Ronald Martinson

Ronald M. Martinson
Ronald M. Martinson, 85, Hibbing, died Friday, December 13, 2013 in Chisholm, MN.  He was born in Leonidas, MN to Eric and Minnie Martinson on June 23, 1928 and graduated from Eveleth High School in 1946. He and several classmates joined the Army upon graduating and Ronald served in Togu, Korea.  He was a member of the Eveleth High School Hockey team that won the first Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament in 1946. After the service, he attended Eveleth Junior college for 2 years and continued his education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He played on the University of Michigan Hockey team winning the NCAA championship in both 1952 and 1953, he continued playing hockey until he was 75.   While in school he earned two degree’s in Engineering.  Ron was a member of Tau Beta Pi, an honorary engineering fraternity. During the summer of 1951 he married Dolores Thompson of Iron, MN at the First Lutheran Church in Eveleth, MN. Mr. Martinson worked for Hanna Mining Co. as Manager and with National Steel Corp. in Keewatin as Superintendent. While in Keewatin Ron went to San Francisco and worked with Bectel Corp. on the design of  the National Steel Pellet Plant which was built in 1965 in Keewatin.  After retiring from National Steel, he went to work for Kennecott Copper in Salt Lake City, Utah, at their Bingham Canyon Mine and other properties.  His job at Kennecott Copper took him to many countries-Germany, Norway, Australia, China and Chile.  He never really retired except to his lake place at Swan Lake and his hunting shack in Bear River. He was a member of the Hibbing Elks Lodge, VFW Post #8510, Nashwauk Masonic Lodge #331, and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hibbing.
He is survived by his wife, Dolores, four children, Leanne (Tim) Miller, Surprise, AZ, Nancy Westlund and Gary (Denise) Martinson both of Hibbing, and Robert Martinson, Keewatin, his brother, Raymond Martinson, MD, Eveleth, his sister, Minnie (Don) Swanson, Franklin, NC, and several grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  Besides his parents he is preceded in death by his siblings, Ellen Serra, Margaret Nollet, and William Martinson.
Funeral services will be held at Noon, Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Hibbing.  Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Monday in the Dougherty Funeral Home and continue Tuesday in Church at 11:00 am.  Burial will be in the Eveleth Cemetery.
Please visit our website at: www.doughertyofhibbing.com

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