorable discharge from service on April 13, 1945.
Kenneth obtained his pilot’s license and took his first solo flight when he was in his mid-twenties. He was a member of different flying clubs: the Flying Fez, the 8 Ball Club, and he was a member of the Last Mans Club that formed in 1946. He flew children to Shriner’s Hospital in Galveston, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He was a member of the Hancock American Legion Post No. 720 for over sixty years and also a member of the Avoca Fred Funston Post No. 227, the AOPA for over fifty years, and belonged to the Tangier Shrine, and Masonic Mt. Nebo Lodge No. 297. Kenneth also served on the Farmers FMTC Board of Directors since 1971.
In 1966, Kenneth and his wife took in a foreign exchange student, Terje Frøystein, who with his family in Oslo, Norway has remained close to the family.
Kenneth died on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at the Avoca Nursing and Rehab Center just ten days after his ninety-fourth birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Margaret, and infant son Richard and brother James.
He is survived by his daughter Phyllis Martin Owen of Lincoln, Nebraska; son John Martin and his wife Kathy of Carrollton, Texas; four grandchildren: Alyssa and her husband Ben Brouwer, Eric Ulrich, Ashley and her husband Mike Stephenson, and Melissa and her husband Brandon Shangraw; three great-grandchildren: Olivia and Sophia Brouwer and Ava Stephenson; brother Dean “Curtis” Martin and his wife Dorothy of Council Bluffs, Iowa; sisters Neva Metters of Dallas, Texas and Twyla Martin of Ida Grove, Iowa; many nieces and nephews; other family members and friends.
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