Harold Martin

Harold Lee Martin, 82, of Cerro Gordo passed away February 17, 2020 in St. Louis, Missouri. Funeral service will be 10:30 AM Friday, February 21, 2020 at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home, Decatur. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 Thursday, February 20, at the funeral home in Decatur. Burial will be in Cerro Gordo Cemetery. Memorials in Harold’s honor may be made to Cerro Gordo Youth League or The Brethren Church of Cerro Gordo. Harold was born in Decatur, IL on December 11, 1937 to Clifton, Sr. and Georgianna (Kropp) Martin. He graduated from Cerro Gordo High School and was active in all sports. Harold worked at A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company/Tate & Lyle in the I.C. Department, retiring after 40 plus years of service. He later worked for Buchanan. Harold played fast pitch softball for 32 years, as centerfielder, pitcher and manager in State tournaments. He was Grand Marshall of the Fat Hill Fest in 1996, the same year he was elected to the Illinois Amateur Softball Hall of Fame. Harold was involved in Cerro Gordo Youth League and was inducted into the Youth League Hall of Fame in 2010, and coached many youth teams in the community. Harold loved being outdoors, gardening, and helping others. Harold was a member of The Brethren Church of Cerro Gordo. He married Norma Benson in 1958. They had a daughter Jo Ellen (Dick) Reed of Cerro Gordo and a son Danney (Frankie) Martin of Oakley, granddaughters Brooke Knapp of Mt. Zion, Ali (Joey) Ekiss of Cerro Gordo, great grandchildren Paloma and Palmer Knapp, Isaac and Lincoln Ekiss, stepson Brandon (Yessenia) Sullivan of Ft. Worth, TX, step grandchildren Lilyana, Alisia, and Victor. He married Nancy Born in 2014, stepchildren Ron (Jackie) Born of Mt. Zion, JoEllyn (Terry) Curran of Cerro Gordo, Kelly (Mike) Timlin of Monticello, Kim (Keith) Raleigh of Decatur, step grandchildren Shannon Born, Derek Born, Dustin (Angela) Curran, Kaylin (Blake) Born, Tycen West, Jesek (Cullen) Rogers, Clayton Connour, Tyler Raleigh, Emma Raleigh, step great grandchildren Reed Curran, Brooks Born. He was preceded in death by his first wife Norma, parents, brother Clifton Martin, Jr., sister Dorothy Richardson, brothers-in-law Raymond Richardson, Gene Durbin, and Claude Stogsdill, sister-in-law Judy McGarrigle, parents-in-law Ivan and Jean Benson. Harold is survived by brothers Roger (Nancy) Martin of San Antonio, TX, Mike (Linda) Martin of Cerro Gordo, sisters Jane Stogsdill of Peru, IN, Judy Durbin, Linda (Mick) Tirpak of Cerro Gordo, sister-in-law Valeria Martin, sisters-in-law Donna (Steve) Fleener, Pat Gross, brother-in-law Dean (Becky) Benson, and many nieces and nephews.