Dorothy P. Marten, (97) of Broken Bow, passed away June 25, 2018, at Broken Bow Care and Rehab Center in Broken Bow.
Graveside services for Dorothy will be held on Friday, June 29, 2018, at 10:00 AM, at the Merna Cemetery in Merna, NE. Govier Brothers Mortuary of Broken Bow is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.govierbrothers.com.
Dorothy was born in a small community between Blair and Florence, Nebraska on January 20, 1921, to Phillip and Edith (Allen) Craig. She lived there as a young girl until her parents relocated to Blair, Nebraska. She grew up during the Depression and worked at several jobs, including babysitting, sewing, and worked at a diary.
At the age of 18, she moved to the Sandhills south of Lakeside to work with her Aunt Sara and Uncle Don Shrewsbury on a ranch to help with the cooking and cleaning for ranch hands. This is where she learned to cook some of the most wonderful meals you could ever eat…breads, and rolls, and pies and cakes.
While on the ranch, she met a cowboy, Clarence W. Anthony, and they were married when she was 19 years old. Four children were born, Sarajean, Craig, Jane, and Allen Anthony. In 1957, Clarence and Dorothy moved to their own farm near Ansley, Nebraska. Dorothy and her family always raised a big garden, and chickens, pigs, and cows.
Dorothy worked as a nurse aide at Ballard’s nursing home and Broken Bow Community Hospital, and Dr. Wilcox’s office in Ansley. She helped with the delivery of many babies, car and farm accidents victims, and cared for many sick and elderly people over the years. Clarence passed away in the spring of 1965.
In August 1966, Dorothy married William (Bill) Marten in Merna, Nebraska and they lived on a Farm on the Callaway road for years, until Bill’s death in July 2002. Dorothy worked at the BD plant for 5 years and then worked at the Broken Bow clinic, predominantly doing x-rays.
At the age of 62, Dorothy retired from the clinic and opened her own shop, taught painting classes, sold art supplies, wrote a painting book, sold paintings, and traveled to art shows. She really enjoyed this time in her life, doing what she loved and spending time with her “painting” friends. Besides being a phenomenal artist, she quilted, made stained glass creations, carved wood, and remodeled and “flipped” houses before it was a trend.
At the age of 84, she moved to Kearney, Nebraska and lived in Kearney for 10 years before returning to her house in Broken Bow. In July 2016, Dorothy moved to Broken Bow Care and Rehab where she has lived the last two years.
Dorothy is survived by four children, Sara (Keith) Walker, Craig (Angeline) Anthony, Jane (Mark) Peterson, and Allen (Mary) Anthony. She has 9 grandchildren, Shandon, Jennifer, Craig “Josh”, Chris, Jeffrey, Adam, Kaitlin, AJ, and Laura. She has 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by husbands, parents and two brothers and a sister-in-law.
Memorials will be designated to:
LifeScape Foundation
2011 W. 26th St., Suite 201
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
605-444-9800
[email protected]
