CLARE - Emmett "Skip" Martin, 78, of Clare, died Monday, June 30, 2008 at his farm, surrounded by his family.
Funeral services will be 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, July 8 in the chapel of Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home and 11 a.m. at St. Matthew's Church, Clare with Rev. Lynn Bruch officiating at the Mass of Christian Burial. Burial will be in St James Cemetery, Clare with military rites conducted by the Clare American Legion Post 570 and the VFW Post 1856. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, where there will be a vigil at 7 p.m.
Surviving is his wife, Patricia; daughters, LuAnn Nunn and her husband Curtis of Altoona, Denise McCormick of Des Moines, Rae Shepherd and her husband David of Seattle, WA, Victoria Trujillo and her fiance Tom Lemons of Elkhorn, NE; sons, Joe Martin and his wife Kathy of Clare, Mark Martin of Des Moines, 11 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Leo and Anna (Gottschalk) Martin; his brother, Donald Joseph Martin; his step-father, Lester Ries; an uncle, Edward Martin; a step-granddaughter, Heather Crouse; and a grandson, Arron Lester Martin.
Emmett Leo Martin was born May 18, 1930 on the family farm near Clare. In 1947 he graduated from Manson High School. Emmett served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to Clare. On June 19, 1954 he was united in marriage to Patricia Rae Savage at Corpus Christi Church and they established their home in Clare. He was employed as a rural mail carrier in Clare and retired after 25 years of service. Emmett also farmed in the Clare area.
He was a former Webster County Supervisor, was a founding member of the Clare Volunteer Fire Department and the Clare Community Water system, the Disabled American Veterans, Northwest Webster School Board, American Legion Post 570 (Service Officer), St Matthew's Parish Council, Iowa Hampshire and Suffolk Sheep Association, Iowa Sheep Industry Association, Farm Bureau, Area Drainage Commission, Webster County Veteran Affairs Commissioner, Knights of Columbus Council 613.
Memorials may be left to the Clare American Legion Memorial Fund.
