MAURICE MARTIN obituary

FAIRVIEW, N.D. - Maurice "Nig" Martin, 86, of Fairview, N.D., formerly of Havre, died Friday, July 1, 2005, at his home.

A memorial service was held at Community Presbyterian Church in Fairview on Thursday.

Maurice was born Feb. 26, 1919, in Fedora, S.D., to Charles and Emma (Boyer) Martin. He started school in south Dakota, before he and his family moved to Fairview, N.D., where he finished school. After school, he worked on the family farm and later hauled gas.

Nig was married to Gladys Berndt on Sept. 23, 1945, in Sidney.

After the marriage, he worked on cars, doing body work. In the late 1940s, they moved to Havre, where Nig did body work for Henry

Weber. They returned to the family farm for awhile and then back to Havre in the mid-1950s. He did body work and painted cars with Johnny Frigon. They then moved to Cut Bank where Nig bought into a body shop called Martin-Del. They returned to the family farm in 1960. Nig retired from farming in 1980. They moved into town in 1995.

Nig enjoyed shooting pool, archery, gardening, farming, yardwork, visiting, talking the phone and going to MonKota for coffee. he enjoyed watching TV, especially Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire."

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Jerry; brother, Frank; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Amy Schmick, Grace Elliott, Elva Johnson, Violet Berndt, Agnes Riedel, Leslie "Skee" Berndt, Russell Berndt, Rueben Berndt and George Elliot.

Survivors include his wife, Gladys Martin of Fairview; daughter, Dee (Timothy) Dietrich of Cartwright, N.D.; brother, Marion (Mildred) Martin; sister, Marge (Rex) Erps of Palmer, Ark.; sister-in-law, Agnes Martin of Las Vegas; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and brothers- and sisters-in-law, Gordon (Irene) Berndt, Ethel (Ben) Stevens, Walter (Irlene) Berndt, Albert (Betty) Berndt and Wilma Berndt.