1963:
HISTORICAL SOCIETY ESTABLISHES Archives as Martens' Memorial

A new archives center at the South Dakota Historical society has been established as a memorial to the late Glenn W. Martens, prominent for many years as an attorney at Pierre and a native of Grant county. Memorial funds were used for the archives center at the request of his daughters, Mrs. James J. Norton, of Hill City and Mrs. Robert B. Lamont, of Aberdeen.

Mr. Martens spent his early life on the farm now occupied by the Bernard Van Stralen family and at one time the location of a pioneer post office, designated as St. Joseph. Mr. Van Stralen and Mrs. Francis Korstjens, of the rural Big Stone community, are cousins of Mr. Martens.

gadding 'round with gerry robbins (handwritten note "Doc Robbins widow, a splendid woman - often played bridge with dad)

Another book is closed and added to my shelf with the death of Glenn Martens. Marty was my favorite duplicate bridge partner.

He had a firm conviction that any hand could make one no trump. If he was playing it, it did. If I was playing it, I often shattered his conviction. He was always kind, no matter how flagrant my errors.

He was a tough defensive player. His harshest comment if I made an obvious lead when an unorthodox one could have set our opponents used to be, "If I only had a partner with imagination." He loved to win, but he could lose with good grace.

His stories of the early days were fabulous and lost nothing in the telling. He came to Pierre one summer to play baseball and stayed for the rest of his life.

He should have written a book. But maybe it's just as well he didn't. Lots of people will rest easier knowing their stories died with him. There will never be another Marty.

Wherein Doth Greatness Lie?
Added by eckspressions on 6 Mar 2009

Editorial from Daily Capital Journal (Tues., Nov 12, 1963)

Marty died Monday.

That was the sad news that came to the people of Pierre and to the friends of Glenn W. Martens everywhere yesterday. Nobody had to ask "who is Marty".

Glenn W. Martens was a lawyer. Marty was a friend, a good companion, a sportsman, a gentleman, a political philosopher, or a sympathetic counsellor in the estimation of everyone who exercised the privilege of calling him Marty.

He earned his living in the practice of law in Pierre for a period of 57 years; he won the affection and esteem of the people of his community by the practice of kindness and consideration, of generosity and thoughfulness, of courtesy and affability.

Was Glenn Martens a great man? To those who would answer that question we suggest, first there are not many like him, and second that they consider the writing of Thackery: "To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep hear when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; to forego even ambition when the end is gained -- who can say this is not greatness?"

South Dakota Hall of Fame Bio--Glen W. Martens
Added by eckspressions on 5 Dec 2008
Originally submitted by bachsr to Bachhuber/Martens Family Tree on 1 Jan 2008

Glenn W. Martens was born at Big Stone City, SD on November 24, 1881, to Martin P. and Catherine (McGuire) Martens. He attended schools in Big Stone City and Milbank in South Dakota and in Ortonville, Minnesota. During his high school days at Big Stone City, he served as captain for the championship football team in 1900.

He was admitted to the bar at Pierre in 1906 and ran a private law practice in that city from 1906 until his death in 1963. He served as the County Judge for Hughes County from 1908-11 and as State Attorney from 1910-14.

Martens was elected on the Republican ticket as the State Senator representing Hughes and Sully Counties in 1922 and served in that capacity from 1923-25. He served as special prosecutor for the State of South Dakota on criminal cases on behalf of the state and counties for many years and was a member of the South Dakota Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Judiciary Society and was state chairman for the Republican Party for six years.

Martens studied law with attorneys in practice in Milbank and came to Pierre as a law clerk in the office of H.G. Fuller, a judge of the Supreme Court. In 1910 he joined with Henry R. Horner and Karl Goldsmith in a partnership law practice and headed the firm in 1922 when Horner retired. During his long practice he participated in the trial of numerous cases of high importance in state and federal courts, including appearances as special prosecutor for the State of South Dakota and Hughes County. Marty contributed to the establishment of the ranching industry in western South Dakota in that he contributed on many occasions to the prosecution of cattle rustlers.