Robert Anton Martin, 88, of Oakland, NE passed away peacefully on November 17, 2022, at Oakland Heights Nursing Home after a brief illness.
Memorial Service with Military Honors will be Friday, November 25, 2022, 11 am at First United Methodist Church in Oakland, NE. Interment at a later date at the Oakland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials can be directed to the family to be designated at a later date.
Robert Anton Martin was born on March 28, 1934 to Swedish immigrants Carl Anton Martin and Ellen Karolina (Nelson) Martin in Oakland, Nebraska.
Robert (also known as Bob) lived in the Oakland community his entire life. He was confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Oakland. He attended grade school at Mount Olive Country School and high school in Oakland. When he graduated high school, he attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 2 years, majoring in agricultural science. After college, he served in the United States Army for two years, where he was stationed in Japan.
On April 10, 1959, he was married to LaVonne (Carlson) Stromquist in Ord, Nebraska. To this union, two children were born, Teresa Martin and Michelle Martin. LaVonne also brought two young children from a previous marriage, Vickie Stromquist and Gary Stromquist. They lived most of their lives on a farm east of Oakland. In addition to farming, Bob also worked at IBP in West Point, Nebraska. After retiring, he was a seasonal employee for Helena.
Bob was a long-time member of the VFW Post in Oakland and served as commander. He was also a member of the American Legion Post in Craig and also served as commander in this organization. He was a member of Masons and worked his way through the degrees to earn Chairs Royal Arch and then was invited to become a Shriner. Bob was a member of the First United Methodist Church, where he served as board president and on other committees.
Robert was preceded in death by his parents: Anton and Ellen Martin; four sisters and brother-in-laws: Anne (Martin) and Earl Johnson of Oakland, Helen (Martin) and Cutter Palmer of Wilmington, DE, Ruth (Martin) and Leonard Eastman of Denver, CO, Dorothy (Martin) and Norman Bruegmann of Lincoln, NE, and two infant brothers; sister-in-law: Bonnie Lehl and husband Ray Lehl of Henderson, NV; brother-in-law: Arthur Carlson of Scribner, NE; son in law: Rick Meints of Cortland, NE. and Vickie’s long-time companion: Denny Johnson, Omaha, NE.
Survivors include his wife, LaVonne, three daughters and son: Vickie Greenwell of Lincoln, Gary (Jolene) Stromquist of Oakland, Teresa Meints of Lincoln, and Michelle (Jerry) Bader of Arvada, CO; sister-in-law: Beulah Carlson of Scribner; 11 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren.