Martha Ekholt, 96, a homemaker from Shelby , passed away Saturday, January 13, 2007 at the Marias Care Center from natural causes. Visitation is Wednesday, January 17, from 1:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the Whitted Funeral Chapel. Funeral service is 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 18, at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church with burial to follow in the Mountain View Cemetery . Condolences may be sent to www.whittedfuneralchapel.com.

Survivors include her step-daughters, Annie Wiegand of Shelby and Cora Michaels of Cut Bank; 42 grandchildren, 65 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren. Martha is preceded in death by her husband, Carl Ekholt; step-children, Clifford Ekholt, Walter Ekholt, Clara Nelson, Palma Moldenhauer, Gina Lewis and Alice Siler.

Martha was born March 18, 1910 at Jevaker Hadeland , Norway where she grew up and was educated. She worked as a live-in housekeeper/cook for rich families when Germany invaded Norway . She remembers the Germans taking over homes and having to share their houses with other families. She recalled that the Germans would search the homes to see if the Norwegians were holding back food from them. She later moved into the mountains with her work family where she spent the rest of the war skiing and working.

At the age of 40, she married Carl Ekholt on July 17, 1950. They traveled by ship to New York and then took the train to California where they lived on an acreage near Oceanside . In 1955 they moved into a new home in Shelby, Carl died in 1972. She became a naturalized citizen in 1973.

Martha devoted much of her time to others who needed transportation to doctor or hair appointments, grocery shopping or whatever the need.

She was an excellent cook and made sure that no one ever left her house hungry. Her family will not only remember the great meals, but her baked goods that were always present whenever they came to visit.  As with her cooking, she enjoyed playing cards, traveling and visiting with family and friends. She was a member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church , Sons of Norway and the Royal Neighbors.