Roger Willard Martin

Roger W. Martin, 91, of Waukon, IA, died Saturday, December 20, 2014, at his home in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 27th, at 11:00 AM at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon with burial in Oakland Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Friday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Roger Willard Martin was born on August 29, 1923 in Waukon, IA. He was the son of Juan Willard and Clara Martha (Opfer) Martin. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion United Church of Christ and graduated from Waukon High School in 1940. He attended Waukon Jr. College and Iowa State University before enlisting in the US Army where he served from 1943 until 1946. Following his discharge he graduated from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. He returned to Waukon where he served as Allamakee County Auditor in 1950. On April 20, 1952 he married Arlene Inez Bakke at the West Paint Creek Synod Lutheran Church in rural Waukon. They moved to St. Louis, MO, where he attended the St. Louis College of Mortuary Science and returned to Waukon a year later to join the family business his grandfather started, operating Martin Brothers Furniture Store and Funeral Home. He has been a licensed funeral director since 1952 and remained active in the business until the last couple of years.

Roger served terms on the Waukon School Board, Waukon Industry Board, Airport Commission, Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Cemetery Board, Zion United Church of Christ Council, and Waukon Golf and Country Club Board. He had a passion for golf from an early age playing every chance he got and developed into an excellent player. He was a member of the University of New Mexico team while he was a student there and maintained many life-long friendships from playing at the local club and in various tournaments throughout northeast Iowa. He developed an interest in electronics as a young man and later was a ham radio operator for many years, making contact with people all over the world. Roger was a history buff and loved to travel to historic sites; often studying maps and learning minute details about areas' geography. He and Arlene enjoyed several winters in the warmer climates of Arizona, Florida, and Texas as well as other travels. Other pastimes included playing cards, hunting trips to the mountains and Canada, bowling in his younger years, and visits to the local casino boats. His caring and calming manner made him easy to spend time with and no doubt his favorite days would have included something to satisfy his sweet tooth, a few puffs on a good cigar, and a visit with one of the many friends or family he cared so much about.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Arlene, of Waukon; 3 children: Dave (Laurie) of Waukon, Mary Jo of Dallas, TX, and Sarah (Hugh) Jones of Rockwall, TX; 5 grandchildren: Valerie (Josh) Miller, Greta (Ben) Stamper, Roger Martin, Cara (Jesse) Jones, and Charles Jones; 6 great-grandchildren: Dylan, Toby, Hayden, Layla, Freda, and Edison; and a sister Barbara Burbank of Indianapolis, IN. He is preceded in death by his parents; a sister Virginia and husband Matthew Ferguson; and a brother-in-law John Burbank.