Luther 'Jerry' Martin

A celebration of life for Luther "Jerry" Martin, 69, a Hawthorne resident for many years, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Hawthorne.

Mr. Martin died April 15, 2004, at Washoe Medical Center after a brief illness. He was born May 10, 1934, in Carlsbad, N.M., to Luther "Curley" and Flora Martin.

He married Marsha Matheny in 1972.

After serving in the U.S. Navy, he moved to Hawthorne in 1954. He worked at Al's Mobile Station then owned and operated Jerry's Texaco until he went to work for the Mineral County Sheriffs Department in 1973 as a street officer.

In 1980, he was named undersheriff, a position he held until his retirement in 1990. He served as president and charter member of the Western Nevada Peace Officers Association.

He was involved with many organizations in Mineral County, the Jaycees, Walker Lake Boat and Ski Club, and the Elks Lodge. He was a volunteer fireman for many years and chairman of the Democratic Central Committee. He was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, where he was a Eucharistic minister and served on the parish council in the late 1990s.

He loved to travel and was an avid sports fan, seeing the Giants as often as possible. He enjoyed Nascar, fishing, boating, water skiing and motorhome trips.

He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother, Flora Martin; stepfather, OB Cannon; and brother, Lee.

Among his survivors are his wife of 32 years, Marsha; sons and daughters-in-law David and Patty Martin of Atlanta and Wayne and Susan Martin of Atchison, Kan.; daughter Cheri Taylor of Albuquerque, N.M.; daughters and sons-in-law Jill and Jerry Minor of Hawthorne, Joni and Richard Heffner of Palm Springs, Calif., and Shannon and Randy Gurule of Hawthorne; son Jeff Matheny of Hawthorne; sister and brother-in-law, Larri and Wally Glass of Oakdale, Calif.; 20 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Jerry Martin Memorial Scholarship Fund, Financial Horizons Credit Union, P.O. Box 2288, Hawthorne, NV 89415.

Gunter's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.