Margaret Martin, 92, formerly of Hensler, ND, died July 5, 2017 at Kinder Care Assisted Living in West Fargo.

A funeral service will be held 10:30 AM Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at the First Lutheran Church of Washburn, ND with Pastor Erik Johnson officiating. Interment will follow in the Hensler Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Tuesday at the church.

Margaret was born October 10, 1924 in Washburn, ND to G.C. & Jane (Bell) Hoffmann. She attended school in Washburn and graduated from Washburn High School in 1943. Margaret attended Bismarck Junior College for one year before returning to work for her dad's businesses but not before a stint in the chicken hatchery in Washburn. She married Owen Schultz and together they had one daughter, Diane. Owen and Margaret later divorced. Margaret continued to work as the bookkeeper at Hoffmann Motors while living in Washburn. She married Steve Martin in 1961 who had 5 children, Dennis, Gary, Sheila, Steven, and Deborah, following the death of Steve's wife. Steve and Margaret then had one daughter together, Tracy. Margaret sold her house in Washburn when she married Steve and they used that money to buy their first quarter of land, 25 registered Hereford cows, and one bull. She and Steve farmed and ranched for nearly 3 decades together continuing to build their farm and cattle herd. Steve died in an ice fishing accident in December 1988. Margaret continued to manage the farm and cattle for 3 more years herself before renting out the land. She remained watchful over the crops and checking cattle, which she finally decided to give up at age 88 when she couldn't get the gates tied up tight any longer and the cows got out. She moved to Fargo, ND at the age of 91 where she resided until her death.

Margaret loved her communities of Hensler and Washburn. She made sure everyone she met knew she came from the "best place in North Dakota".

She is survived by her children, Diane (Richard) Eichhorst, Dennis (Jean) Martin, Sheila (Jim) Wells, Deborah Martin, and Tracy (Rick Berg) Martin; 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two sons (Gary and Steven Martin), one grandson (Ward Eichhorst), and two sisters (Bette Carlson and Lillian Southwick).

Memorials are preferred to the First Lutheran Church of Washburn (709 5 ^th Ave.) or the Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation (PO Box 607, Washburn, ND 58577).