Ethelyn Martin

Ethelyn K. (Waleri) Martin joined her eternal family the evening of Thursday, October 13, 2011 the day after what would have been her 63rd wedding anniversary in her home surrounded by family. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a. m. , Monday, October 17, 2011 at St. Thomas Church, Gladstone, ND with Fr. Todd Kreitinger and Fr. Boniface Muggli concelebrating. Interment will be in St. Thomas Cemetery, Gladstone, ND. Visitation will be Sunday, October 16 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson, ND, from 12:00 p. m. to 6:00 p. m. with a rosary and prayer service being held at 3:00 p. m. Visitation will continue Monday at the church one hour prior to the service. Ethelyn K. Waleri was born on a cold, blizzardy day on February 21, 1930 at the family farm in Hebron, ND to John and Anna (Willer) Waleri. She was two hours younger than her twin and the fourth of six children. In 1936, after the death of her father, the family moved to Gladstone, ND. Ethelyn attended Gladstone schools and graduated from high school in the spring of 1948. She married Peter Adam (Spud) Martin on October 12, 1948 at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Gladstone, ND. Together they were blessed with 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls. Ethelyn was a stay at home mom until all her kids were in school. During her time at home she decorated wedding, birthday and other special occasion cakes and was an awesome seamstress, sewing Halloween costumes and clothing for her children and grandchildren, repairing her son?s work jeans and softball uniforms. She was active in St. Thomas Church where she taught CCD for 7 years. Because of her excellent penmanship she was elected as secretary recorder for every organization she joined, church council, homemakers club, K C Etts and even served as the ?Chief Financial Officer?, as only a mother could, for Martin Construction in its early days. Ethelyn was also a member of 2 birthday clubs and a pinochle club. After her youngest child started school in Dickinson, she began her career outside the home, first with F. W. Woolworths and then St. Benedict?s Nursing Home from where she retired in 1999 after 19 years. She moved to Dickinson in the fall of 1997. She enjoyed babysitting for her grandchildren and great grandchildren for the last 34 years. Her hobbies included puzzles, word seeks, playing pinochle, rummy and games with her extended family and friends. Ethelyn loved growing flowers and was an avid gardener. Her large garden was always bountiful and although she had many mouths to feed, she always had more than enough to share with everyone. She especially enjoyed going for rides to look at flowers, Christmas lights and changes in the community. Not many people know this about Ethelyn, but she was a gamer, the grandchildren and great grandchildren always wanted to go play Nintendo with grandma. She knew all the secrets in the Mario Brother?s game, playing so much she wore out one console and had to get another. Even though she had kidney dialysis three days a week she found time to volunteer at Martin Construction. She loved being chauffeured to various parts of North Dakota and even Montana delivering meals to the workers and viewing the job sites. Her genuine interest in the construction projects was evident in the enthusiasm she showed when discussing it with anyone that had an interest. Many people found out that when they talked to Ethelyn, if she didn?t know you, she knew someone you knew. If you ever were lucky enough to be included in a Martin gathering or just dropped by the house, you never left hungry. She will be forever missed for her creamed chicken and pheasant, liver and onions, chicken rice soup (with the feet) and all her cooking wisdom and recipes. Ethelyn?s last days were spent in her home with the help of Hospice joyously reminiscing with her family and friends. Survivors include her children Patricia Martin, Dickinson, ND, Karen (Bob) Good, Dickinson, ND, Monte Martin, Gladstone, ND, Jacqueline Martin, Dickinson, ND, Kurtis (Yolanda Crespo) Martin, Gladstone, ND, Brian Martin, Gladstone, ND, Vonda (Jeff) Gab, Dickinson, ND; daughter-in-law Cynthia Martin, Gladstone, ND; 13 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren, Todd (Adonica) Good – Medora, Riley and Oscar, Wendy (Landon) Filkowski – Jacob Good, Madelyn and Logan, Jason Good, Chad Good, Brandan Martin – Kellee, Ashlee Martin, Chelsee Martin (fianc? Mike DiMeo) – Melanee, Emilee, Kennedee, Nikki (Craig) Kubas – Kylen, Kali and Camden, BJ (Lindsay) Martin – Kade, Estin and Brax, Nanito (fianc? Erica Pender) Crespo, Nathan Martin, Jonathan Gab and Justine Gab; twin sister Evelyn Rasmussen, Gillette, WY; brother, Jack (Evelyn) Waleri, Dickinson, ND; in-laws, Marian Bleth, Elvira Martin, Veronica (Alfred) Dassinger, Delores (Edwin) Lefor, all of Dickinson, ND, Allen Rust, Huntsville, TX, Marlene Moore, Worland, WY, Dorothy Auld, Rockford, MN, Elaine (Robert) Burns, Yakima, WA, Joyce (Allen) Kostelecky, Bothell, WA; numerous nieces and nephews, and special friends Leo and Millie Kuntz. The family would like to thank Leo and Millie for being the best neighbors to our mother that any family could ask for, making sure her driveway was cleared of snow in the winter so she could get to dialysis, bringing garden vegetables in the summer, helping her with miscellaneous tasks and visiting. She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter Adam (Spud) Martin in 1987 and son Kim Jon Martin in 2002; father and mother, John and Anna (Willer) Waleri; father and mother-in-law, Frank and Veronica (Gotterbarm) Martin; three sisters, Elizabeth, Magdalena and Margaret Ann and sister-in-law Sachiko Waleri; brother-in-law, Clifford Rasmussen; in-laws Frank and Dora Schummer, Ray and Margret Haysom, Frank and Lena Martin, Andrew and Evie Sickler, Josephine Rust, Ernest and Eva Focht, LeRoy Martin, Anton Martin, John Bleth, and Jesse Moore; niece, Linda Waleri; nephews, James Schummer, Alan Bleth, James Moore. Our Mother?s belief and faith in God helped her willfully and peacefully reunite with the Lord. She wrote most of her obituary and her endnote was ?A special Thank You to all my children and their families. ? We feel truly blessed to have had such a wonderful person to call ?Ma and Grandma?.


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Burial Date: October 17, 2011
Funeral Home Dickinson, ND

Funeral Mass: Monday, St. Thomas Catholic Church, Gladstone