Considered the national poet of Scotland with a background in farming, Robert Burns penned the line “a man’s a man for all that,” words that fit perfectly with the life of Howard Dean Martin, a well-known Todd Countian who was born to the late Chester and Ellis Alma Shanklin Martin of Allegre.
One of several siblings, Mr. Howard’s name is synonymous with “no-till farming,” a unique type of farming that led Mr. Howard to invent a ground-driven rotary row cleaner that revolutionized no-till farming. An article in No-Till Farmer shared this insight into Mr. Howard’s impact on the world of agriculture – “Howard was considered a renaissance man in the sense that he was a farmer, inventor and manufacturer all in one. He first tried no-till farming in the early 1970s and eventually came up with his row cleaner invention because he wasn’t satisfied with the equipment that was available for the practice at the time.”
The founder of Martin Industries of Elkton, Mr. Howard possessed a unique ability to look critically at farming and determine ways to improve its effectiveness. As a result of his thinking and resolve to advance farming practices, Mr. Howard became an innovator in no-till farming and developed Martin Row Cleaners, Martin Spaded Closing Wheels, and several other related pieces of farm equipment that have made the name of Martin Industries and its products a name seen throughout the world. Inducted into the inaugural class of six in the Todd County Schools’ Hall of Fame in January 2017, Mr. Howard was a graduate of Clifty High School and won several awards for his innovative agriculture products. One comment seen recently on Facebook stated it rather well – He was “a very down-to-earth neighbor, a kind man with a loving heart.” Another shared, “Good hearts travel in this family.”
It is that “good heart” that so many who knew Mr. Howard would focus on in terms of his love for his family, his community, and his desires to assist others. The father of six with three of those six adopted, Mr. Howard and his wife, Linda McGhee Martin, created a home based on love and devotion to those a part of their lives. One who knew Mr. Howard for several years shared in conversation that Mr. Howard and Ms. Linda loved people, and it was their love of others that led them to adopt three siblings, an undertaking many folks would eagerly avoid. Julia Martin, the second youngest of the Martins’ 10 grandchildren, penned, “Pawpaw taught me the value of hard work and doing good deeds even when no one was watching. Even though I’m not working towards a career in agriculture, I can’t help but think that he was the biggest inspiration in where my career is taking me.”
When we ponder the imprints Mr. Howard and Ms. Linda made on their children and grandchildren, we can somewhat understand why it was so very fitting that the children and grandchildren spoke at Mr. Howard’s funeral. Imagine for a few minutes the confidence Mr. Howard had in his family to push aside emotions and deliver eulogies to honor their beloved parent and grandparent. Expressing thanks to God for His blessings several years ago, Ms. Linda posted on Facebook, “Our greatest blessings call us Grandma and Grandpa (Papaw). When we thought life just couldn’t get any better, God has sent us the blessings of great-grandchildren! When we all gather together, this old house is full of love and laughter!”
“That house full of love and laughter” could very easily be extended to include the farm and business that also bore Mr. Howard’s name. The Martin Homeplace, the site of Mr. Howard’s visitation and funeral and a home so dear to him and his family, so beautifully provided the backdrop for Mr. Howard’s last earthly moments, ones shared with family and friends providing the solace needed to honor the life of a man whose innovations, creativity, discipline, love, faith, and devotion stand as testaments of his life!
~ Article by Carolyn L. Wells
March 9, 2024
