Randall E. Martens Sr

Randall E. Martens, Sr. was born on 1/30/1919 to Earl Arthur Martens and Bonnie A. Martens (Twombly) in Souix Falls, South Dakota. He is survived by a sister; Harriet Robinson, his three children; Bonnie Davis, Randall Martens, Jr., and Naomi Carlson, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. After high school, he worked for Nordle Millworks; a door, window, molding and cabinetry company in Souix Falls. A year or so later he changed jobs and went to work for Gorne Sign Company (also in Souix Falls) where he worked as a neon sign technician; welding, erecting and servicing neon signs. Some time later Herb Gorne sold the company and moved to Bellingham, Washington, where he started a new neon sign company. Randall’s older brother Wesley also worked for Gorne in Souix Falls and moved to Bellingham shortly after Gorne to help get the company started. A short time later, Randall was asked to come out to work with them, which he did early in 1941. Randall remembers listening to the radio at work and hearing the announcement that Pearl Harbor was attacked. At that time, all the sign companies were shut down (Black-outs). With no work, he just bided his time until the draft caught up with him. Randall spent about 17 months at Camp Hale, in Colorado, driving ambulance and helping with ward duty at the camp hospital. He answered a call for volunteers for overseas duty and within seven days was on his way to Europe. He spent the remainder of the WWII in the front lines in France and Germany as a front-line medical aid. He survived several bombings while treating wounded soldiers. On the last day of the war he suffered a ruptured appendix, which came closer to taking his life than any combat encounter on the front lines. Randall was the recipient of the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. While in the US services he met his first wife, an army nurse named Mildred: But shortly after the war they divorced. In Bellingham Randall met Dorothy Foster, his second wife, who was the mother of his 3 children; they were together for 14 years. He married his third wife, Eleanor Allen. Randall and Eleanor were married 38 years. He had two step sons Glen and Clifford. Eleanor preceded him in death in 2007. He lived in their home the rest of his time. Randall enjoyed working with his hands. He was the foreman on various constructions jobs, including the building of the Bellingham Parking Garage, hotels, and also worked on the Mt. Baker Dam and the Boise Airport Control Tower. Randall had a good life after the war, with the ups and downs most people have; and said he did not have any regrets of the Army service he was called into.

Randall E. Martens Sr

January 30, 1919 - September 29, 2015