Rodney H. ‘Butch’ Martens

Butch was born July 9, 1945 in Riceville, Iowa, the son of Harlan Martens and Mildred (Stark) Martens. He grew up working on the family farms, and spoke fondly of that time throughout his life. One of Butch’s favorite memories as a child was his activities with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts as they constructed Lake Hendricks in Riceville. He graduated from Riceville Community High School in 1965. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he served in the U.S. Army from 1965-1967 and was proud to tell the story of how he met John Wayne during basic training when he and his fellow soldiers were hired to play extras for the movie, “The Green Berets.” In 1968, after his time in the service, Butch began his career at Borg-Warner/GE Plastics in Ottawa, Illinois. He retired from GE in 2001 after over 32 years.

He married Patricia (Spicer) Martens in October 1973 and they raised their three daughters in the Marseilles, Illinois area. Butch spent his retirement on his new-found passion – walking. He challenged himself to walk just a few more miles each day and would call his children to brag about his new milestones. Butch also enjoyed getting together with the “guys” each morning for coffee while living in Illinois, and having lunch with “his three Ladies” at Lost Creek Apartments once he moved to Michigan.

Butch is survived by his mother, Mildred Matteson; sister, Rene’ (Gordon) Momberg all of St. Petersburg, FL, half-sister, Deb (Joe) Zubrob of Lawler, IA, Patricia Martens of Murphysboro, IL; daughters, Angie (Candace) LeDuc of Marquette, MI, Kris (Cole Vonder Haar) Martens of Morgantown, WV, and Taren Martens of Murphysboro, IL; grandson, Tyler Miller also of Murphysboro, IL; as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.

Butch was preceded in death by his father, Harlan Martens; half-sister, Dee (Jerry) Byrne; maternal and paternal grandparents

In honor of Butch’s wishes there will be a private family gathering in his hometown of Riceville, Iowa.

The Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home of Marquette, MI is assisting the family. Condolences may be left on their website: www.swansonlundquistfuneralhome.com