Donor Spotlight: Bernie Martin
A man with a plan!
On February 24, 1957, the world became a better place when Bernie Martin was born. He was raised in Ellensburg and graduated with honors from Ellensburg High School in 1975 where he was active in FFA raising hogs serving as the chapter treasurer and competed at the chapter, district, and state level. From a young age, he worked a variety of jobs to save money for college. He was honored to receive the Merle Barnhill Ag Scholarship which fueled his education. He graduated from Washington State University in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Nutrition. Go Cougs!
Bernie made his home in Ephrata and worked on a hog farm as well as juggling other jobs. In 1984, he went to work for Four Seasons Farm Service. In 1989, an opportunity presented itself to purchase Four Seasons. From the day he purchased his business, he was open six days a week primarily working by himself. He was a dedicated business owner. Occasionally, he hired school students as cashiers and taught them bookkeeping duties.
Truly, he was the “go-to” man in Ephrata for agriculture needs including lawn and garden. He took pride in operating a full-service business where customers were treated with care. He knew his clientele to the point that when cars drove up, he knew what they needed before they even entered Four Seasons. He also would go the extra mile and write directions on product with a sharpie to save his customers time reading lengthy instructions. He was also known for leaving product outside, so customers could stop by after hours. Bernie Martin was hometown friendly and was awarded the Ephrata Business of the Year in 2006 and 2018!
Bernie valued family. He loved his parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews. At 51, he married Randy and became a family man with 4 stepchildren and 5 step-grandchildren who affectionately called him Papa Bern. He was full of life and happy to pitch in wherever needed.
Supporting the Ephrata FFA was one of his philanthropic passions. He gave discounts to students for their animal feed and purchased four pigs each year at fair showings to show support for 4-H and FFA participants. He received multiple awards from the Ephrata FFA including the Blue Jackets Gold Standards Appreciation Award in 2018. When he wasn’t supporting FFA, he raised charitable funds for the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Bernie made a decision before he passed that he wanted to give back to his community and assist students in their educational pursuits. With a love for agriculture and a rich history in FFA, two funds were established at the Columbia Basin Foundation that will honor Bernie and reward students in FFA and welding programs forever.
A heartfelt thank you to Bernie Martin for being a hometown hero. Thanks for making a difference and dedicating your days to running a business that allowed others to grow and learn in agriculture. You are going to be greatly missed but your Bernie Martin Memorial Agricultural Scholarship and Bernie Martin Agriculture Fund will always be a symbol of a passion for philanthropy, community, and agriculture. He was a man who lived frugally, investing wisely and ended his days on earth writing his wishes on Post-It notes how he wanted to give generously when he passed on. Clearly, Bernie Martin wins a Grand Champion ribbon! His life, leadership and legacy will be forever appreciated. RIP Bernie.