Eva M. Olson Martell

Eva M. Martell, age 91, passed away May 25, 2018. Eva, daughter of Olaf and Charlotte Olson, was born Dec. 22, 1926 in Brochet, Manitoba, Canada. She was preceded in death by 3 brothers, Obert, Norville, and Otto Olson, her daughter-in-law Georgia Martell, grandchild Margaret Gonnering, and her former husband, Richard Martell. Also preceding her in death in 2016 was her beloved daughter Christine Schmidt.
She is survived by daughters Joyce (David) Downs, Linda (Gary) Stafford, Theresa Erickson (Bill Sobieski), Katherine (Tim) Murphy, Nancy (Kevin) Labby, and Judy Martell (Lee Hartson) and by her sons Richard, David, and Ronald Martell. Eva is further survived by sisters Gladys LaVallee, Joanne Gulbrandsen, Rose Morin, and Doris Clark. She also leaves many very treasured grandchildren, great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

Eva was born in northern Canada, where her father was a fur trapper and fisherman. Eva grew up in a very loving and intelligent family, but sometimes isolated from many outsiders. Their family transportation was usually a boat or canoe on Reindeer Lake or a dogsled in the winter. She had very little formal schooling, but by the time she was a teen, she could speak and read and write in English and Cree.

While working at Island Falls, Sask. she met her future husband, Richard Martell, who was from Menasha, Wisconsin and stationed in Canada during World War II. They married in 1945 and moved to Menasha, where Eva lived the rest of her life. They lived many years on Palisades Drive where they raised their ten children. Eva enjoyed travelling, visiting relatives in Canada, camping, paddling a canoe, fishing, music, and being with her large extended family.

Eva donated her body to the University of Wisconsin Madison Medical School to train future physicians.

Eva wanted to have a memorial service that had music, little children playing, and no sadness. Please join us for a celebration of her life on Monday, June 4 from 3PM to 7PM at Wichmann-Fargo Funeral Home – Tri-County Chapel, at 1592 Oneida St, Menasha, WI. We will have a casual gathering with a short service at 4:30 PM.