Albert MARTENS

MARTENS, Albert John
Albert John Martens died peacefully at home in Fiske on Tuesday, November 26. Albert was born on January 20, 1925 in Rosthern to John and Anna Martens, recent Mennonite immigrants from the Ukraine. The family settled on a farm near Fiske where Albert grew up with his younger sister, Frieda. He excelled at school and especially enjoyed mathematics. Albert graduated from high school in 1942 at Rosthern Junior College, the Mennonite boarding school in Rosthern where he shared many antics with his cousin, Werner. Albert was also athletic and enjoyed hockey, softball and high jump. The family attended the Fiske Mennonite Church where Albert was baptized at eighteen. Albert helped his father farm and eventually purchased a section of land from his father where he would bring his future bride and raise his family. Albert and his parents spent winters in Aldergrove, B.C. and it is there that Albert met Irene Hampel, a recent immigrant from Berlin, Germany. They were married December 30, 1954 and over the next twenty years had six children. Besides family life and farming Albert made time for family camping trips to the Okanagan, ski trips to the mountains and yearly trips to visit the Hampel clan in B.C. Faith was important to Albert and he was active in the church as a Sunday School teacher and the church treasurer for many years. While he was active in the Fiske community he also cared about those in the world who had far less and so he was an avid supporter of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Mennonite Central Committee. In March 2002 while visiting family and friends in British Columbia, Albert suffered a heart attack and stroke. The recovery was slow but with adjustments to the house, Albert was able to return home and now lived his life from a wheelchair. Life was not easy but with Irene's strong determination, Albert's dry sense of humour that could relieve the tension of trying situations and with the support of family and friends Albert was able to remain living in his home community. By the time Irene and Albert celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary they had celebrated the marriages of 4 of their children, welcomed nine grandchildren and mourned the death of their son Brent. Albert was predeceased by his parents, his mother- in-law, Anna Hampel and his son Brent. He will be remembered by his wife, Irene; his children Gary; Debra Smith (Norm); Karen Martens Zimmerly (Terry); Wayne; Darren (Krista) and his grandchildren: Justus, Curtis (Victoria), Jordon, Joel, Faith, Kennedy, Noah, Markus and Elyssa. He also is mourned by: his sister Frieda Dick (Earl); and Irene's siblings, Edith Heinrichs (Erwin), Gerda Milne (Craig) and Ben Hampel (Gloria), as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. A memorial service for Albert will be held on Saturday, November 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Fiske Mennonite Church. Public visitation Fiske Mennonite Church, Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Donations in memory of Albert may be directed to Mennonite Central Committee, 600-45th Street West, Saskatoon, Sask. S7L 5W9 or Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Suite 400-393 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MB. R3B 3H6. To send online condolences please visit shanidarfuneralservices.com. Arrangements entrusted to Pierre A. Charpentier.