MENDOTA - Margaret June Martens, 96, of Mendota passed away Sept. 11, 2018 at Heritage Health, Mendota.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Sept. 15 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mendota. To complete her life’s journey, funeral services will follow at noon at the church with Rev. Kim-Lee Brown officiating. Burial will be at Restland Cemetery, Mendota. Merritt Funeral Home handled the arrangements

Pallbearers will be her six grandchildren, Matt, Brody and Lacey Hamel and Kaley, Sami and Jamie Martens.

June was born June 27, 1922 in Mendota to Charles and Elsie (Bassing) Fischer. She married Larry Martens of Cedar Point on Aug. 17, 1947 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Mendota. He preceded her in death in 2005.

Survivors include two sons, Randy (Deborah) Martens of Chicago and Scott (Annmarie) Martens of Elburn; one daughter, Lori (Doug) Hamel of DeKalb; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband and two brothers, Bill and Gene.

June loved the church and the feeling of renewal attending services provided. It was a focal point of her life and over the years she taught Sunday school, sang in the choir, participated in Bible study groups and organized funeral dinners. She was also very proud that all of the major religious events in her life - baptism, confirmation (in the current church’s first class) and marriage took place at St. John’s Church. One of her favorite pastimes was singing hymns during her daily chores or while riding an exercise bike that kept her young. Besides raising a family, she loved playing golf well into her 80s and was very proud of her hole-in-one and the age group club championship she won in Mendota. She was also a member of several bridge clubs where she enjoyed playing with many good friends. For her entire life June had a steadfast love for Mendota, which she sincerely thought and often proclaimed was the World’s Greatest Little City. She also had an unceasing appreciation for the vast beauty of the natural world, which reflected the magnificence of God’s creation.

Memorials may be directed to “St. John’s Youth” at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 607 10th Ave., Mendota, IL 61342.