Martha Babcock, 85, of Springfield

Funeral services will be 1:30 P.M., Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the United Church of Christ in Springfield, SD. Burial is in the Springfield Cemetery, rural Sprinfield. Visitation will be Friday from noon until 7 PM, followed by a 7 PM prayer service at the Crosby-Jaeger Funeral Home in Springfield.

Martha Lukkes was born August 27,1922 to Cornelius and Martha (DeLong) Lukkes on a farm southeast of Avon, SD. She died Thursday, October 18, 2007 at St. Michael's Hospital in Tyndall, SD.

Martha was the fifth child born into a family of three brothers and two sisters. The oldest brother died as a young child and was buried in Holland. Later the family grew into five boys and four girls. Her parents came to the United States from Holland/Germany in 1913 and made their home in Bon Homme County in search of a better life.

Martha was brought up in the Baptist Church where she confessed her faith and was baptized at the Avon German Baptist Church with Rev. Slip at an early age and later joined her husband's church, the United Church of Christ at Springfield, SD.

Martha attended schools in the Avon area and worked in many homes caring for families until she married Edward E. Babcock on December 31,1942 at Melvindale, Ml where Edward was stationed in the Air Force at the time. To this union Martha and Edward had four children: Edward E., Carlton D., Marilyn J., and Diane K. She always encouraged them to do their best and that college was a must.

Martha and her husband farmed for 30 years, saw all their children married, then built a new home on property they had purchased after Edward returned from WWII. They traveled for 21 years before Edward's health no longer permitted them to travel and stayed home to enjoy their large family.

Martha loved to entertain family and friends and was very active in church work, taught Sunday school and Bible school, extension club, legion, leader of girl's 4H club and peer group for the blind.

She and Buster had a long marriage of 60 years and were six days short of 61 years when Buster passed away on December 24, 2003. She leaves to mourn her four children, 10 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren: son, Edward and wife Sharyn (Uken) Babcock of Cold Spring, MN, and their children: Bradley and Rebecca Babcock of Rockville, MN, and their children Swain and Phelysha; Kevin and Stacey Babcock of St. Cloud, MN and Riley; Darrin and Tessa Babcock of Forest Lake, MN and their children, Brendon and Haleea; son, Carlton and wife Betty (Waters) Babcock of Ankeny, IA and their children: Paul and Jennifer Babcock of North Liberty, IA and their children, Sarah and Michelle; Vickie and Scott Sovereign of Leawood, KS and their children, William and Nathan; Kimberly and DuWayne Dalen of Dallas Center, IA and their children, Kalie and Kelsey; daughter, Marilyn and husband LeRoy Fuerst of Doland, SD and their children: Dawn and Glenn Rice of Sioux Falls, SD and their children, Matthew, Lanty, and Arianna; and Gregory and Emily Fuerst of Ames, IA; daughter, Diane and husband Jay Nagel of Sioux Falls, SD and their children: Travis and Mary Lou Nagel of Humboldt, SD and their son, Nicholas; and Traci and Donnie Walding of Rapid City, SD and their son, Harvey; a sister, Rose and husband Marlin Vilhauer of Avon, SD; brother, Jim and wife Carol Lukkes of Avon; sisters-in-law, Leola Lukkes of Tyndall, SD and Delores Lukkes of Avon; and many nieces and nephews and their families, along with a host of friends.

Martha was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sisters: Elizabeth Burma and
husband, Willie; Kathryn Ludens and husband John A.; and brothers: John, William and
wife Henrietta, John II, and Cornelius.