Martin Henry Windemuth

Born: November 4, 1922 in Virginia MN

Parents: Carl (from Kassel, Germany)

Lucy (from Ozegna, Italy)

Carl and Lucy migrated to the United States and met in Minnesota in 1913 while attending English school. They had five children: Margaret, Catherine, Mary, Martin and Florence, all born in Minnesota. The family became Seventh-day Adventists through the influence of neighbors who gave Carl and Lucy bible studies.

From Minnesota the family moved to Wisconsin and then Illinois. Carl was a baker and Lucy stayed home with the children. Martin began kindergarten while living at 420 River Lane in Love’s Park, IL, at a school close enough to his home that he could go back for lunch. However, the depression hit and their home was repossessed in 1929.

Carl worked for the WPA (Works Progress Administration) from sunup to sundown and earned $1 a day. The family moved to a bigger house and Carl started his own bakery. The bottom of the house was the converted bakery at 310 River Lane, still in Love’s Park. The back of a car was cut off to make a delivery truck. His brother, George, came from Germany to live with them and delivered the bread. Ellis, a black friend, also worked in the bakery.

Then the bakery closed and the family moved to Rockford IL. Martin put his most important earthly possessions in a cart because his father won’t let him take them in the car. He walked with his cart to the house.

Martin started church school in Rockford and attended from 1-8th grade. The family moved like gypsies in Rockford from one house to another. Carl worked for Colonial Bakery during this time. Martin and George shared a bedroom while also taking turns in one bathroom for eight people. George decorated the room with movie star pictures. Martin’s pinup was Heddy Lamar which began his dream of finding a black-haired girlfriend.

Broadview Academy in Hinsdale IL came recruiting Martin to attend an Adventist high school. He hired his neighbor, Jess (a somewhat limited learner, but possessor of a car) to drive him the 90 miles to Broadview in a ’26 Chevy. Martin was excited about attending academy and had all his possessions in a suitcase. He had a letter from the school guaranteeing him work on the farm. However, when Martin arrived, the principal, Mr. Olson, told him there had been a mistake and he couldn’t stay at the school. Martin rushed out the principal’s office to see if Jess had left for home. Thankfully, he hadn’t and Martin returned home to Rockford, a sad, but wiser boy. Instead he attended Roosevelt Junior High School.

A move to the farm on School St. was the next event for the family. Martin bought a car to work on for $20 when he was 16 years old. He attended school at Hananega and Harlem High Schools. School came easy for Martin; he got all his work done and didn’t really have much to do in study hall.

After the 11th grade, Martin decided to leave school. He felt his family had no money – when he asked his mother for a dime, she couldn’t give it to him. He had to attend church in overalls. The time had come for Martin to earn his own money. He worked on a farm from spring to winter spreading manure. It took him until summer to earn $20 for spreading two piles of cow manure and a three-foot sheep pen. For a dollar and meals Martin harvested hay into bales. He sold Green Flash papers on the street for 2 cents a paper.

Martin’s working career took several moves. In Rockford he worked at a furniture factory putting bottoms on radio cabinets. He stayed there for three months and earned $.35 an hour. But, Martin did not like the work so switched to a sewing machine factory where he wanted to work in the tool section. However, he had to start in the production section where he ran a mill machine for $.50 an hour.

Martin’s faithful buddy, Dick Odegard, worked at the same factories. Then, they decided to move to Chicago, where Dick’s parents had moved.

At 17 years old, the two guys went looking for tool & die apprentice jobs in Chicago. They bought a tool box and filled it with as many tools as they could afford. They knocked on many doors looking for someone to take them on. Finally, they bluffed their way into the Job Shop – a big shop working for $1.25 an hour. Martin gained experience building dies. Dick and Martin lived at 5654 N Ridge Ave in an apartment on the third floor. There was a nice southern belle, Christine, who lived on the second floor and she became Martin’s girlfriend. However, she had blonde hair and Martin was looking for a black-haired girl. He and Dick would often go to the corner drug store, Wolf’s, for sodas. There, they would meet girls.

Martin still wanted to become a journeyman. After two years he got work at Ever Sharp, a pen & pencil factory. This was the nicest place to work. They had showers, lockers, hardwood floors and really good working conditions. Martin’s salary went up to $100 a week, which was big bucks back then. From there he went to R & M Laboratories, a government lab that made instruments. Martin got a military deferment for working for the government. He stayed in Chicago for about five years. He and Odie led the good life – a nice apartment with a maid to clean after them, fancy clothes and eating their meals out.

Then, in 1942 Martin met Barbara Jane La Fontaine. She was sixteen and he was a worldly 21 years old. His sisters, Margaret and Florence, worked with Barbara at JT Kases. Margaret remembered Barbara from being in the same grade as her sister, Eudora, and actually living behind each other’s houses at one time. She set them up to meet at a company ball game at Fairgrounds Park. It was love at first sight. Their first date was a car trip to Beloit, WI. This was a big event for Barbara who had never been out of the state of Illinois. She celebrated by asking for hot peanuts and cashews which cost 50 cents. Despite this warning of becoming involved with a big spender, Martin and Barbara dated for three years while he was in Chicago and she still lived in Rockford.

Meantime, the Battle of the Bulge happened and Martin was drafted in 1943. He was sent back to Camp Grant in Rockford to boot camp. Since he got Sabbaths off, he would work on Sundays. The war lasted another 3-4 months and then it was over and Martin was let go. He worked at Crescent Tool & Die and Latham Tool & Die after the service.

While still living in Chicago, Martin bought property in Rockford, next to his parent’s land, 11 miles in the country. He and Odie split three acres for $150 an acre. Martin started building his dream house. The garage (24’ by 24’) became a house. He had to mix the concrete by hand. Martin and Barbara bought the living room furniture at Montgomery Wards department store. Furniture for the living room, kitchen and bedroom cost them $300. At this time Martin made the shadowbox which now resides in his son, Tim’s house.

Martin worked for Weiser Lock Co. from 1961 – 1972, ITT from 1972-1982 and Allied Pacific from 1982-1986. He then retired, but still did contract work occasionally.

MARTIN WINDEMUTH’S MARRIED LIFE

Martin and Barbara got married on November 17, 1945 in the Rockford SDA church. They planned a honeymoon to Chicago, but Martin neglected to make reservations. Finding no vacancies in motels, they returned to their home in Rockford. This house involved hauling water from Martin’s parent’s home and ice for the ice box. There was a pot belly stove in the living room. Three children were born in Rockford – Sylvia in 1947, Tim in 1950 and Dan in 1956.

Then, the great Windemuth westward movement began. Tired of the cold winters and acting upon the reports from Odie of warm sunshine and no snow in southern CAL, the family moved to Orange County. They lived in Fullerton for one year, and then, Barbara got homesick and the family moved back to Rockford. They looked for land while living with Carl and Lucy. Martin put a bid on some acreage, but didn’t get it. Three months later, despite a job offer from Latham Tool & Die, the family decided to head again for sunny California. This time Martin and Clark Bennett ventured ahead and scouted out possible land sites. They found some promising possibilities in Yorba Linda, so returned to pack up the family and possessions and move. The Windemuths included David Bennett in their traveling group and had some adventures. The Bennetts had a truck full of their furniture and ran into trouble in the desert and arrived in southern CAL somewhat later.

Martin found some land in Villa Park and began construction. They rented a house in Anaheim on Gilbert St and he worked at Weiser Lock in Southgate, quite a commute. Every weeknight he would drive from Southgate to Anaheim to Villa Park to build the house. This continued for two – two ½ years. Meantime Carl and Lucy followed the Windemuth western movement and rented an apartment in Anaheim. Carl helped build the house. In 1959 the Windemuth family moved into their house at 9621 Dodson Way. Sylvia was in 6th grade, Tim was in 3rd grade and Dan was 3 ½ years old. Martin lived in the house he built until he died in March 2020.

Martin is survived by his wife, Barbara, and their three children & spouses, four grandchildren & spouses, and seven great-grandchildren:

• Sylvia & Jim:

 Shannon & Eve

o Shelby

 Jim & Charlene

o Ian, Shaun, Quinn

• Tim & Cheri:

 Tami & Shane

o Kamryn

 Joe & Gina

o Maxwell, Lucas

• Dan & J’Hee

In lieu of flowers a donation can be made in Martin's memory to Maranatha Volunteers International.

https://maranatha.org/donate/gifts-remembrance/