Lawrence “Larry” Alfred Martens, 89, of Pell City, Alabama passed away Thursday, November 7, 2019 at Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham, AL. Mr. Martens was born September 14, 1930 in Coleman, Wisconsin to the late Harry A. Martens and Emma Laurent Martens. Father Bill Lucas and Monsignor Michael Sexton will co-celebrate the Celebration of Life Mass at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Pell City at 1:00 pm on Friday, November 29. The family will receive visitors starting at 2:00 pm following the mass.
Mr. Martens graduated from Coleman (WI) High School in 1949 and enlisted in the Air Force in 1951 as an aircraft engine mechanic. Before deploying overseas he married Rita Huberty on December 29, 1951. During the Korean Conflict Mr. Martens served in overseas assignments in the Philippines and French Indo-China and completed his service in 1955 while stationed in Greenville, SC. Mr. Martens graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BS in Civil Engineering in 1959 and began his career with the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey that included engineering work in Madison, WI, Raleigh, NC, Arlington, VA, and Baton Rouge, LA. In 1974 Mr. Martens was selected as the District Chief for the State of Illinois and moved to Champaign, IL until his promotion to the District Chief for the State of New York and relocation to Albany, NY in 1978. He culminated his distinguished 41 year career in Reston, VA while serving as the Associate Regional Hydrologist for the Northeast Region of the United States. Following his retirement from Federal service in 1992, Mr. and Mrs. Martens moved to Pell City, AL.
Mr. Martens was a past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus while in Baton Rouge, LA and an avid gardener and expert woodworker who enjoyed bridge, bowling, golf, and volunteer work. He was very active in the Catholic parishes in each community in which they lived. He and Mrs. Martens enjoyed travelling particularly following his retirement.
Mr. Martens’ survivors include his children Teresa Callaway (John) of Sylacauga, AL, Jill Majerus (Joe) of Trussville, AL, Mary Gulin (Gary) of Clarksville, TN, Ted Martens (Garlan) of Sierra Vista, AZ, nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; siblings Don Martens (Fern) and Mary Ziemer, (Richard) and a sister-in-law Mavis Martens. He was preceded in death by his wife Rita, his parents, brothers Leonard, Frank, and Tom and his sisters Sister Mary Stephen, Denise Frank, Patricia Waselchuk, Evelyn Bachhuber and Louise Malmstadt.
In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to their local hospice. Kilgroe Funeral Home – Pell City
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