Baby Warren in 1929.
Our dad, Warren Martens, grew up an only child in the Borough of Queens in New York City. His father Gustave held a variety of sales and management positions throughout the years with long stints at U.S. Steel, Edo Aircraft and Alcoa Aluminum. His mother was a devout Christian woman and full-time mom who claimed (a bit tongue-in-cheek, we think) that she had been a flapper during the 20's before settling down to raise Dad.
At age 15, Warren received his calling to enter the ministry. In the meantime he attended an accelerated program at Flushing High School and graduated in 1946 instead of 1947, then left Queens, NY for Pella College in Iowa. After graduating from Pella he attended New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey. He was completing his studies in Philadelphia when he met a young lady from West Virginia named Margaret who was there completing her nursing studies. They married in 1953.
Baby Warren in 1929.
Warren and two admirers at a Long Island beach circa 1932.
Warren in 1939 or '40, acting in one of his father's home movie comedies.
Warren at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
Warrn the Scout - 1941.
With Pete. The preceding scout portrait sits on the console behind him.
Proud to be a student at Flushing High.
With a friend, Gloria Lopez, at his 1946 graduation from Flushing High School
Who's this? It's Dottie H---, Warren's high school sweet heart.
But in the end it was Margaret Hunt from West Virginia got the prize.
Scouts in 1946. Left to right: Larry Jerkowitz, Warren,
Larry Stern, Johnny Weinz, Billy Blumberg.
For a short period in his youth, Warren experimented with - horror of horrors!
- tobacco.
But only in a pipe, so today he can honestly say he never inhaled!
Newlyweds Warren and Margaret with Warren's cousin Cathy, 1953
At Oyster Bay, Long Island, in 1953.
The newlyweds with Warren's parents Gustave and Margaret, 1953.
Skipping ahead several decades, here's our Dad circa 2001,
newly retired and living with Mom out in the country.
But it looks like he still has a congregation!
CONTINUE with The Ministerial
Career of Reverand Warren G. Martens
Return to THE MARTENS CHRONICLES