CHARLES THEODORE (TED) MARTENS C T

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CHARLES THEODORE (TED) MARTENS C T Martens, 82, of Fort Frances, ON, died peacefully at LaVerendrye General Hospital, March 10, 2003. Ted was born October 17, 1920, at The Pas, MB. He is survived by his loving wife Margaret; two children, Diane (Ron) Cherry of Fort Frances, David (Marilyn) Martens of Thunder Bay; grandchildren, Amanda, Kevin and Pamela Cherry, Karen and Derek (Mandi) Martens; and great-granddaughter Ivy Lyn Martens; stepdaughter June Barrow of Swaziland; stepgrandchildren, Adam (Lisa) and their daughter Sydney, Isaac (Karri), Alexi and Susan. Also surviving are two sisters, May (Jim) Townsend of Vancouver and Rev. Edna Perry of Winnipeg; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by first wife Jean in August of 1997 after 51 years of marriage; his parents George and Ethel; brother Frank; sister-in-law Eleanor; sister Dr. Ethel Martens; brothers-in-law, Frank Tiboni and Jack Perry; and stepdaughter Linda. He was educated in Winnipeg, was a veteran of the Second World War, serving in the medical corp. He worked at Canada Car in Fort William, where he met his first wife Jean. They were married August 6, 1946, in Fort William, where he worked at various jobs as an electrician. They moved to Fort Frances in 1979 and ran The Wash House Laundromat for several years. In 1957, he embraced the Bahai Faith and served the Canadian Bahai Community in many capacities. He used his talents in maintenance to assist in the construction and repair of the Bahai schools in Shawnigan Lakes, BC, and Michigan, the Yukon and Fort Quappelle. He was a musician in his early life, playing violin, piano, guitar and mandolin and participating in school operettas. He enjoyed music, dancing, travelling, and meeting people, helping them whenever he could and was known to many as "Grampa Ted." Funeral services will be held Friday, March 14 at 10:00 a.m. at Green Funeral Home, Fort Frances. Interment will take place at Riverview Cemetery, Fort Frances. In memoriam donations may be made to the Northern Cancer Research Foundation, N. Algoma St., Thunder Bay, ON.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 13, 2003