Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Floyd Martin left Sweet Home High School early, but he never forgot about his school.
Martin, and his wife Vickie, recently donated some $41,600 to the Sweet Home Alumni Foundation in memory of his mother, Velma Martin, who once taught at Sweet Home High School.
Velma Martin went back to school after her children were grown, Martin said.
“She had six grandchildren before she went to college,” he said.
Velma Martin died April 7, 2005.
Her son decided to set up an endowment in her honor that will provide scholarships for Sweet Home graduates.
“I just wanted to give something back and have a little remembrance for my mother,” Floyd Martin said. “She kind of pulled herself up by the bootstraps.”
Velma Martin started college in 1958 and graduated in 1962, commuting to Corvallis and Eugene the whole time. She taught high school English from 1962 to 1970, Floyd Martin said. She worked for principal Harold Dishaw.
She graduated from Oregon State University with her bachelor’s degree and the University of Oregon with her master’s degree, Martin said. His father, a mechanic for Archie Hessman, had made a deal with her: “It’ll be OK for you to go to college if you learn how to play golf.”
Martin said his father also worked as timber manager for Swamp Mountain Logging Camp and was logging manager for Santiam Lumber. He retired when Willamette Industries took over Santiam Lumber.
Their son took a different route to success.
“I’m a Sweet Home High School dropout,” Martin said, noting that he cautions teens today from following in his footsteps – something even harder now than it was then.
“I think education is very important. I had to educate myself. It was hard work. I was very successful, but there were more opportunities (then).”
Martin went to work for Bill Stokes, hauling logs for Santiam Lumber. Stokes saw something in Martin and gave him a chance. Both of Martin’s children were born in Sweet Home, the oldest at the old Langmack Hospital. Martin then went to the coast with Stokes in 1959.
Martin wasn’t a good truck driver, he said, so he became truck boss for Stokes. They moved from the coast to Salem and went into business together. Martin moved to Medford in 1976. He now operates the FV Martin Trucking Company.
The Alumni Foundation awarded its first $500 scholarship in 1992, Coreen Melcher of the foundation board said. This year, the foundation gave out some $25,000 in scholarships. The foundation is about half way to its goal of a $1 million endowment.
“Our goal is to be able to give some kind of scholarship to every kid that applies,” Melcher said.