Ray G. Martin

Ray G. Martin, 58, Reedsburg, passed away on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, following an accident at his farm near Rock Springs. He was born July 11, 1950, in Mauston, the son of Walter and Mavis (Nuttall) Martin.

He grew us working on the family farm on Ceylon Road. There he grew to love the life of a farmer and that continued to his dying day. Baseball was another passion and he played Little League in New Lisbon, once having pitched a no-hitter.

The Milwaukee Braves were his team and he remained true to them even when they became the Atlanta Braves.

He was a very religious young man. If he had no way to get to church on Sunday morning, he was known to drive tractor to church.

He graduated with the talented Class of 1968 from New Lisbon High School as one of the top ten academics.

He furthered his studies at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and received his bachelor's degree in General Business and minor in Accounting in 1972.

He then began a career at Hankscraft which brought him to Reedsburg. There he worked in the order and production scheduling departments.

This is where he met the love of his life, Joan Schneider.

They were married on May 24, 1974, at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Reedsburg.

In 1980, he took over his father-in-law's farm on Schneider Road. His life was full of adventures that only farmers experience and he loved it.

He had a quick wit and was a joy to have around; he always told it as it was, with a small smile on his face.

He was a very hard-working man. Between the years of 1993 and 2006 he never missed a single milking of his holstein cows.

He leaves behind his wife of 34 years, Joan Martin; the joys of his life, his children, Jaye Ryan Martien and Kyle Ray Martin (Jennifer) Gross, all of Reedsburg and Leigh Ann "Herman" (Alex) Moss of Eagle; mother, Mavis Martin of Mauston; sister, Carol (Keith) Dashner of Belvidere, Ill.; brother, Gary (Ruth) Martin of Mauston; mother-in-law, Eunice Schneider of Reedsburg; sister-in-law, Marcia (James M.) Montgomery of La Valle; other relatives and friends.

Ray was preceded in death by his father, Walter in February 2001; and father-in-law, Roger Schneider in December 2002.

Funeral services for Ray G. Martin were conducted at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008, at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Reedsburg with Pastor Paul Crolius officiating.

Burial was at Greenwood Cemetery. Friends called from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Monday at the Hoof Funeral Home in Reedsburg.

The Hoof Funeral Home is serving the family.