• General Notes

  REFN: 195
  Harold Frederick Martinson was born to Frank & Irene Schwarting
  Martinson on January 26, 1929, in Williamsburg, Iowa.  He was baptized
  and confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Hilton Twp., Iowa County.  He
  graduated from Hilton Consolidated High School in Conroy in 1946 and
  married Lorraine Shedenhelm on October 15, 1948 in Norway, Iowa.  Early
  in their marriage, Harold & Lorraine made their home on her parents farm
  in Hilton Twp., later moving to Marengo.  In the early years of his
  career he was employed at Amana Refrigeration and Collins Radio in Cedar
  Rapids.  He was owner and manager of a TV sales & service business in
  Marengo, Blairstown, and Cedar Rapids for many years.  He also was host
  at Colony Village Restaurant and managed the Colony Village Self Serve
  gas station on Interstate 80 .  After 1983, he owned and operated Marengo
  Repair Service at the corner of Hwy 6 & V66 in Marengo.
  Survivors include his father, Frank, of Marengo; a son, Harold Jr.,
  and companion, Ella Keiser, of Marengo; four daughters:  Ava Simmons and
  husband, Robert Jr., of Marengo; twins, Sharen Martinson, of Malibu,
  California, and Karen Martinson, of Marengo; a daughter, Donna Martinson,
  of Marengo; two sister:  Mary Ellen Sandersfeld and Gloria Burgy, both of
  Amana; a brother, Edwin Martinson, of Center Point; and a very special
  friend, Mary Betz, of Marengo.
  Also surviving are his former wife, Lorraine Martinson Smith of
  Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas; and five grandchildren, Cory and Cody Simmons,
  and Kendra, Ivy and Emily Martinson.  He was preceded in death by his
  mother, Irene, and two grandsons, Todd and Jeffrey Simmons.
  Harold was a man of many talents and interests.  He was an avid
  collector, saving all sorts of gadgets no one else would consider
  useful.  He was an inventor.  There was no problem he would not tackle
  and he always came up with a solution in his own uniquely creative way. 
  His knowledge of machinery was amazing and he took great pride in these
  skills and in his vast collection of tools.  He approached each task with
  thoroughness and care, no matter now small the job.
  He loved to read and he loved to listen to fine music which he found
  relaxing and therapeutic.  There was a fondness in his heart for all
  animals, and over the years he befriended many a homeless stray or hurt
  animal and gave it a home or nursed it back to health.
  His real passions, however, were his love of nature and his love of
  flying.  Harold loved the outdoors and spent countless hours in the
  country on the farm where he grew up and where he resided the last few
  years with his father.  Equally strong was his passion for flying.  He
  loved the feeling of soaring through the sky in an airplane and his dream
  was to one day build his own Ultra-Lite and fly it.
  His first love was always his family.  He was devoted to his
  father.  He loved his children and gave of himself unceasingly, and his
  grandchildren were especially dear to his heart.
  Harold was a lover of life.  This was obvious to everyone who knew
  him.  His customary greeting was "Smile when you think those thoughts!" 
  More often than not, he had a twinkle in his eye as he eagerly shared the
  latest discovery in natural healing or hypnotherapy with any willing
  listener.  He wasn't afraid to be different - and what he believed, he
  believed strongly.
  With this same fervor, he devoted himself to his family and friends,
  offering a helping hand without being asked, and always supporting the
  cause of the underdog - the sick, the poor or the disadvantaged.  He
  chose to see in his fellow human beings not their shortcomings, but
  instead their potential.  To this end, he devoted endless hours to
  self-education and study learning to help others help themselves.  He
  received his certification in hypnotherapy from the International
  Association of Counselors and Therapists and perfected these techniques 

Details of Harold Frederick's family with Lillian Lorraine Shedenhelm