Martin Salvesen 1918-2010

Martin Salvesen Tribute

1918-2010

A journal about Martin and Doris’s life; as servant’s of the Lord from their early days in New York to their new home in Florida. They had a dream of living in Cape Coral as well as having a dream of establishing a Lutheran Brethren congregation. They worshipped at a local congregation for 5 years prior to the beginning of Living Faith Church. They made friends and enjoyed the fellowship but missed being part of a Lutheran Brethren congregation of which they were members back home for all their lives. They even thought of relocating to Holiday, Florida where there was an established Lutheran Brethren congregation, however when they heard that their son Don, daughter Janet and families were moving to Florida in 1978, their dream of a Lutheran Brethren congregation was rekindled and became a reality in 1979.

1949 Martin & Doris were members of a new Lutheran Brethren Church in Floral Park, NY.
1952 Martin & Doris along with other families were charter members of Hillside Lutheran Brethren Church in Succasunna, New Jersey.
1965 Martin & Doris purchased property in Cape Coral and had a dream of someday retiring in this new community.
1973 Martin & Doris had a new home constructed on Bay Shore Drive in the southeast of Cape Coral.
1978 Martin & Doris’s families moved to Cape Coral.
1979 Martin, Doris and 3 other families became charter members of Living Faith Church, Cape Coral Lutheran Brethren Church as it was named at that time. Martin served on the Elder Board at Hillside Lutheran Brethren Church, Succasunna, New Jersey for many years and became the first Elder at Living Faith Church.
1980 Martin & Doris along with the other LFC charter members purchased the property that is presently the campus of LFC. A large evergreen was donated and planted on the southwest corner of the property. Martin & Gabe Olsen, almost daily, came up to the property and watered the tree with buckets from a nearby canal until the tree was stolen. The property was in such a remote location at that time, that there was hardly a house to be seen.
1981 Martin was part of ground breaking for the LFC Activity Center and at the age of 63 worked evenings and Saturdays constructing the building
1982 Martin was part of the beginning of the XYZ’rs (Extra Years of Zest) retiree fellowship group at LFC that continued until 2005.
1983 Martin was part of ground breaking for the new parsonage located about two blocks from the LFC campus and at the age of 65 again worked evenings and Saturdays.
1989 Martin was part of ground breaking for the new education building and from the ages of 71-73 worked evenings and Saturdays.
1993 Martin was part of the XYZ’rs planning, permitting and construction of the shuffle board court and pavilion at the age of 75 along with Gabe Olsen, Jerry Lease and a few other retiree’s doing 90% of the work themselves.
2006 Martin was part of the ground breaking for the new LFC sanctuary at the age of 88. His health had begun to fail but was able to be in the new sanctuary for his Granddaughters wedding in 2009 at the age of 90.

Martin was strong and worked tirelessly on all these projects. As the men of LFC did the work, Doris and the ladies would be faithful in bringing the coffee and lunches.

Martin was the builder and Doris was the dreamer. With the help of his two sons, he did numerous remodeling projects on their home in New Jersey. He was excellent at his carpentry skills but was so focused at times that he would slide off roof’s, fall off scaffolding, smash his fingers; but never admit he was hurt and kept on working.

Martin was always a pleasure to be around, enjoying a good joke, teasing and loving on his Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren, sharing a meal and sitting for hours around the table telling stories, laughing and continually offering more food. He was a great example to us all in living his walk with the Lord. God has welcomed him home as a good and faithful servant because Martin believed in Jesus as his Savior.