John H. Martin

John H. Martin, 71, Lincoln, passed away June 13, 2025. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, June 21 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1500 Country West Rd, Bismarck. Family will greet guests one hour prior. A livestream link of the funeral service will be available here: https://zoom.us/j/99718359137?pwd=DZ3ksu2uhOIvN8V7PJCbTSK1tOwTD2.1

We celebrate the life of John Harold Martin. John was born March 30, 1954 in Tucson, Arizona. His Father was Jesse Elvin Martin, and his mother was Virginia Wynona French. He is the third of four boys. Billy Earl Martin (who preceded John in death), Wayne Martin who lives with his wife Nancy in Napa County California and Timothy Elvin Martin, who lives with his wife Christine on the road for his work.

John grew up in a military home. His father was stationed in South Dakota when his younger brother Tim was born, his mother passed during childbirth in 1959, and the family moved to Northern California. His father later remarried Lorraine Sells and added two daughters Robin and Wendy.

John had the opportunity to be raised by several of his mother’s sisters, His Aunt Oblin in Heavenly Valley, California for a few years, Aunt Nell in Northern California and then his Grandmother French in Livermore California. His education was in part from the 7th Day Adventist boarding school, where he learned to drive farm equipment and later in Southern California public schools graduating with his GED. John had good relationships with his siblings and took care to always to include Tim who was four years younger.

In April 1972, John joined the Air Force and was slotted to be a B-52 Tail Gunner during the Viet Nam Conflict, however, due to a Family emergency he was sent home to attend the funeral when he returned, they changed his slot to Missile Maintenance. This proved to be something that kept John alive. He often reflected that this one death saved his life, as tail gunners in Viet Nam did not have a long-life expectancy.

In 1992 John married Marie and together they had one daughter Jessica. John and Marie later divorced.

In early 1994, John met Kathy and were married April 15, 1995. Kathy had five children from her previous marriage and John took them all as his own.

John had a great love of Airplanes and became a multi-engine pilot and was an aircraft mechanic for over 30 years after his military retirement. Together John and Kathy had great adventures and many hardships. John was a Civil Air Patrol Commander and help in several rescues and airplane incidents. He loved tinkering with his cars and loved woodworking. John even built a grandfather clock from scratch. He loved 60’s and 70’s rock music and played the base guitar.

John is survived by his beloved wife, Kathy, and the children he dearly loved: James and his wife Amie, Paula and her husband Travis, Jessica, Cynthia, Andrea and her husband Dustin, and Amanda and her husband Brian Heath. John was blessed with 11 grandchildren: Kaili, Andrew, Alexandra, Thian, Areana and her husband Arjan, Rebecca, Justice, Dominic, Dylon, Declan and Spenser, and blessed with three great-grandchildren Juliana, Hudson and Graham.