Obituary
Martha Ingrid Brandal
09/18/1931 Brooklyn, NY – 01/29/2009 Kirkland, WA
Went to be with the Lord after a brief illness on January 29th 2009 in Kirkland,WA. She will be greatly missed by Family and Friend’s.
The Early Years- Mom was brought up in her childhood during the Great Depression Years. Raised in the large city of Brooklyn, NY. The First of eight siblings. Always a loving and caring person looking after her brother’s and sister’s. Always fond of Children spending her early years in foster homes. Her Father Trigve (Teddi) Robberstad came from Stavanger, Norway. Esther (Arp) Robberstad her mother came from Copenhagen, Denmark. She was proudly raised with Danish and Norwegian traditions that we still
continue today.
Younger Years- In 1951 she met her husband Norwegian Merchant Marine Seamen Rolf Brandal in Brooklyn,NY. They were together for 37 years. On April 26th 1953 Martha gave birth to her first child Paul Roald Brandal. After Marriage Rolf Brandal continued to work as a seaman on the New York harbor. At the same time Rolf and Martha bought a Fish Market in Brooklyn ,NY. In 1959 they sold the Fish Market and moved to Ballard,WA to help run a Fish Market with Rolf’s sister Motta. On April 15th 1960 Martha gave birth to her daughter Maureen Eve Brandal.
Rolf and Martha Brandal along with their two lovely children continued to live in Ballard,WA until 1963. In 1964 they moved to Renton,WA where they purchased 3 acres of land and built a home which they lived in for 30 years. During those years Rolf did work in Custom Home building and had his own construction company. Martha also helped plan the layouts and architecture of the homes her husband built and also enjoyed home decorating. Martha also ran a daycare center and fostered several children. She also was a host mother to over sea’s students for many years . On May 11th 1982 her daughter Maureen gave birth to her only grandchild Nathan Olaf Brandal who they both helped raise. On April 15th 1988 Rolf Brandal passed away.
The Later Years- In 1994 six years after her husband Rolf passed away she moved to Kirkland,WA. Where she continued to raise her grandson Nathan. She also continued to enjoy traveling and visited Europe several times once with her grandson Nathan and another time with her sister Doraine. She also enjoyed senior trips across the country and Europe with her friends. Martha also enjoyed the many trips taken with her daughter Maureen to California and a special trip to Las Vegas for her birthday where she met Siegfried and Roy that performed with white tigers and lions. They also took trips to New York to visit her family in which they had a wonderful family reunion for her birthday in September 1994. Martha was a loving mother and kind and devoted friend to all, always there when you needed her. She enjoyed the company of family and friends, taking walks in the local parks and beautiful downtown Kirkland. She loves animals and has 2 lovely cats, Bobby and Sweetie and 2 grand puppies Teddi and Chinook. Martha also has an adopted granddaughter from her son Paul and Ruth Brandal named Tiffany. Martha has 3 great grandchildren from Tiffany named Kayla, Hunter and Sara they reside in Amarillo,TX.
Martha also has adopted Jeng and Yumi Lin as part of her family. Yen and Yumi were students in her home and later married and had 2 children Henry and Emmy. They have become very close members of the family through the years.
Martha was saved and gave her life to the Lord in 1957 at a Billy Graham Cruisade in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Rolf was saved and accepted Christ as his personal savior at Philadelpia Church, pastor Roy Johnson, in Ballard, Wa.
As a result of their commitment to Christ, their children and grandson have also accepted Christ as their savior and continue to live their lives in Christ.
