The funeral service for Martin Bergstad of Albert Lea will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at St. John’s Lutheran Home Chapel. Interment will be in Salem Memorial Cemetery in Lake Mills, Iowa. Visitation will be one hour before the service at St. John’s Lutheran Home Chapel.

Martin died Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2003, at the Albert Lea Medical Center. He had resided at St. John’s Lutheran Home since September 2002. He was 75 years old.

Martin was born June 6, 1927, in Scarville, Iowa, the son of John and Clara (Jacobson) Bergstad. He was baptized and confirmed at Bethel Lutheran Church, Vinje, Iowa. Martin attended school in Scarville and Lake Mills, Iowa.

Martin served his country in the Army during World War II in France and Belgium. After returning home, Martin worked as a farm laborer and then went to Montana and North Dakota to work in the oil fields. He spent a great deal of time in North Dakota with his aunts and cousins. Roller skating at Red Willow and playing pool with family and friends were two of his favorite pastimes

When he returned to Albert Lea, he worked at Land O’Lakes Turkey Processing Plant where he met Virginia Leet. They were united in marriage on June 24, 1972, in an outdoor ceremony in Washington, Iowa. They spent their married life in Armstrong where they raised and showed horses in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Maryland. Martin loved traveling the horse show circuit and always looked forward to meeting new people and made a lot of good friends. Martin especially enjoyed harnessing his favorite horse &uot;Jim Dandy&uot; to his cart and driving around the area.

Martin enjoyed visiting and could talk to anyone about anything and especially loved remembering and telling stories of all his life experiences. Martin always said he had never met anyone he couldn’t strike up a conversation with. Martin loved the Lord and faithfully read his Bible.

Martin is survived by Virginia Leet; two sisters: Laura Seifert and her husband Dale of Elgin, Ill., and Lucile &uot;Tootie&uot; Lunning and her husband Wally of Albert Lea; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters: Hazel O’Rourke and her husband James, Ode Hamson and her husband Clifford, and Cora Teigen and her husband Leonard; four brothers: Benny, Joseph, Eddie, and Carl Bergstad and his wife Katherine; niece, Beverly Sprecher; and nephew, Larry Hamson.

Martin has gone home to be with the Lord. He will be missed by family and friends.