Gary G Martinson

Gary G. Martinson, 74, of Newton died on Thursday, May 25, 2017, at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Clinics in Iowa City.  A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, May 27, at the Grace Church in Newton. The family will greet friends after the service with a lunch. Memorials to the Rossi House, the Transplant Unit, or the Palliative Care Wing all at the University of Iowa may be left at the church the day of the service. The Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory is handling the cremation.

Gary, the son of H.G. and Genevieve (Dresler) Martinson, was born on August 4, 1942 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  His father was in the service, so his mother and H.G. went to live with his grandparents, Clarence and Nellie Dresler in DeWitt, Iowa.  After his brother Dean’s birth, the family moved to Florida where Gary graduated from Zephyr Hills High School in 1960.  He then attended the University of Southern Florida.  Working as a machinist, Gary found a job and moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa where he met and later married Kathryn Hazlet on February 5, 1966 in Waterloo.  In 1972, they made their home in Reinbeck where they lived for the next 27 years.  After that they lived in Garwin for 18 years before moving to Newton in 2014.  Gary was a talented woodworker and worked as a self-employed carpenter.  He also enjoyed gardening and bird watching.  He was a member of the Grace Church in Newton.

Gary is survived by his wife, Kathryn of Newton; son, Curtis Martinson of Newton and Jennifer (Brian) Wilson of Urbandale; grandchildren, Anna Teal Martinson of Texas and Sawyer and Emma Wilson of Urbandale; his siblings, Dean (Donna) Martinson of Arizona, Linda Price of Florida, and Kim (Cheri) Martinson of Florida; and many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Michael Martinson.

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