Gerald Martin Sr.

Lifespan: March 8, 1903 – June 14, 1931

Summary

Born March 8, 1903 in Wisconsin. Son of Lile and Mildred Martin of Sturgeon Bay. Lived all his life in Sturgeon Bay, Door County, Wisconsin. Employed as a rivet heater at the Leathem D. Smith Dock Company (shipyard). Married Hazel Miekle of Clay Banks on January 29, 1921. Three children: Helen, Lester, Gerald Jr. Died at his home on N. Church Street, Sturgeon Bay, at an early hour Sunday morning, June 14, 1931, age 28, after an illness of two months. Funeral conducted by the Christian Science Society at his parents’ home on Peter Street. Buried at Bayside Cemetery, Sturgeon Bay.

Relationships

• Father: Eliphlet “Life” Martin (1869–1956, b. Wisconsin) — living on Peter Street, Sturgeon Bay at time of Gerald’s death. Son of Henry Martin (b. Ireland) and Eliza Hutchinson (b. England).
• Mother: Mildred Martin (b. Michigan) — living on Peter Street, Sturgeon Bay at time of Gerald’s death (1931)
• Brothers:
  • John Martin — Sturgeon Bay (1931)
  • Henry Martin — Sturgeon Bay (1931)
• Wife: Hazel P. Mielke (Jul 12, 1902–Apr 8, 1987) — married January 29, 1921. “Hazel Miekle of Clay Banks.” Later remarried Clarence Lau (May 7, 1932).
• Children:
  • Helen M. Martin (Nov 13, 1924–Jun 7, 1974) — direct line. m. Clifford Alfred Schmidt. Age 7 at father’s death.
  • Lester E. Martin Sr. (c. 1926–?) — age 5 at father’s death. Living in Townsend, WI (1987). The “Sr.” means he had a son Lester Jr.
  • Gerald Martin Jr. (c. Apr 1931–?) — age 2 months at father’s death. Living in New Franken, WI (1987).

Sources

• Obituary, Door County News, June 18, 1931 — primary source. Full text below.
• 1920 US Census, Door County, Wisconsin, ED 69, Sturgeon Bay Ward 1 — Gerald (age 17), parents Lile Martin (b. Wisconsin) and Mildred Martin (b. Michigan). Brothers John and Henry. Sheet 10A, household 222.
• Hazel P. Lau obituary (Apr 8, 1987, Green Bay, WI) — names husband as “Gerald Martin, Sr.” who “preceded her in death in May 1931.”
• Cemetery/burial record — Bayside Cemetery, Sturgeon Bay. Birth date listed as May 8, 1903 (differs from obituary’s March 8 — obituary likely more accurate as a contemporary source).
• Family oral history (previously recorded as “Herold Martin” — corrected to Gerald per obituary).

Obituary (full text, Door County News, June 18, 1931)

Gerald Martin, age 28, passed away at his home on N. Church Street in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin at an early hour Sunday morning, after an illness of two months.

He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Life Martin, born March 8, 1903 and lived all of his life in Sturgeon Bay.

He had been employed as a rivet heater at the L.D. Smith Dock Company, until taking ill.

He was united in marriage with Hazel Miekle of Clay Banks on January 29, 1921, to which the union, three children were born, all of whom survive, as follows: Helen age 7, Lester age 5 and Gerald, Jr., age 2 months. Other survivors include his wife, parents and two brothers, John and Henry, both of Sturgeon Bay.

Funeral services were conducted under the directions of the Christian Science Society, were held from the home of his parents on Peter Street at 10:00 am Tuesday. Interment was made in Bayside Cemetery.

Among those from out of town who were present at the funeral were: Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Boyce of Hollywood, California and Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Skibbe, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Miekle, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Runkle and Mrs. Jennie Wagner, all of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Research Notes

Birth date discrepancy

• Obituary (contemporary source, 1931): March 8, 1903
• Cemetery/burial record: May 8, 1903
• The obituary is the earlier and likely more accurate source. The “5” in the burial record may be a transcription error from “3.”

Name variants

• “Life Martin” (obituary spelling) vs. “Lile Martin” (1920 census) — same person, Gerald’s father. Census enumerators often phonetically approximated unfamiliar names. “Lile” may be the actual spelling; “Life” may be the newspaper’s interpretation.
• “Herold Martin” was the family oral history version — corrected to Gerald per Hazel’s obituary.

Occupation

• Rivet heater at the Leathem D. Smith Dock Company — a major Sturgeon Bay shipyard (later Bay Shipbuilding Company). Blue-collar shipyard work. The L.D. Smith company was reorganized in 1920 under Leathem Smith and became a major warship builder in WWII.

Marriage

• January 29, 1921 — Gerald was 17, Hazel was 18. Very young marriage.
• Hazel identified as “of Clay Banks” — a township on the Lake Michigan shore in southern Door County. The Mielke family was in Clay Banks.

Christian Science

• Funeral conducted by the Christian Science Society — an American Protestant denomination. Not Catholic, not Lutheran, not Moravian (unlike the Mielke/Pfister line). This is unusual for Door County, which was heavily German Lutheran/Moravian and Belgian/Polish Catholic. Christian Science suggests the Martin family may have been longer-established Americans, not recent immigrants.

Death circumstances

• Died “at an early hour Sunday morning” after “an illness of two months.” Age 28. Cause not specified in obituary. Gerald Jr. was only 2 months old — born around April 1931, meaning Gerald Sr. fell ill around the time his youngest son was born.

Funeral attendees (potential research leads)

• Albert H. Boyce, Hollywood, CA — significant enough to travel from California. Likely a close relative (possibly Mildred’s side?).
• Chas. Miekle, Milwaukee — almost certainly Hazel’s brother or cousin (Mielke family).
• Franklin Skibbe, Milwaukee — Skibbe is a German surname common in Wisconsin.
• Louis Runkle, Milwaukee — Runkle is German/Pennsylvania Dutch.
• Jennie Wagner, Milwaukee — Wagner is German.

Parents and the Irish ancestry question — RESOLVED

• Father: Eliphlet “Life” Martin (1869–1956) — born Wisconsin. His father Henry Martin (1831–1896) was born in Ireland; his mother Eliza Hutchinson (1830–1884) was born in England.
• Mother: Mildred Martin — born c. 1881 in Michigan. Mother also Michigan-born.
• Betty (Schmidt) Krumpos was correct — there IS Irish ancestry in the family. It comes through the Martin line: Life Martin’s father, Gerald’s paternal grandfather, was an Irish immigrant.
• The Irish Martin ancestor likely arrived in America mid-1800s (Great Famine era). Martin is the 10th most common surname in Ireland, particularly associated with County Galway.

Next steps

1. 1880 census — Life Martin (age ~9) in his Irish father’s household. Would give the grandfather’s name. Free on FamilySearch. Most important next document.
2. 1900 census — Life as young adult, confirming details.
3. Life Martin obituary — Door County newspaper archives. Would name parents.
4. Mildred Martin — maiden name still unknown. Born in Michigan. Albert H. Boyce of Hollywood may be her relative.