Paul Martin

Paul Martin, age 82 years and 9 months of Farmersville, Ohio passed into eternity late Thursday evening October 29, 2015. His faithful wife, Fay Ann, was holding his hand while they were accompanied by a host of children and grandchildren sitting closely around his bedside. The battle he so bravely fought against the effects of dementia was over. May God grant him rest and peace. Paul was born on Jan. 9, 1933 to Carl J. and Jessie Ellen Martin. His father, Carl J. Martin Sr. was born Mar. 4, 1892 and died Dec. 26, 1990, a few months short of his 99th birthday, and his mother, Jessie Ellen (Mull) Martin was born Jun. 13, 1890 and died Jun. 9, 1975, just short of her 85th birthday. Paul was born at the family farm house near Greens Fork, Indiana. He was the youngest of the 14 children born to Jessie Ellen Mull, who herself was the youngest of 14 children born to her parents Peter Mull and Senaah Jane (Mills) Mull. Paul’s paternal grandparents were James Humbert Martin & Josie (Wickersham) Martin. All of the Martin’s and Mull’s were from Indiana. With so many older brothers and sisters, Paul never lacked for attention with lots of mothering from his sisters as well as a steady stream of badgering from his brothers. As he grew from toddler through childhood, he loved to play with the farm animals including the family’s German Shepherd dogs and many barn cats. On the Martin farm, there was always plenty of work to be done. Soon Paul was big enough to work in the garden and help with the daily chores: milking cows, tending the draft horses, along with feeding and caring for the beef cows, sheep, hogs, chickens, and rabbits. On the farm, everybody worked hard including Paul, who was the ‘baby.’ Paul went to school in Centerville, Indiana, where there were approximately 30 students in his graduating class of 1951. He did well in school with math being his favorite subject. Following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Paul played on the varsity baseball and basketball teams earning his varsity “Letters” in all 4 years of high school. A special highlight of his high school sports career was when the small rural Centerville basketball team beat the big city Richmond team (just like the movie; HOOSIERS) in the county tournament. Somewhere along the way, the young and recently graduated, Fay Ann Clifton, learned that there was this good looking athlete in neighboring Centerville and that he was a really good basketball player. Paul continued working on the farm after high school. On Wednesdays he worked at the Centerville Community Sales, which is where farmers sell their livestock. He quickly became quite an expert in judging the health and weight of livestock and could estimate the weight of a pen of scrambling hogs within a few pounds. All of the Martin brothers, except for Ellis and Lawrence, were drafted into the military. As a young boy, Paul learned about the price of war when his older brother Guy “Dude” was wounded during the “D Day” landing at Normandy Beach during World War II. Dude and the entire Martin family shared in the grief when they later learned that the soldier who took Dude’s place was fatally wounded the next day. Paul served in the Army from 1953 to 1955, stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington state. Before he finished his training, the Korean War was over. He finished his term ‘polishing a seat’ as a Corporal. He made several lifelong friends in the Army, including Frank Pace of Louisville, KY, and Norman Bruns of Titonka, IA, whom Paul remained in contact with over the years. While home on leave in August 1954, Paul went to the Humbert reunion at the Hagerstown Park. Aided by his older sister Sarah, Paul was introduced to Miss Fay Ann Clifton. Little did either of them know that she would be his future bride. Some 50 years later, while reflecting on that first meeting he stated, “I liked her so I decided to keep her.” In Paul’s own words he later told us, “I wanted to have Fay Ann with me so we got engaged and then I got a job at Sucker’s (zook’ erz) Packing Company in Dayton, Ohio. We found an apartment in New Lebanon, Ohio and got married on March 2, 1958.” Soon Paul and Fay Ann started their family. They went on to have four children: Carol Ann, Cinda Arlene, Clifton Paul and Curtis Alan. Paul was very proud of his children and their families when he once said, “All our kids have jobs and have families of their own. They all go to church and have children and most of them have grandchildren.” After the meat packing company closed, Paul remained friends with Louis McDorman and family. Paul worked at a couple different jobs before joining General Motors where he worked at the GM Truck and Bus plant in Moraine, Ohio until his retirement in 1998. Paul was a long time member of Slifers Presbyterian Church in Farmersville, Ohio. Paul Martin is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Fay Ann and their four children, 12 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren with number 14 on the way: 1. Carol Ann (Philip) Morton of Germantown and their 3 children and 8+1 grandchildren: a. Amy (DeWight) Smith: children Bethany, Abigale and Grace b. Philip Isaac (Heather) Morton: children Hannah, Maddie, Sarah and Gabriella c. Jonathan (Danielle) Morton: children Broderick and baby due in Jan 2016 2. Cinda Arlene (Greg) Shell of Farmersville and their 2 children: a. Tangy (Bill) Thomas of Avon, OH and children Natalie and Landon b. Jason (Jeni) Shell: children Jillian and Jordan 3. Clifton (Jana) Martin of Eaton and their 4 children: a. Andrew, b. Katie, c. Elizabeth (fiancée Dillon Davison), d. Matthew 4. Curtis (Darla) Martin of Bettendorf, Iowa and their 3 children: a. Evan : son Aaden, b. Destiny, c. Daniel Paul has 3 surviving siblings: Mary Kaucher, Mildred “Susie” Martin and Carl Jr. (Dora) Martin. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Freida (Marvin) Wilson and brother-in-law Rex (Carolyn) Clifton, a large list of nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Jessie Martin, seven brothers and two sisters and his in-laws, Russell and Esther Clifton. Once asked what Paul would like to say to his family after he passed he simply stated, “We have had a good life together and I hope our children and grandchildren can have healthy lives too. God Bless each of you and love always ….. Daddy.” Family and friends may wish to visit at Rogers Funeral Home in New Lebanon, Ohio on Monday, November 2nd from 5 – 7:00 pm. Services will be lead by Pastor Angie Schenck on Tuesday, November 3rd at 10:00 am at Slifers Presbyterian Church, 2999 South Clayton Road, Farmersville, Ohio. Burial will be at Holp Cemetery, S. Clayton Rd.