Hobart “Hobie” Martin passed away at his home in Hamlet, Ind., on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021.
He was born Aug. 19, 1923, to James and Laura (Bechdol) Martin, who resided in Cass County, Ind.
Upon graduation from Young America High School in 1941, Hobie enrolled at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. However, after only one year of college, in February of 1943 he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served in the U.S. 86th Infantry Division in both the European and Pacific Theater operations. The 342nd regiment went into action in March of 1944 in Belgium, crossed the Rhine into Cologne, and finished the war in Austria.
Upon his discharge as a staff sergeant in 1946, Hobie returned to Ball State and completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business education.
After teaching for five years in two small, rural high schools, Hobie founded his own fertilizer business under the name of Farm Fertilizers, Inc., in Hamlet. Eventually the company opened branch locations in Stillwell, Bourbon and Westville Ind., selling various fertilizer and chemical products. Additionally, he was a partner in a lawn and garden company known as DH&R in La Porte, Ind. The company in Hamlet was one of the first five companies in Indiana to manufacture and blend liquid fertilizer.
A memorable event in Hobie’s life was flying from Tokyo to Hiroshima in December 1945 with Secretary of War Patterson. The pilot was Hobie’s good friend, John Shoemaker, who was one of General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters airmen in Tokyo. In August of 2010 Hobie was selected as one of two veterans from Starke County to be enshrined at the World War II Museum.
While president of Farm Fertilizers, Inc., Hobie, along with 11 other Hoosiers and 800 United States delegates, were invited to participate in a United States-Chinese joint session on industry, trade and economic development in Beijing, China, in 1988. This meeting was the first of its kind between the United States and China.
During his coaching career, which was before class basketball was instituted, Hobie’s 1950 Stillwell team defeated La Porte High School in the sectional by a score of 52-51 after trailing by 13 points with 6 1/2 minutes left in the game. The game was immortalized in the book “Season of Upsets.” Enrollment at Stillwell High School for grades 9-12 was 56 students.
Hobie was an avid White Sox baseball fan as far back as the 1950s when the Go-Go Sox were well known for their second baseman Nellie Fox, pitcher Billy Pierce and Manager Paul Richards.
In 1963 Hobie was appointed as a member of the first board of directors of the Indiana Plant Food & Chemical Association, for which he served as president in 1973. Also, he was on the board of directors for the National Fertilizer Solutions Association from 1974 through 1976. In his own community he served for six years on the first elected school board for the Oregon-Davis School Corporation. In 1991 Gov. Evan Bayh awarded Mr. Martin the state’s highest civilian service award, the Sagamore of the Wabash.
As a lifetime member of both American Legion Post 356 in Hamlet and VFW Post 10097 in Ft. Myers, Fla., Hobie served as a post commander in Hamlet in 1959. He was a member of Knox Masonic Lodge 639 and a life member of Murat Temple of Shriners in Indianapolis, Ind. He and his wife once held memberships at the Plymouth County Club in Plymouth, Ind., as well as membership at Cypress Lake Country Club in Ft. Myers. During his lifetime Hobie enjoyed playing golf and traveling with family and friends.
In 1947 he married Delores Addison, who preceded him in death on Nov. 11, 2009.
Also preceding him in death were his parents; one brother, Richard Martin, in February 2007; and one sister, Betty McKaig, in March 2019.
He is survived by his three children, Laura Walters of Fayetteville, N.C., Brent (Eileen) Martin of Plymouth and Brian (Brenda) Martin of Statesville, N.C.; one grandson, Kevin (Stephanie) Walters of Fishers, Ind.; two granddaughters, Kirsten Martin of South Bend, Ind., and Erika Martin (Scott) of Manhattan, Kan.; great-grandson, Kenneth Martin; and four great-granddaughters, Anabelle, Vera and Scarlett Walters and Cecilia Wilburn.
A member of the Greatest Generation, Hobie Martin will be missed by all. Visiting hours will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, and 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, at Rannells Funeral Home, Hamlet Chapel. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the funeral home. A private burial will be held at Fletcher Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF) or Oregon-Davis Elementary Academic Enhancement Fund (SSFE).
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