Obituary of George Martin

George “Junior” Martin was born in Rose, Oklahoma to Ada and George Martin on January 4th, 1926. He was the oldest of four children with his siblings Hazel and John Holly, Barbara and Dale Walker and Jim and Rachael Martin. He was drafted into World War II in the Army Infantry and was a machine gunner that toured France, Belgium, and Germany. He was in the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive campaign on the Western front. He was shot in the right arm and captured by the German army where he was a POW for several weeks until being liberated by the Allies. He received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for heroic achievement. His parents were notified that he was missing in action and then the next day, he showed up on their front door to their joyful surprise. He was offered to be presented the Bronze Star by the President, but he declined it since he wanted to get home as quickly as possible to see his family. After the war, he went to Oregon for the summer with his cousin to work in a fruit cannery. When he returned home to Oklahoma, he went on a double date and met the love of his life, Lena, and they moved to California where they were married in 1947. He quickly began working for Teichert in 1947 and would work for the company as a foreman for 38 years. He received the first Teichert truck in the early 1950’s and laid the first sewer and drain in Elk Grove in the mid-60’s. He was the oldest member of the Laborers Union Local 185. He was a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is a registered member of the Cherokee Nation and his great-great-grandmother was the last living survivor of the Trail of Tears where the Cherokees were marched from Georgia to Oklahoma to a reservation. Susie Still marched for fourteen months from 1838-1839 with her three small children through the elements. George retired from Teichert in 1980 and he quickly started a restoration project of 1929 Ford Model A and drove it in the Elk Grove Western Festival for over 25 years. He lived in Elk Grove for over 73 years and lived on Melrose Ave across the street from Joseph Kerr Middle School in 1977. He was the unofficial ‘Mayor of Melrose’. He was married to the love of his life, Lena “Toots”, for 73 years. He is survived by his wife, Lena, and son, Danny and Jan Martin. Surpassed in death are his son, Ric Martin, and daughter, Dodie and Harley Barling. He had a special nickname for all his grandchildren: Bruce (Brewster) and Melissa Bohlmann, Bryan (Bryny Boy) Martin, Brandon (Beeper) and Brooke Martin, Cassie (Cathy) Dunham, and Nicole (Miss Ashley) and Thomas Hall and has nine grandchildren. A small family viewing and celebration of life will be held Monday, November 16th from 10am-11am at Sacramento Memorial Lawn on Stockton Blvd, Sacramento CA. He will be laid to rest in Rose, Oklahoma.