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Leon Lavern Martin was born at home April 20, 1931 west of Southard, Oklahoma to Lavern Riley (“Beans”) Martin and Hazel (Kephart) Martin. He departed this life on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at Fairview, Oklahoma due to the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Leon attended school at Canton through the 8th grade at which time his legs were badly burned from an accident at home. Once he recovered from the burns, he went to work to help support his family instead of returning to school. Leon enlisted in the Army National Guard of Oklahoma December 8, 1948. On June 7, 1950, he married Georgia Nelson at the Blaine County Courthouse in Watonga, Oklahoma. Shortly after marriage, his National Guard unit was mobilized in July 1950 and he reported to Camp Polk, Louisiana for Federal service in the Army during the Korean War Conflict. Leon and Georgia lived in DeRidder, LA with friends while he was stationed at Camp Polk. He was honorably discharged in December 1950 due to complications from the burns on his legs that he sustained as a child.
Leon and Georgia lived in various towns in Oklahoma and Colorado before settling in Grand Junction, Colorado in 1970 where they lived for the next ten years. Leon moved to Longdale, Oklahoma in 1980 to establish a job and place to live before his wife, Georgia and son, George joined him in 1981. It was here where they made their home and became charter members of the First Baptist Church of Longdale. Leon continued to work for Blaine County as a truck driver until he retired in 1997. Leon and Georgia continued to live in Longdale until they moved to Norman, Oklahoma in 2014. In 2016, Leon and Georgia moved in with their son George and his wife Wendy where they received daily care from them and Wendy’s sister Jaime Womack of Norman, Oklahoma. When his wife passed in 2019, Leon moved to the Fairview Fellowship Home in Fairview, Oklahoma until he passed.
Leon was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Doyle Martin and Gary Martin, sisters Carol James and Laverna Nichols, and his wife Georgia Martin. He is survived by his son, George Martin and wife Wendy of Norman, Oklahoma, brother Ronnie Martin and wife Lola of Longdale, sister Barbara Weber of Longdale, sister-in-law Terry Martin of Canton, a lot of nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. He was a friend to many members of the Longdale and Canton communities.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 9, 2020 at the Cherryvale Cemetery under the direction of Pierce Funeral Home, Canton and officiated by his pastor Lucas White of the First Baptist Church of Longdale. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Longdale or the Cherryvale Cemetery Association with the funeral home as custodian of the funds at P.O. Box 36, Canton, OK 73724. Condolences may be made online at www.piercefuneralhomes.com. Covid-19 restrictions will apply at the graveside service
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