Dave Martin honored by peers at IFDA Convention for 40 years of service


David Martin of Martin Funeral Home was honored for his 40 years of service to the funeral profession Tuesday, May 16 during the 137th Annual Iowa Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) Convention. Pictured above at his honoring are, left to right, David Martin and IFDA President Patrick Leonard. Submitted photo.

David Martin of Martin Funeral Home in Waukon was honored for 40 years of dedication to the funeral service industry during the 137th Annual Iowa Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) Convention held May 16-18 at the Prairie Meadows Hotel & Conference Center in Altoona. Martin was one of 10 funeral directors from around the state to receive recognition by peers and colleagues for 40 years of service to Iowa communities.

Martin was born and raised in Waukon, and is a fourth generation funeral service professional. He attended Oklahoma State University and the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in Dallas, TX. Martin has a great sense of humor and shared that he was inspired to become a funeral director during his junior year of college due to his poor putting skills on the golf course. He has been a funeral director at Martin Funeral Home since 1976.

This year’s Annual IFDA Convention featured highly regarded local and national funeral service speakers who presented current information on bereavement education, business and management practices, regulatory updates, technical skills and training and additional topics related to the funeral service profession. The Annual IFDA Convention provides funeral directors with a forum to receive and exchange information so they may return home with new ideas that will allow them to better serve the families in their communities.

The Iowa Funeral Directors Association “promotes and supports funeral service excellence©” by representing over 700 Iowa licensed funeral directors and 425 funeral home establishments throughout the state and promotes high standards within the field of funeral service through continuing education programs, legislative representation and service to Iowa communities. For consumer information regarding funeral service, visit www.iafda.org.