Steven Martin

It was a dark and stormy night, in a small Iowa town on the mighty Mississippi, when little Steven came into this world. The rest is history. He departed 75 years later dying in his sleep of pancreatic cancer. There will be graveside services conducted by Rev. Ken Riley at 2:00 p.m., Monday, November 5, at Oakwood Cemetery. A visitation is set for the afternoon previous at 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, November 4, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. Steve’s life ended on Halloween, one of his favorite holidays. He would dress up in homemade costumes with other Telephone Pioneers to parade in a local elementary school. One year, Steve was a Big Fish. Another year, he was a console TV, and then another, a box of Hamburger Helper. When Steve was about 6 years old his family moved from Iowa to Quad Cities, Illinois. Poor Steve was forced to repeat Kindergarten since his dyslexia was little understood then. However, he grew to love reading – especially history and science. After graduating from United Township High in 1961, he immediately joined the Army Signal Corps for 3 years. While stationed at Ft. Hood, he met a Waco girl, Sue Farris, at a local roller rink. They later married in 1964 and had two sons. That same year, he went to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone as a lineman. Over the years, he also worked as an installer and cable splicer. He worked there for 33 years until his early retirement from AT&T. Steve lived to see many Major Events during his lifetime -- among them Vietnam, the moon landing and the attack downing the World Trade Towers in NYC. In 2001, he married Bell co-worker, Shirley Chandler Evans, after a 22 year off-and-on courtship. They enjoyed many years of traveling and doing genealogy together. He was predeceased by his mother, Lucy Sissel Martin; his father, Raymond Martin; brother, Marvin; Sister, Diana; Cousin, Joe Walkey; and coffee buddy, Allen Straus. He is survived by wife, Shirley of Waco; son, Richard and husband, Vern of New Orleans; son, John and wife, Jana of Arlington, TX; stepdaughter, Laura Evans Smith and husband, Kevin of Waco and their three daughters, Chandler, Kathryn and Claire; sister, Vivian Lodico of Silvas, IL; niece, Sara and three nephews of Illinois; and good friend, James Rieger. Donations may be made, in Steve’s name, to M.D. Anderson Cancer Research or the Salvation Army. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.