Howard Raymond Martin

Howard Raymond Martin, 88, passed away Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at the Life Care Center in Burlington. He was born October 21, 1929 on a farm south of Madison, the son of Charles Lorenzo and Cora Myrle Joy Martin. Howard attended the Prairie Bell #102 rural school as a child and went on to graduate from Madison High School with the Class of 1948. Following high school Howard moved to Reading and partnered with his father in the local grocery store for two years. In September of 1950, Howard married Marjorie Whittington. They would later divorce. Howard was drafted in the United States Army on May 25, 1951. He would proudly serve in the Korean War and later earn a honorable discharge on May 6, 1953. Howard returned to Madison and operated the local Co-op with his brother Clyde for three years. He would  spend the next fifteen years working in the local oil fields as a tool dresser and pulling unit operator for George Barnard Well Service, Berentz & Rasmussen Drilling and Cheever Well Service. In the summer of 1970 Howard began his career in the beef processing industry, working at I.B.P. for three years before moving to Dumas, Texas. While in Dumas Howard was employed at American Beef, Fisher Construction and Swift. He moved to Liberal, Kansas and worked at National Carriers for twelve years before returning to Dumas in 1990. Howard retired as a U.S.D.A. Inspector in 1996. He married Sandy Taylor on February 14, 1985 in Beaver, Oklahoma. They would enjoy over 24 years together before Sandy’s death on December 4, 2009. Howard’s family would like to thank his neighbors, Paula & Shae Brannon for the care and comfort they gave to Howard the later years of his life. He will live on in the hearts of his daughters, Vickie Griffith and her husband Robert of Madison, Brenda Meyer and her husband Doug of Madison an Debra Bailey and her husband Eldon of Olathe; a son Raymond Martin and his wife Sharon of Madison; nine grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren. Howard was preceded in death by his parents; sisters Dorothy Jones, Helen Hunnicutt, Vivian Stafford and Zella Baysinger; brothers Ralph, Clyde and Charles Martin. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 P.M., Saturday,  June 16th at the VanArsdale Funeral Home in Madison. Inurnment will be at a later date in the Liberal Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M., Friday, June 15th at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Madison Educational Assistance Fund and sent in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be expressed at vanarsdalefs.com.