MARIANNE K. MARTIN

JOHNSONVILLE - Marianne (Koch) Martin, 87, a longtime resident of Johnsonville and formerly Ballston Lake, died peacefully December 15, 2017 at her residence of natural causes. Born in the hamlet of Johnsonville, Town of Pittstown, May 14, 1930, she was the eldest of three children born to the late Max and Minna (Ohrt) Koch. Marianne grew up on the family farm during the Great Depression and attended the local district one-room schoolhouse. She was a 1948 graduate of Hoosic Valley High School. After World War II, industrial draftsmen were in short supply and the General Electric Company was offering an apprenticeship program to which Marianne applied and was accepted. She moved to an apartment in Schenectady and worked for GE at their main plant in Schenectady as a draftsman in the gas turbine division and later the steam turbine group. It was there that she met Thomas MacDonald Martin, a Scottish-American also in the Drafting Department. Marianne and Tom were married on December 12, 1953 just prior to Tom entering the U.S. Army. Marianne continued working at GE until their first daughter, Tami Lynn was born. The couple moved to Ballston Lake to raise their family and a second daughter, Terri Margaret, was born shortly after. Marianne was widowed on April 8, 1967, leaving her to raise her family. She chose to stay in her home and raise her family, maintaining and managing all aspects of the household and property on her own. Somehow she still found time to take art classes, join a craft club, keep up her vegetable and flower gardens, go antiquing for depression era collectibles, playing the accordion and read. When her daughters were older, she returned to work at General Electric. In the late 1980’s she sold her Ballston Lake home and moved back to Johnsonville, retired, but did not slow down. She filled her days with shopping, scrapbooking, going to movies, reading books and favorite magazines, gardening, backpacking, backyard birdwatching, antiquing, going on AAA field trips with friends and she loved visits from her daughters and grandchildren; Scott and Meghan, Michael and Brittany, Max and Hailey. Mrs. Martin is survived by her daughter and sonin-law, Tami L. and Pete Van Steeden of Middletown, RI, two brothers and two sisters-in-law, Max D. and Joan Koch of Johnsonville and Otto K. and Sandy Koch of Mechanicville, a special friend and caregiver, Edward Schumacher of Lake George, four grandchildren, a great grand daughter, Harleigh and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and late husband, she was predeceased by a daughter, the late Terri M. Martin. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside committal service for Marianne on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 11:00 A.M. at the Village of Ballston Cemetery, 200 Ballston Avenue, Ballston Spa, NY 12020. Memorial contributions if desired may be made to The Animal Support Project, P.O. Box 68, Cropseyville, NY 12052 or on their website at www.theanimalsupportproject.com in memory of Marianne K. Martin.