Obituary: Hans Helmuth Martens

Hans Helmuth Martens, 92, of Hudson, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, November 5, 2026. He was born in Göttingen, Germany, October 25, 1934, son of Ernst and Christa (Nullmeier) Martens. Hans moved to a small island in the North Sea called Foehr, residing there until coming to America July 3, 1953. His sponsor in Waterloo, Iowa, was Martin Lorenzen. Hans moved to Charles City in 1954 to work for Oliver Tractor. There Hans found his life long love, Gisela Preiss. After losing his job with Oliver, he followed her to Ketchikan, Alaska and worked at a pulp mill. In 1957, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and did his training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, then was stationed in Washington D.C. to work on maps in the Pentagon. Hans married Gisela in a beautiful military wedding on May 25, 1957 in Arkansas. Following an honorable discharge, they moved back to Waterloo where they raised two amazing girls.

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