Hank and Helen Martin grew up in Hamburg, graduated from Hamburg High School and were married in the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in 1963, making Hamburg their home for life. They’ve been living in the same house for over 60 years.

After retiring, the couple started volunteering with various organizations and projects in Hamburg and were sometimes silent contributors to many groups.

Hank was on the Hamburg Volunteer Fire Dept for 35 years, served as the Assistant Fire Chief for several years and was a member of the Hamburg Rescue Squad. For one year, he also served as Mayor of Hamburg.

Both Hank and Helen were Flood Volunteers in the 2019 Flood, working at the Recovery Center. They also could be seen volunteering at the Loess Hills Welcome Center before the flood of 2019.

They have a passion for Hamburg Hometown Pride is a group and were charter members, working on numerous projects to beautify the town of Hamburg. They planted many flowers and kept them watered, a task they thoroughly enjoyed. They worked in the Hometown Pride food truck to help raise money for many of these projects. Also, each year, they help the Kiwanis with the Halloween Bash.

Helen is on the Inter-Church Council Board. The churches of Hamburg oversee the soup suppers every Wednesday during the months of September through March. Members make homemade soups for the community members that want to gather at The Center to eat. Hank takes pride in delivering bowls of soup to the homebound members.

Helen and Hank can be seen unloading the truck and stocking shelves weekly at the Food Pantry in Hamburg. When the Food Pantry is open, they help hand out the food to community members in need.

This couple is very passionate about the St. Mary’s Catholic Church and volunteer with various projects and dinners there.

Both volunteered at the Annual Mt. Olive Cemetery Fundraisers, helping with the Annual Fish Fry and the Memorial Day Luncheons.

Helen and Hank hope to keep the town thriving in any way they can and are also hoping more people will step up and volunteer. It takes a village to keep a community alive and this couple is always trying to make the community a welcoming place for those who visit.

Article information submitted by Teresa Crecelius.