CHARLES THEODORE (TED) MARTENS

C.T. Martens, 82, of Fort Frances, Ont., passed away peacefully on Monday, March 10, 2003 at La Verendrye General Hospital in Fort Frances. Ted was born Oct. 17, 1920 at The Pas, Man.
He is survived by his loving wife, Margaret; two children, Diane (Ron) Cherry of Fort Frances, Ont. and David (Marilyn) Martens of Thunder Bay, Ont.; grandchildren, Amanda, Kevin, and Pamela Cherry, and Karen and Derek (Mandi) Martens; great-granddaughter, Ivy Lyn Martens; step-daughter, June Barrow of Swaziland; and step-grandchildren, Adam (Lisa) and their daughter, Sydney, Isaac (Karri), Alexi, and Susan.
Also surviving are two sisters, May (Jim) Townsend of Vancouver, B.C. and Rev. Edna Perry of Winnipeg, Man.; and many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Jean, in August, 1997 after 51 years of marriage; parents, George and Ethel; brother, Frank; sister-in-law, Eleanor; sister, Dr. Ethel Martens; brothers-in-law, Frank Tiboni and Jack Perry; and step-daughter, Linda.
Ted was educated in Winnipeg and was a veteran of WW II, serving in the medical corps. He worked at Canada Car in Fort William, where he met his first wife, Jean. They were married Aug. 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 Baha’i faith and served the Canadian Baha’i community in many capacities. He used his talents in maintenance to assist in the construction and repair of the Baha’i schools in Shawnigan Lakes, B.C. and Michigan, the Yukon, and Fort Qu’appelle.
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, 2003 at 10 a.m. at Green Funeral Home in Fort Frances. Interment will take place at Riverview Cemetery in Fort Frances.
In memoriam donations may be made to the Northern Cancer Research Foundation, N. Algoma St., Thunder Bay, Ont.