Harold Benjamin Marti

HAROLD BENJAMIN MARTI

Waukon

Harold Benjamin Marti, 87, passed away on Aug. 9, 2021. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon. A wake will be held at the church prior to the funeral beginning at 9:30 a.m. and a lunch will be served following the service. Burial will be at the Lansing Ridge Cemetery. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Harold was born on Feb. 13, 1934, in Waukon, Iowa, the son of Benjamin and Flora (Schellhammer) Marti. He was baptized at the Lansing Ridge Presbyterian Church, attended Lycurgus School in rural Waukon through eighth grade, and graduated from Waukon High School in 1952.

On Nov. 13, 1954, he married Shirley Gramlich at the Lansing Methodist Church. He worked as a mechanic for Lenz and Underwood before following his desire to farm. He and Shirley rented land in Ludlow Township, Waukon, where they started their family and made many lifelong friends. In 1962, they moved to the Marti homestead near Churchtown, becoming the fourth generation to farm the land.

An early adapter of conservation practices while expanding the farm, Harold received the Young Farmers Award in 1969. In addition to being a dairy farmer, he was a gifted mechanic, carpenter and craftsman, often found fixing farm equipment or making improvements on the farm including solely building an addition onto their home. Many wrought iron railings he made still decorate churches, front porches and mailboxes throughout Allamakee County and Northeast Iowa.

Harold took great pride in his Swiss heritage, reflected by the cowbell hanging in the kitchen to the flag painted on the barn. He and Shirley hosted an exchange student, Bernhard Wegmueller, who helped trace the family lineage back nearly 500 years to Engi, Switzerland. Bernhard, his wife Jacqueline, and their families added much to Harold's life and led to many Swiss friendships.

Harold's broad interests in photography, gardening, hunting, antique autos, and travel led to hours of entertainment with the family gathered around the projector screen. Favorite spots included Colorado and Switzerland, where he made several trips with family and friends. He and Shirley also enjoyed discovering local places, often driving out of the way a bit to try something new. He was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church in Waukon, serving as an elder, deacon and trustee. A music lover, he sang as a barbershopper and in the church choir. In later years, you could find Harold sitting on his swing overlooking the farm yard, where he planted many varieties of trees and flowers. He likely planted thousands in his lifetime, including the apple trees which provided bounty for an annual Marti Applefest where family, friends and neighbors would gather.

Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Shirley; their four children, Marcia (Mike) Haning of Madison, Wis., Marla McCullough (William Bruce) of Middleton, Wis., Michael (Christine) Marti of Story City, Iowa, and Monte (Mollie) Marti of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Harold Marti loved God, his family, his country and he loved being on the farm. In his last year of life, he moved to the Good Samaritan Home in Waukon for health reasons, where he received great care. We will miss seeing you at the farm, Dad (Grandpa Harold).

Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.