Larry Gene Martens

Larry Gene Martens was born March 22, 1955 at Huron to Marvin and Rose (Currier ) Martens of Bancroft, joining sibling Janice. He attended grade school in Bancroft, until the school closed, then went to De Smet where he graduated in 1973. He attended a school in the Black Hills for welding. He worked on the family farm for several years. He worked with the combine crew of T.A. Base for a couple of years driving the trucks to haul the combines from Kansas to North Dakota, as a mechanic, and all around handyman. He married Karen Ann Miller of Willow Lake, and they lived in Bancroft , then moved to the family farm. Their son Kristopher Dale was born during this time. Larry moved to OK where he attended a vocational school, majoring in CAD-CAM, (Computer assisted drawing and computer assisted maching). Before he was through with the one year course, he was asked to come to interview at Woodward OK. There he redesigned a huge, thick sheet of metal so they were able to get 13 more pieces from the one sheet. Meanwhile, the vocational school asked him to come back and teach that class. He returned to Woodward to work in the aforementioned business. He worked for a plant that made parts for the helicopters that soldiers used, repaired and remodeled nursing homes, did mechanics at home in his “off hours”, worked with an organization as an advocate for the safety of abused children, and drove a van to take handicapped people to their Dr.'s appointments. He is survived by his son Kris (Amy) of Austin Tx. grandchild Alexandra Martens, his Mother Rose Grothe of De Smet S.D. 3 sisters, Janice White , Brookings, Sharon Pieper, Valley Springs, and Dorothy Wenzel of Sioux Falls; and 1 brother Dale (Peggy) Martens, Aberdeen, and very special friends Charlie and DeeAnn Orso of Paden OK., nieces and nephews, and a great many friends. He was preceded in death by his father, grandparents, aunts and uncles.