Martha C Flatten

Martha C. (Mrs. Floyd) Flatten, age 91, Clark, died peacefully surrounded by family early Wednesday morning, August 10, 2011 in the Golden Living Center at Clark after a lingering illness. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 11AM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with The Reverend Robin Schaunaman officiating. Music will be presented by Rosella Hanson as organist. Soloists will be Dustin Flatten singing, "Angels Among Us" and Kathy Alwin singing, "How Great Thou Art" and "Thy Holy Wings". The congregation will sing "Onward Christian Soldiers", "The Little Brown Church in the Vale" and "Shall We Gather at the River". Casketbearers will be all of her grandchildren with all the great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren as honorary casketbearers. Burial will follow in the St. Boniface Cemetery at Clark. Visitation will be held on Friday from 3-5PM at the Furness Funeral Home at CLark and after 9AM at the Church on Saturday morning. She was born Martha C. Milbrandt on June 18, 1920 at Westport, the daughter of Herman Daniel and Amanda (Ranthum) Milbrandt. She spent her childhood on a farm in Westport with four brothers and three sisters. She enjoyed caring for the horses and other farm animals. She also enjoyed music, especially with her sisters, they were well known for singing in many events throughout the Westport area. Martha especially enjoyed the sunrise dances at Tacoma Park listening to the music of Lawrence Welk who was little known at that time. Her Mother was known for her baking ability and passed that onto Martha. Nearly every Sunday, the family hosted home-style dinners for as many as 50 family members and anyone else in town who wanted to come! In 1941, she was united in marriage to Frank Graves from the Bath area. To this union four children were born; Janice, Gary, Linda and Jeanette. They lived in Pierre, Bismarck, Omaha and Aberdeen. During this time Martha worked for State Publishing in Pierre and Artz Photograph in Aberdeen. Frank was killed in an automobile accident in 1965. In 1971 she met Floyd Flatten. They enjoyed dancing at area supper clubs together and in 1973 were united in marriage. Together, they ran the general store in Crocker where she became known for her desserts and Holiday get-togethers. In the early 1980's they retired and live at Big Stone Lake in the summers and spent winters in Watertown, Houston and in Nevada. They enjoyed hosting many family summer events with family at their lake cabin; ask any grandchild about the great memories and special times with grandpa and grandma at the lake. They enjoyed travels together, especially to Hawaii. They settled in Watertown until 2010 when they moved into the Fay Wookey Memorial Assisted Living Center at Clark where they have resided since. Some of her great pleasures in life, besides her love of baking, was playing Bingo, watching the Minnesota Twins on television and having her hair done by her granddaughter Bobbie Jo, no one else was allowed the honor! Grateful for having shared her life is her husband of nearly 38 years, Floyd Flatten of Clark, children, Janice (Barry) Grote of Crystal Lake, Ill., Gary (Joan) Graves of Omaha, NE., Linda (Thomas) Hardin of Las Vegas, NV., Jeanette (Conrad) Hottman of Houston, TX.,; step-children, Sharon Bjerke, Denny (Pat) Flatten all of Clark, Lanny (Donna) Flatten of Crocker, Rick (Patsy) Flatten of Clark, 27 grandchildren, 63 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, a sister, Matilda "Hun" Roberdeau of Watertown, brother, Dell (Eleanor) Milbrandt of Las Vegas, NV, and a sister-in-law, Elaine Milbrandt of Aberdeen. Preceding her in death were her parents, her first husband Frank Graves, a step-son, David Flatten, siblings, Emma (Henry) Grieben, Elmer Milbrandt, Alma Milbrandt, Ray (Ethel) Milbrandt and Rita (Virgil) Karpen and a brother-in-law, Leo Roberdeau. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com