John Vernon "Swede" Martin

© The Chickasha Express-Star

Sunday, 8 October 2006

Submitted by: Sandi Carter

John Vernon "Swede" Martin passed away October 6, 2006, in the Linwood Nursing Home, Cushing, Oklahoma, after a lengthy illness. He was born August 9, 1918, in Loco, Oklahoma. His parents, James David and Josephine Martin, preceded him in death.

Mr. Martin was a native of Sulphur, Oklahoma, a graduate of Davis High School, and a graduate of Oklahoma A & M with a degree in Agronomy in 1941. After graduation Swede worked with the Soil Conservation Service at DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

He was a veteran having served in the U.S. Navy in WW II.

In the early 1940s he began his career with the Soil Conservation Service in Lindsay, Oklahoma and was an economist for the Watershed Group at Chickasha, Oklahoma; served as Area Conservationist at Pauls Valley, Oklahoma; served as the Assistant State Conservationist for the Alabama State Conservation Program; and served as the Missouri State Conservationist. In 1975, he moved to Fort Worth, Texas and served as the Director of the South National Technical Center and Assistant Chief of the SCS for the Southern (16) States. In 1979 he retired from the Soil Conservation Service and lived the remainder of his life in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

During his lifetime, Swede was: a loyal alumni and supporter of OSU; Committee Chairman, Class of 1940, for the construction of Henry G. Bennett statue on OSU's Campus (1991); President, National Soil Conservation Society of America - 1977; President, National Association of Retired Soil Conservation Employees - 1993; President, Stillwater Country Club, 1991 - 1992; served the Board 1989 - 1992; President, National Association of Retired Feberal Employees, 1991; President, Stillwater Exchange Club, 1983 - 1984; Alumni Advisor for the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity at Oklahoma State University for several years; active member of the First United Methodist Church, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Julia Anderson Martin of Cushing, OK; a son, Vernon D. Martin and his wife, Kanda of St. Simons Island, GA; a daughter, Judy Ostervold and her husband, Lars B. of Columbus, GA; five grandchildren, Laryn Moore and family, Broken Arrow, OK; Paige Swift and family, Columbus, GA; Lars Ostervold, Jr., and family, Broken Arrow, OK; Kirk Martin, Atlanta, GA; and Bergen Rigby and family, Schweinfurt, Germany; ten great grandchildren; a sister, Jocille Kienlen and her husband, George, Arvada, CO, two sisters-in-law and several nieces and nephews.

Swede lived knowing his family and friends loved him.

Funeral services will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, October 10th at 2:00 p.m., Cushing, OK with the Rev. Tom Stewart officiating.

Burial will be at Euchee Valley Memorial Park, east of Cushing, OK.

Services have been entrusted to the Palmer Marler Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, family requests that memorials be made to the Oklahoma State University Foundation, the Soil and Water Conservation Society, or Judith Karmen Hospice, Stillwater, OK. Addresses for memorials may be requested from the Palmer Marler Funeral Home.

Condolences and an online guest book are available at PalmarFH.com.

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