Imogene Ruth Martini

Imogene Ruth Martini was born in Bowdle, SD, on November 5, 1912, the only child of Laura and Merle Baker. She graduated from high school when she was 16, and from the University of South Dakota when she was 20 with a degree in Physical Education. She was initiated into Pi Beta Phi Fraternity in 1930. In 1937 she married Hilmar "Marty" Martini in Sioux Falls. Following Marty's service in the navy, the couple had three children: Penny Lock of Lake Park; Dennis Martini of Mansfield, Texas; and Lynne Dean of Spirit Lake. She was blessed with 11 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren, with number 17 due in July. Her teaching career spanned 34 years, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Omaha, Nebraska, to Saylorville, Lake Park and Terril, Iowa. She taught Physical Education, English, French, and Remedial reading and was coach for the cheerleading squad at Saydel High School. She attended First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake where she was active in the Women's Group, the Quilting group, and Bible Study. In recent months she attended Light of the Lakes Friends Church. For several years, Imogene spent the winter months in Fort Meyers, Florida, where she loved "shelling" and making many beautiful items as well as jewelry with the shells she collected on Sanibel Island. She spent many hours collecting stamps for the Sanibel Island mission group to which she belonged. Imogene was preceded in death by her husband, Hilmar, in 1979, and her first grandchild, Debbie Lock, in 1977. Imogene passed away at Lakes Regional Hospital on Saturday, January 31, 2009, at the age of 96.