Goldie Martensen Poulsen

1919 ~ 2010

GOLDIE MARTENSEN POULSEN passed away on October 21, 2010, in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her children near her. Born in Mayfield, Utah, to John Samuel Martensen and Evalina Augusta Olsen Martensen, mom walked this Earth for 90 years, 11 months, and 2 days. Goldie was one of three sisters (Clara Martensen Hawthorne [deceased] and Helen Martensen Bradshaw [deceased]).

The three sisters kept their father ("daddy") and mother ("momma") busy. They grew up in Mayfield, Utah, leading the idyllic life of farm girls in love with their daddy, who owned a local flour mill, supplying flour to most of Sanpete County. Goldie ("the baby") loved to take lunch to daddy, walking the distance to the mill without a care in the world, surrounded by the cedar green foothills of the Manti-Lasal mountains.

Growing up in rural Utah, mom worked in a "tomato" factory peeling tomatoes until her fingers bled and she had no nails, which helped to turn her to other pursuits such as beauty school. She worked in Fillmore, Provo, and St. George as a hair dresser. At the onset of WWII she returned to Mayfield and worked in a parachute plant in Manti, sewing parachutes (four-needle machines) to be used by paratroopers in WWII.

She moved to Salt Lake City to attend Stevens-Henager Business School, preparing herself to work for the federal government, to start a new life, one of marriage, raising a family, and working for the Bureau of Reclamation in their downtown Salt Lake office. She saw her husband off to both WWII and the Korean War, all the while maintaining a home for her three children.

Mother took care of her own. When the easy way was to put her sister, Helen (suffering the onset of Alzheimer’s disease) away in a facility, Goldie took Helen in and cared for her—all the while working full time, raising Helen’s son John Samuel and her two teenage sons, supporting her married daughter with three young children, as well as being a wife. She did this out of love and devotion for family.

She loved to give a party and entertain, having a close circle of friends who enjoyed a good drink, tasty food, and a ribald joke. Some of her favorite times were cooking for others. She loved to feed people (Ken in particular)!

Goldie lived through a large slice of one of the most dynamic periods of American and world history, from the Great Depression through WWII and the Korean War, to watching man make footprints on the moon, to discovering Seinfeld reruns and court TV, and rooting for the Utah Jazz. She stayed active and involved in life and the lives of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, as well as children in her neighborhood.

Goldie had three children (Carolyn Poulsen [Neal] Bennion, Steve Poulsen, and Ken Poulsen); three grandchildren (Douglas and [Karen] Bennion, Susan and [Mark] Peterson, and Annette and [John] Thacker). From their unions came nine great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren (Justin and [Michelle—Conner and Savannah] Peterson, Devin Peterson, and Danielle—[Colton] Peterson; and Andrew Bennion, Stephanie and [Michael] Burns, and Jessica Bennion). She also helped raise a dear nephew, John Samuel Bradshaw, whom she adored.

The family wants to give a special thank you to her dentist (Dr. Richard Parkin, who last told mom "you have the best teeth for a 90-year-old"; her foot doctor (Dr. Mark Moritz) for keeping her mobile, and her long-time hairdresser (Judy Treweek) for keeping her beautiful.

Goldie’s funeral services will be held Tuesday, October 26, 2010, at 12:00 p.m. at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary Chapel, 3401 South Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah. A viewing will be held Monday evening at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Goldie's name to the Primary Children’s Medical Center.