Melva Louise Marten

Melva Marten age 70 of Grand Island formerly of Halsey died March 28, 2013 at the Good Samaritan Society Grand Island Village. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday April 1, 2013 at the Halsey Gymnasium in Halsey, NE. with Rev. Linda Martin officiating. Private family Inurnment will be at the Purdum Cemetery. Melva Louise Ryman was born in Buffalo, NY on September 14, 1942 to Melvin Ryman and Clarine Rodocker Ryman. Melva grew up in Halsey and graduated in 1960 from Halsey High School. From there she graduated from Kearney State College with a degree in teaching. In 1966 she married Karl Marten from which two children were born, Adam in 1968 and Susan in 1973. Melva started teaching Kindergarten at Morton Elementary in Hastings. After moving back to Halsey and taking time off to raise her children, Melva returned to teach first grade at Sandhills Elementary in 1982 until her retirement in 2010. One of Melva's passions was reading and sharing her love for books with others. There isn't a niece, nephew, grandchild, or any new baby in the community who didn't receive the gift of books from her over the years. Melva shared her passion for reading by teaching over 300 children, who passed through her classroom to read. What a legacy! Melva joined the UCC church in Halsey standing next to her father in 1983, and attended services there as well as playing the organ for many years. Melva's friends and family were the light of her life. Her friends meant the world to her, and she leaned on them through the years and they on her. Anyone who knows Melva knows how much she cherished her family. Her life changed again in 1993 when the first of her five grandchildren were born. Oh what joy she had in being grandma at home and Ms. Marten in the classroom. Melva couldn't retire until she had taught all five, one of her proudest accomplishments. Melva was preceded in death by her father Melvin and brother Robert. She is survived by her mother Clarine, of Broken Bow; son Adam and his wife Lisa of Halsey and their children Brady, Taylor, Kaitlin, Nolan and Madison; daughter Susan Marten of Grand Island; sister Kathie and her husband Vel Magnuson of Omaha and their children, Matt and his wife Angie, of Platte City, Missouri and their sons Jack and Miles; daughter Gina and her husband Joe Thoendel and their children Carson and Morgan of Olathe, Kansas; sister Julie and her husband Brad Shinn of Broken Bow and their children Christina and Grant; and many close and beloved friends. Melva was carried home by our Heavenly Father on March 28th, 2013 after a courageous and valiant fight against cancer. Memorials may be given to The Melva Marten Memorial Fund which will be donated to the Halsey UCC Church and the angels at Asera Care Hospice of Grand Island.