Delph Dan Martin, May 05, 1920 — May 21, 2018

Delph “Dan” Martin died at his home in Baker City, Oregon on Monday, May 21, 2018, at the age of 98. A Celebration of Life potluck will be held Sunday, May 27, 2018, at 1:00 P.M. at Dan and Nan’s home. Dan was born May 5, 1920 at his parents’ home in Ottawa, Kansas.

At the age of 15 his family moved to Ontario, Oregon, at the height of the Dust Bowl years. After graduating high school in 1940, he followed his family to Everett, then Bellingham, Washington. In December, 1943 he married Frances “Nan” Backlund.

For the next 20 years, he worked in shipyards, an early plywood plant, and did a tour of duty in the Marines. While in the Marines, Dan schooled in radio communication and training Navajo wind talkers. In January of 1960 Dan moved his family to Baker City and bought a ranch on Highway 7, where he and Nan remained for 53 years.

He worked on the construction of the Ashgrove Cement Plant in Durkee, as well as I-84, building bridges and overpasses between Ladds Canyon and Durkee. He also worked on the building of the Hell’s Canyon Dam, Brownlee Dam, and Mason Dam. Dan was a writer, a poet, a political student, and a social critic, often known for his scathing letters to the editor in the Democrat Herald.

He was passionate about Democracy and the care of the planet. In his 98 years he witnessed the Great Depression, WWII, the atom bomb, the Cold War, Hitler’s Europe, Stalinist Russia, as well as more recent events. Dan is survived by his beloved wife Nan, and his children Cherryl Martin, Karen (Tom) Rudolph, Daphne (Lary) Hall, Ilo (Ed) Widman, all of Baker City, Oregon; his son Dann (Betty) Martin of Harper, Oregon; and his younger brother Doral Martin.

At the time of his death, Dan had 10 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and 8 siblings. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heart ‘N’ Home Hospice and Palliative Care, or the charity of your choice, through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel at 1500 Dewey Avenue, Baker City, Oregon 97814.

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