Kenneth James Martin

YAKIMA-Kenneth James Martin, 57, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend passed away March 27, 2010 at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital surrounded by his family. He was born in Colville, WA to Angus Edwin Martin and Betty Jean (Nelson) Martin on March 21, 1953.

Ken grew up in Metaline Falls, WA the second of four children on a small farm near the Canadian border. A love of the outdoors was first nurtured by fishing, hiking, hunting and camping with his uncle Bill Nelson where he spent many memorable nights at the old copper camp. A strong dedication to hard work and family was forged by his life on the farm raising cattle, horses and hay and working in the woods with his father. A life-long sense of humor was evident as Ken was a natural prankster and his family recounts many memorable stories of Ken’s joking nature. He attended Selkirk schools until high school when the family moved to Spokane, WA. Ken learned to run heavy equipment working with his father in the Spokane Valley during those early years. He met the love of his life Mary Kathleen Montgomery in the summer of 1971 and promptly began driving to Yakima, WA to see her at every opportunity. Ken and Kathy married in 1972 in Yakima and started a family. Working in the Pend Oreille mine in Metaline Ken learned the mining trade that would become his life long career drilling and blasting zinc and lead. After a brief stint in Wyoming working in a mine and a ranch near the Green River the family moved back to Washington where Ken worked various construction jobs until he was hired in 1974 by WIDCO in the Centralia, WA coal mine. Running heavy equipment and oiling on the draglines led him to a foreman position and supervisor of various divisions of the mining operation prior to health complications that forced Ken to end his career in 1994.

Ken and Kathy lived in Bucoda, WA where both served as mayor of the small town where they raised their three children. Active in the lives of their children they enjoyed many opportunities to watch them engage in sports, drama, band and scouting. The family enjoyed camping and salmon fishing and traveling the western United Sates. Ken enjoyed using the computer and recently reconnecting to old friends through social networks and playing Farmville where he joked that the tractor always starts, and the crops always grow.

Ken is preceded in death by his parents, sisters, Jean and Jane, and treasured mother-in-law Caryol. His survivors include his wife of 38 years Kathy Martin of Yakima; sons Chris (Erika) Martin of Duvall, WA, James (Heather) Martin of Chehalis, WA, daughter Melissa Martin and treasured grandson Caedyn. Brother Carl (Becky) Martin of Airway Heights, Tom (Dawn) Martin of Spokane, WA, sister Pat Sutton of San Jose, CA, Brother –in-law Frank (Diane) Darnell, Nieces Debbie and Nora of Adna and numerous cousins and other nieces and nephews. Special friends Alan Wallace, Mel Bonin, and Al Spilloway.

Memorial Services will be held in Bucoda, WA at the Bucoda Christian Assembly at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 24, 2010. Inurnment will be in Newport, WA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Northwest Kidney Centers Foundation, P.O. Box 3035 Seattle, WA 98114. To share a memory of Ken please visit, www.keithandkeith.com.