Felipe Martinez

Felipe Martinez Sr. age 84 of Grafton, ND passed away on Thursday, November 25, 2010 at the Altru Hospital of Grand Forks. Felipe Martinez Sr. was born August 23, 1926 in Laredo, TX the son of the late Julio and Jacinta (Reyes) Martinez. He attended schools in Laredo before moving to Hoople ND at the age of 13 years old. He worked as a farm laborer in the Hoople area for several years. He was married to Amalia Rodriguez in 1949 in Grafton. The couple made their home in Auburn, ND where Felipe worked for the Lykken Farms. He later worked for American Crystal Sugar in Drayton, ND; Altendorf Farms and Johnson Farms. Felipe also worked as a disc jockey at KXPO Radio in Grafton for 30 years. He was one of the founders of Migrant Inc. in Grafton and spent many years working for migrant health. Felipe is survived by his wife Amalia of Grafton, ND; thirteen children: Mary (Catarino) Surita, Grafton, ND; Felipe (San Juanita) Martinez JR.; St. Thomas, ND; Julio (Rosa) Martinez; Fort Worth, TX; Teresa Gravelin, Grafton, ND; Antonio Martinez, Grafton, ND; Rosalinda (Javier) Augado, Fargo, ND; Carlos (Mary Jane) Martinez, East Grand Forks, MN; Richard Martinez, Grand Forks, ND; Michael Martinez, Fargo, ND; Elena (Juan) Garcia, East Grand Forks, MN; Alicia (Daniel) Olivarez, Grafton, ND; SanJuana Martinez, Grand Forks, ND; Benito (Kristi) Martinez, St. Louis Park, MN; three sisters: Jovita Cruz, Laredo, TX; Mathilda Martinez and San Juana Martinez both of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; 46 grandchildren; 59 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters: Julia, Pabla and Juana and a brother. Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 10:30 A.M. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Grafton. Visitation will be Monday from 5-7 PM with a prayer service at 5:30 PM at the St. John's Catholic Church of Grafton. Friends may also call at the church on Tuesday for one hour prior to the service.