HISTORY OF MARTIN MORTUARY
Martin's Mortuary & Crematory is a fireproof
brick building, 125 feet by 85 feet, two stories and basement,
located in the center of a city block in Grand Junction, Colorado.
The grounds are beautifully landscaped, with adequate parking
facilities provided. Most of the grounds are in lawn, with a lake on
the west side, a rose garden on the east and a fountain in the
front. The colored lights in the fountain change automatically every
few seconds, making fifteen different color combinations.
Originally, Martin's served in three
locations. The first was at 648 Main Street, when the business was
first purchased on April 1, 1917. Two years later the building at
623 Colorado Avenue was purchased and occupied for twenty-one years.
It was in 1940 that the present building at 550 North Avenue was
constructed.
 Martin's Mortuary had always been
exclusively owned and operated by the Martin family, into its third
generation. It was founded in 1917 by Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Martin. In
1937, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Martin came into the firm, and then they
were joined in 1952 by Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Martin. Mr. F. C. Martin
died August 23, 1957; Mrs. F. C. Martin died February 11, 1970.
In 1945, Edward A. Martin, wrote and
published (3 editions) "Psychology of Funeral Service," publishing
10,000 copies. The 3rd Edition was published in 1947.
Martin's remained entirely in the Martin
family until 1982. In 1982, the mortuary passed into the hands of R.
A. "Bob" Crist and son his, Martin Crist.
Martin's Mortuary is a member of the
Colorado Funeral Directors' and Embalmer's Association and of the
National Funeral Directors' Association, the one official
organization that represents all morticians of the United States.
Edward Martin served as both vice-president and president of NFDA,
president of CFD, and held various other offices as well.
 We were also members of National Selected
Morticians and National Association of Approved Morticians.
Membership in the organizations is by invitation only. Members are
required to maintain the very highest standards of professional and
business qualifications. We were the only members in Western
Colorado of NSM.
In 1986, Crist family sold to Morlan
International Inc. Then in 1987, Morlan International Inc. sold
Martin's Mortuary to S.C.I., Service Corporation International.
S.C.I. is North America's leading provider
of deathcare products and services. They have more than 22,000
dedicated employees who provide the finest funeral, cremation, and
cemetery services to hundreds of thousands of families each year.
Operating from a network of more than 2,000 funeral homes and
cemeteries, the people of SCI assist families with compassion and
guidance at difficult times, helping them celebrate the significance
of lives that have been lived, and preserving memories that
transcend generations, with dignity and honor.
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The original Duck Pond |
The original Rose Garden |
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