Eleanor Louise Martin

Eleanor L. Martin, age 96, of Alexandria, died on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at Glacial Trails Memory Care Unit in Starbuck.

Funeral services are 1 p.m., Thursday, March 2, 2023, at Lind Family Funeral Home in Alexandria.

Visitation is one hour prior to the service.

Graveside services are 1 p.m., Friday, March 3, 2023, at the Bagley City Cemetery, Bagley.

Eleanor Louise was born on May 22, 1926, to Elmer and Myrtle (Norquist) Ness in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of six weeks, she moved with her parents back to their native state of Minnesota. She was baptized and confirmed into the Christian faith when a child. She received her education in the communities of Gonvick, Gully and Bagley. She graduated from Gonvick High School and attended French’s Business College in Bemidji. Following her education, she worked as a clerk and bookkeeper in the Auditor’s Office of Clearwater County in Bagley. Eleanor was united in marriage to Martin T. “Marty” Martin on August 2, 1947, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bagley. Following their marriage they lived in Bagley, Bemidji, and various towns in North Dakota for the next 12 years. They settled in Minto, North Dakota in 1959, where they lived and worked for the next thirty years. Her husband, Marty retired from the Great Northern/Burlington Railroad, and they sold their Mobile Home Park that she had been manager/bookkeeper of during their time in Minto and moved to Alexandria. Eleanor enjoyed gardening, reading, playing the organ, fishing, camping, watching old movies and visiting with friends and family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; infant son, David; son, Timothy; and husband, Martin in 2020; daughter-in-law, Carolyn Martin; and brother, Anthony Ness.

Eleanor is survived by her son, Michael T. Martin of Lowry; brother, Basil Ness of Fergus Falls; sister, Myra Coiner of Bemidji; 13 grandchildren; and 27 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers are her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A special thank you to the staff of Glacial Trails Memory Care Unit in Starbuck for their excellent and motherly care that was provided to Eleanor over the past four years.