Ruth Martens slept away Sunday, January 7th at the age of 88, soon to be 89 - March 3rd. She went to join her grandson Brennan Luffman (passed at age 24), her parents George and Edith Shaw, her brothers Donny and John and sister Kathleen. She leaves to grieve, her husband of 63 years John Martens, daughter Charlene Pottruff (Rob), son Trevor Martens, granddaughter Shelby Nowell (Holden), grandsons Brody Weyer-Clarke and Bryson Martens and great granddaughter Aramaya Nowell. Rob’s children, Staci Hill (Sean), Justin Pottruff, and great grandchildren Van, Roman, and Gavin. She also leaves to grieve, her older sisters Edith Wilson, Evelyn Dewar, younger brother Gerald Shaw, brother in-laws Peter Martens, Corney Martens, Ed Martens, sister in-laws Mary Wiebe, Sue Kezama, and Dorothy Wilcox, numerous nieces, nephews, and very special friends.
Mom grew up in the Hazlet district, and from an early age had a great work ethic which she instilled in Trevor and myself. She was cooking for a threshing bee as a teenager, and taught school in a one room classroom at Dama. Mom was a hairdresser at the Charm beauty salon in Swift Current when she met and married a handsome service station attendant, dad, August 20th of 1960.
In the fall of 1961 they moved to Duncairn Dam where they worked for Barney Plewis as farm hands, working to purchase their own land in 1964.
I was born in 1961, and Trevor in 1963 so the decision was made to move to Webb in 1966 so we could attend school. Mom and dad stayed in the same yard at Webb until 2019 when they moved to the active senior living complex River View Village.
Currently Trevor lives in Webb, so often mom and dad could go for a visit and mom would also critique Trevors grass, shrubs, and flower garden.
Mom and dad continued to farm and work second jobs, driving school bus for 9 years. Mom had a rural mail route, hairdressed in her own home and still did a few heads of hair and manicures during covid in River View, but let’s keep that a secret. Mom’s work ethic and perfection showed in her home, cooking, baking, preserves, yard, garden and appearance. We lived off the farm, garden and mom’s preserves. The freezer, basement shelves and root cellar were always full. Mom baked weekly, including bread and buns, and the coffee pot was always on. She would always say “as soon as you get up in the morning, you get ready for the day, you never know when someone will drop in” and “do it right the first time and you won’t have to do it a second time.” She was still baking sweets, bread and buns until a couple years ago when she would get frustrated when an ingredient or step in the process was missed. Her suite and appearance were still immaculate, and she would still ask me to wash her walls and clean above her cabinets which I would convince her otherwise.
While farming mom worked right along dad’s side, hauling grain, shoveling bins, pitching bales, milking cows, butchering chickens until they retired from farming in 2014. A 50 year career.
Mom was very involved in the Webb community as a member of the Webb UCW, cooked and worked in the curling rink, sports days, and hall. Trevor and I were very involved in curling, ball, hockey, school band, and sports. Mom was there to drive, cheer, fundraise, and whatever else was necessary. She attended many of her grandchildren’s ball, hockey games and tournaments. The furthest in BC, Manitoba, and North Dakota. The most recent in Gull Lake for Bryson’s hockey game. Mom was a competitor herself playing ball, golf and curling. I would have to remind her as she sat in the stands behind home plate to keep her umpire remarks to herself. Mom was also “bonspieler” dressing up in costumes, carrying a flask to warm them up and have many laughs. She attended Women’s World’s, Scotties, Brier, and watched curling diligently on TV. Her favorites being Brad Gushue and Rachel Homan and be careful of her answer when you asked her opinion of Jennifer Jones.
Mom loved music and dancing. Trevor and I both received our dancing lessons in our dining room. At the time we didn’t think much of it, but in our adult years we are very appreciative of our great instructor. She attended many concerts at the Norskfest, Minot, Dolly Parton, Johnny Reid (favorite), River Dance, and many others. She still loved attending the weekly local musicians at River View, but often commented she wished she was well enough to dance.
Mom loved to camp and her last camping trip in her own trailer was in 2022. This past summer she joined us in Buffalo Pound and Cypress Hills, but stayed in a hotel and joined Trevor and I in our campsites so she could still partake and watch the kids. At the beginning of the week she wasn’t very happy with me as she said “we aren’t camping” but by day two was enjoying it very much.
Mom and dad started camping in a tent with a bed mattress and graduated to a fifth wheel trailer. They always took us to Lake Peltier and Cypress Hills for our swimming lessons. Cypress Hills being mom’s favorite, so very fitting that she made it there in 2023.
Mom and dad pulled their fifth wheel down to Yuma and Needles for 30+ years. They often formed a caravan with Wilhelms, Sloans, Horns, Browns, and through the years made many more friends through the winter months. They traveled to Vegas, LA, DollyWood, Branson, Memphis, Maritimes, Mazatlan, Hawaii and Florida. We are grateful we had the opportunity to host them 6 times in Florida, lastly, in 2021. Mom just asked Rob to fly her down again in 2023.
Mom lived a very full, good life up until the last 2 years. Her osteoarthritis, osteoporosis were causing her great back pain and her dementia great frustration; she often told us she didn’t want to live like this and become a burden so, mom being the very strong woman she “willed herself to a better place.” She can now dance, camp, curl, travel, scold and joke with her grandson, and have fun with friends and family.
As hard as it is to lose our mom, wife, grandmother, aunty, friend, we had 88 years with a beautiful, strong, funny, giving woman.
A special thanks to Carol Barsness (close family friend of 55 years) for holding mom’s hand for hours in the hospital and for supporting Trevor and Dad.
Celebration of Life will take place at a future date. As an expression of sympathy, donations in Ruth’s name can be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Canadian Cancer Society.
Arrangements entrusted to Warren's Funeral Home. For further information please call 1-306-773-8831 or 1-800-267-6606, or visit our website at www.warrensfuneralhome.com and express your sympathy to family members on the tribute wall.