Martha F. Tellin, 93, of Westgate, died Saturday, December 6, 2014, at the Oelwein Care Center.
Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 10, 2014, at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Westgate, Iowa with Rev. Herbert Mueller, III officiating. Interment will follow at the Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 9th, at Becker-Milnes Funeral home in Sumner and for one hour preceding services at the church on Wednesday. Memorials may be made in her name to St. Peter Lutheran Church or the Westgate Volunteer Fire Department.
Martha, daughter of William and Lydia Koelling Sabin, was born February 26, 1921, at Westgate, Iowa. Martha attended St. Peter Lutheran Parochial School and was confirmed by Pastor Schultz, as were all her children. She attended Maynard Consolidated High School 9th through 12th grade. She participated in school plays and worked after hours and weekends at Potratz Grocery Store. After graduation on May 19, 1939, Martha worked as a telephone operator at the Westgate exchange and the grocery store. Martha dated Donald Tellin- he had the car and she had money for gas. She and Donald were married on December 2, 1940, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church by Rev. Heilman. Four children, William Donald, Linda Lou, Gayle Gene, and Dennis Raymond were born to this union. Martha and Don farmed in the Westgate area all their married lives. They moved to Martha’s grandparents homestead January 1, 1949. Donald passed away August 8, 1988, and Martha continued to make her home on the farm until just recently due to her health. She was a member of the Farm Bureau, served as president of Dorcas Society and president and secretary of Ladies Aid, headed up funeral dinners and other church activities, sang in church choir until she no longer could, and attended L.W.M.L. conventions in North Carolina, Texas, and Missouri. She taught Sunday School and midweek for 21 years, and put flowers grown in her tulip and gladiola garden on the church altar for 20 years.
Martha is survived by three sons, William (Joan) Tellin of Oelwein, Gayle (Deloris) Tellin of Westgate, and Dennis (Jeanine) Tellin of Maynard; one daughter, Linda (Gaylan) Bell of Clearfield, Iowa; 13 grandchildren; 34 great grandchildren; 6 great great grandchildren; one brother, Vern (Verla) Sabin of Cedar Falls; and a sister-in-law, Diean Sabin of Westgate.
In addition to her husband, Martha was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Milton and his wife, Shige, Dale, and Larry; two sisters, Lorene and her husband, Elmer Schellhorn and a 4 day old infant sister; her mother-in-law and father-in-law, William and Mary Pflughoeft Tellin; and brothers-in-law, Raymond and Silas Tellin.
