Martin “ Bud “ Bartel
December 3, 1935
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April 25, 2019
Martin "Bud" Bartel
Green Lake - Martin "Bud" Bartel, age 83, of Green Lake, passed away on Thursday, April 25, 2019, at Brown Wilcox in Berlin. He was born on December 3, 1935, a son of Walter S. and Margy S. (Fredericks) Bartel. In 1953, Martin graduated from Green Lake High School. He proudly served his country in the United States Army having been stationed in Germany during peacetime. Bud was a farmer and was proud of his Twin Springs Farm. He exported cattle internationally and was a member of the Brown Swiss Association. He enjoyed showing his Brown Swiss dairy cattle at the Canton Show and the World Dairy Expo. Bud was a former 4-H leader and supported 4-H in his earlier years. He loved reading, hunting and enjoyed managing his farm and woodlands. Years ago, he was proud of the fact he had deer on his property when deer were scarce.
Martin is survived by his sister-in-law, Joan Bartel of Mason City, IA; 4 nephews, Tony (Desi) Bartel of Glenwood, IA, Steve Bartel of Castana, IA, Bob Bartel Jr. of Blooming Prairie, MN, David (Linda) Bartel of Nora Springs, IA; 7 nieces, Pam (Russ) Rolling of Oyens, IA, Michelle (Jim) Meyers of Sioux City, IA, Marcia (John) Conley of Shawnee, KS, Lonnie (Gary) Bilyeu of Ankeny, IA, Rita Larson of Apple Valley, MN, Lynne (Wayne) Goeders of Graettinger, IA, Susan (Don) Kelso of Monroe, IA; numerous great nieces and nephews, many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Margy Bartel; 3 brothers, Walter D. Bartel, Robert W. Bartel, James Bartel; nephew, Jim M. Bartel; sister-in-law, Millie Bartel.
Gallery
SO, GOD MADE A FARMER”
And on the 8th day God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker!” So, God made a farmer!
God said I need somebody to get up before dawn and milk cows and work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board. So, God made a farmer!
I need somebody with strong arms. Strong enough to wrestle a calf, yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry and have to wait for lunch until his wife is done feeding and visiting with the ladies and telling them to be sure to come back real soon… and mean it. So, God made a farmer!
God said “I need somebody that can shape an axe handle, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire make a harness out of haywire, feed stacks and shoe scrapes. And… who, at planting time and harvest season, will finish his 40 hour week by Tuesday noon. Then, pain’N from “tractor back,” put in another 72 hours.” So, God made a farmer!
God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop on midfield and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's place. So, God made a farmer!
God said “I need somebody strong enough to clear trees, heave bales and yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink combed pullets… and who will stop his mower for an hour to mend the broken leg of a meadowlark.” So, God made a farmer!
It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight… and not cut corners. Somebody to seed and weed, feed and breed... and rack and disk and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk. Somebody to replenish the self feeder and then finish a hard day's work with a five mile drive to church. Somebody who'd bail a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who laugh and then sigh… and then respond with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life “doing what his dad does.” So, God made a farmer!
In Tribute to Martin Bartel and all farmers.