Oliver Eugene “Gene” Martin

February 12, 2016 Last Updated: February 12, 2016 11:00 AM Death Notice

Oliver Eugene “Gene” Martin, 90, a longtime resident for 32 years of North Liberty Road, Grove City, passed away Sunday, following an extended illness.

Gene was born July 4, 1925, and raised in Clintonville. He was the last surviving son of 13 boys born to James A. and Alma O. Bell Martin. He was the last of 13 brothers.

Gene married Helen Louise VanDyke on Dec. 5, 1944. Recently, they celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary. Together they raised their five children in the Barkeyville area.

Gene served in the U.S. Army, 158th Infantry, in World War II, where he was stationed in the Philippines and Japan as a medic and a bulldozer operator.

He worked at Cooper Bessemer in the foundry, at Harrisville Mobile Homes as a repairman, at Oakes Heating in Mercer as a furnace repairman, and he finished his career as a self-employed furnace and air conditioning repairman.

Gene was a former president of the Wesley Grange, and he was a member of the Lions Club while living in Millersburg, Ohio.

Survivors include his wife, Helen at home; one son, Richard Martin and his fiance, Barb Fleeger, of Grove City; four daughters, Connie Peffer and her husband, Donald I., of Grove City, Alma Jacobs of Mebane, N.C., Shirley Isenberg and her husband, William, of Slippery Rock and Pauline Blakley and her husband, Joseph, of Grove City; 10 grandchildren, Brian Harris and his wife, Tracey, Richard Martin and his wife, Tammi, Jenifer Corbett and her husband, Jeff, Robert Isenberg and his wife, Jamie, Jodi Sloan and her husband, Jay, Angela Jacobs, Rhonda Criss and her husband, James, David Martin and his wife, Carrie, Becky Moore and her husband, Brian, and Olivia Brown and her husband, Tim; 21 great-grandchildren, Zachary and Kelsey Harris, Bryce and Sophie Martin, Tasha Coxson, Lily, Emma and Addison Isenberg, Sarah and Rachael Glessner, Braiden and Wyatt Willard, Brandon and Sydney Reynolds, Issac and Riely Criss, Zachary and Clayton Martin, Kayla and Nicholas Moore and Carigan Brown; one great-great-grandson, Oliver Ryan Harris; one step-grandson; three step-great-grandchildren; and one step-great-great-granddaughter.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents; 12 brothers, Robert, Ronald, Harry, Glenn, James, Clarence, Earl, Wayne, Edwin, Lewis, Kenneth and Fredrick Martin; two grandsons, William Jay Isenberg and Wes Burton Jacobs; and two sons-in-law, Donald Jacobs and Donald E. Peffer.

MARTIN — Visitation hours for Oliver Eugene “Gene” Martin, who died Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Cunningham Funeral Home, Grove City.Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial with military honors will be at Crestview Memorial Park.Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.