Clifford Anthony Martin, age 71, passed away February 7, 2019, at the Castle Rock Adventist Hospital in Castle Rock, CO. Cliff was born in McCook, NE on April 14, 1947. He was the fourth of five children born to Fred and Helen E. (Colling) Martin.
After losing his mother to cancer at the tender age of 5, Cliff went to live with his grandparents, Bernard and Helen M. Colling, on their farm 13 miles northwest of Indianola, NE. At the age of 15, he moved to McCook where he went to school and worked at a bakery and a filling station. His senior year, he moved to Jennings to work on his sister Frieda’s farm and to finish high school, where he met his future wife, Carol Wagoner.
They were married May 28, 1966 in Leoville, KS. To this union were born five children, Corinna, Carmen, Christopher, Casandra and Camille. Cliff held a variety of jobs including farming, mechanic work, truck driving and managing grain elevators.
He was known as a jack of all trades and an entrepreneur. He was preceded in death by his parents, his step-mother, Emma (Stewart) Martin, his brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Beverly Martin, and his father-in-law, Wilfred Wagoner. He is survived by his wife, Carol of Sharon Springs, his children, Corinna Riches of Horsham, PA, Carmen (Doug) Simon of Quinter, KS, Chris (Barb) Martin of Englewood, CO, Casey (Richard) Whitley of Goodland, KS, Camille (K.B.) Murphy of Wallace, KS, 18 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren (and 2 on the way,) his sisters, Frieda (Bernie) Goetze of Norcatur, KS, Bernadette (LaVerne) Miller of Norfolk, NE and Bonita (Carey) Hollenhors of Trenton, NE.
and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews. Dad was our Google before Google. He could fix things over a phone line.
He never met a stranger and would often open his house to those who needed a place to stay. He was a great example of how to work hard, to never give up and to share whatever we have with others. Our friends felt like they were just another member of the family.
Dad would tell everyone he met how proud he was of his children, especially of his joy that each of us are believers in Christ. He offered up his pain and suffering as a sacrifice to the Lord, his savior. We will miss his smile and infectious laugh, but we rejoice that he is no longer in pain.
Donations may be made to: In Lieu of Flowers to the Clifford Martin Memorial Fund and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave. , Goodland KS 67735 In Lieu of Flowers to the Wallace County Community Foundation and may be left at the services or Mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave.
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