Brenda Lou Martin, age 61 of Irons passed away on Monday February 20, 2017 at home surrounded by her family.

She was born on May 18, 1955 in Tennessee, daughter of late Bernie and Novi (Boyd) Brown. She was raised in Arcadia, and then Brenda married Ralph Smalley, Jr. in December of 1971 and resided in Free Soil. She later married Jack E. Martin in June of 1991 and resided in Fountain.

Before her life changing traumatic injury from a car accident in 2001, she loved sewing, playing pool and golf, fishing and spending time with family and friends. She is now free from her heartbreaking injuries and able to join her family in Heaven where she can walk and talk again and we are looking forward to seeing her when we join her.

Brenda will always be remembered as a caring, beautiful, talented, hardworking, strong woman, thoughtful mother, grandmother and friend and will be dearly missed by her daughter and son-in-law, Lisa (Ken) Parker of Branch; grandsons, Kyle and Brendan Parker; caregivers, Kim Faba, Carol Arnold and Marsha Lokers; siblings, Richard (Nancy) Brown, Edna McArthur, Christine (Harley) Hulett, Martha (Don) Miehlke and Joyce (Terry) Hutchinson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jack E. Martin; and beloved sister, Patty Holden.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00PM on Saturday February 25, 2017 at Oak Grove Funeral Home in Manistee with Pastor Duane Costello officiating. The family will receive friends for visitation from 11:00AM until time of service. A light luncheon and time of fellowship will immediately follow the service. Burial will take place at Fountain Cemetery in the spring.

Memorial contributions in memory of Brenda may be directed to Hospice of Michigan, 932 North Mitchell Street, Cadillac, MI 49601. Please feel free to share a memory or photo with the family at www.oakgrovefh.com.

The family has entrusted funeral arrangements with Oak Grove Funeral Home & Cremation Center of Manistee.