Edna Martenson

Edna Martenson, 102, of Red Wing, died Wednesday, October 28, 2020.

Edna  Martenson's grandparents, Gottlieb and Catherine Persig, came to Minnesota Territory from Germany in 1858 and homesteaded in Hay Creek township, then an enclave of German immigrants. Catherine and Gottlieb, who later served in the Union Army during the Civil War, had six children. Their son William would become Edna’s father. At the foot of Flower Valley, William and Bertha Persig built what became known as the “Beech Nut Farm” because of an advertising logo painted on their barn. Much to their children’s chagrin, the Persig kids were called the “Six Little Beech Nuts.” Edna was the youngest, born on May 12, 1918; her father died later that year. She attended Wacouta’s one-room school and later Red Wing Central High where she graduated in 1934 at age 16.

Edna worked for Red Wing Shoe Company from 1934 to 1941. She  married Russell Martenson on September 1, 1939, in a double wedding with her sister Myrtle and Russ’s brother Frances. Russell and Edna raised two children during their 49-year marriage, Diane (Frederick) Johnson, of Cottage Grove, and Kathryn Sanko of Ft. Myers, Florida. Edna had one granddaughter, Brittany (Scott) Kimmerly, and great-granddaughters Harper and Vivian. Her nieces and nephews were important to Edna and remained close throughout her life. She amazed them with her encyclopedic memory about all things related to the Persig family.

The Martensons were full-fledged members of America’s Greatest Generation. Russell and his brother Frances served in the Navy during World War II. Edna and her infant daughter moved in with her sister Myrtle while the husbands were in the service. After the war Russell and Edna both worked and lived at the State Training School. She retired in 1978. The Martensons attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Church where she was active in circles and assembling bulletins. She served as a Red Wing election judge for decades.

Her friends knew Edna as lively, outspoken and interested in life, with a particular eagerness to try new things. She and Russell took a great joy in travel, journeying to Europe, Scandinavia and Hawaii, and made trips across the United States as well. Russell died in 1988, but Edna continued to stay involved with family, travel and church activities. She became widely known as a loyal Minnesota Twins fan when the Republican Eagle printed a front-page feature about her.

Edna enjoyed a remarkably full and long life, staying in her own home until age 94, handling her own personal and financial concerns, and only giving up driving at age 95. Never losing her interest of exploration, Edna gracefully accepted a new stage in life, moving to Potter Ridge in 2013. She took part in many of the activities offered there, while never missing her daily newspaper crossword puzzle. In her mid-90s, Edna looked back over the decades with a smile, saying there was much in her life for which she was deeply grateful.

And now, the six Little Beech Nuts—Herbert, Alice, Hazel, Norma, Myrtle and Edna, are together once again.

Due to Covid-19 concerns, there will not be any public gathering. Memorials preferred to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church or Goodhue County Historical Society.  Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com.