Mennonite community in mourning after deaths of three children

SHERIDAN — Alma Beth Nolt treasures last weekend’s memories with her sister’s family.

The way Cameron, 11, walked Alma Beth’s 4-year-old daughter home from school when he realized his little cousin was feeling homesick. The way Cameron patiently helped his little brother fix a toy farming vehicle after it had broken.

The way 9-year-old Kayla Beth — Alma Beth’s namesake — was spunky and independent and adventurous and impulsive. Alma Beth had helped deliver this special niece at birth and loved to watch her ongoing shenanigans.

The way Kendra, 7, led Alma Beth’s 5-year-old daughter around at school. Kendra’s boisterous laugh infectious to everyone around her. How she loved ponies and kept toy horses in her bedroom.

The Nolt family from Indiana came to Michigan for a weekend visit with Paul and Judith Martin and their seven children. Alma Beth and her sister Judith enjoyed spending Friday and Saturday together before the Nolts headed back home Saturday night — only to return the very next day after a terrible accident.

The Martin family was headed to their Old Order Mennonite church around 8:30 a.m. Sunday when they and their horse-drawn buggy were involved in an accident with a Dodge 4×4 pickup truck. The Michigan State Police responded to the accident on East Condensery Road near Wood Road in Evergreen Township.

According to police, the horse and buggy carrying the family of nine was eastbound on Condensery Road, as was Brandon King, 29, of Sheridan, when King’s truck struck the buggy.

Cameron, Kayla and Kendra were all pronounced dead at the scene.

Alex, 8, Ammon, 3, Calvin, 2, and Trina, 18 months, all survived, although Calvin sustained serious injuries.

Paul Martin, 40, and Judith Martin, 34, sustained critical injuries and they remain hospitalized. They are not yet aware they have lost three of their children.

“It’s been just a nightmare,” said Alma Beth on Wednesday afternoon, in between taking phone calls and preparing for the children’s visitation and funeral. She conversed in a mixture of English, Dutch and German, switching easily between the languages. Countless family members and friends came and went at the home of Leonard Schrock east of Sheridan, overseeing a potluck before the visitation began and making sure Alma Beth had something to eat while she made arrangements with hospital officials.

Alma Beth said Paul and Judith are both expected to recover, but they have a long road of therapy ahead of them due to serious brain and spinal injuries.

“She’s (Judith) in bad shape, but she’s not getting worse,” she said. “He’s (Paul) obviously very in and out of consciousness. He knew his name and birthdate today, which was good.”

Alma Beth described her sister as a loving and doting mother to her seven children.

“She’s always watching for something good out of them, something to make memories out of,” she said. “They have lots of memories, if they can just hold on to those now.”

Alma Beth said Paul, a dairy farmer, is a caring and good-natured father who shared a sense of humor with Cameron and had recently arranged for his oldest son to join the youth hunt for a deer for the first time.

King was not injured in Sunday’s accident and police continue to investigate the cause. Alma Beth said her family extended an invitation to King to attend Wednesday’s visitation and Friday’s funeral.

“We’ve been really concerned about him,” she said. “We really hope he has some support in his life right now. They say he went up and held Cameron until he stopped breathing. I really admire that act. It must have been very difficult for him.”

Judith and Alma Beth’s younger sister, Aleta, 19, was already living with the Martin family and teaching at a nearby school and she is helping take care of the children. Many other people are helping the family in any way they can.

“We’d like to thank all the people who are helping and praying for us,” Alma Beth said. “We really appreciate it.”

Anyone wishing to help the Martin family can make donations to the Paul and Judith Martin Family Fund at any Chemical Bank branch or to Lux and Schnepp Funeral Home in Carson City, or send mail to the Martin family at 6037 Stevenson Road, Sheridan, MI 48884.

Alma Beth said offers of transportation would also be appreciated in the future, as Paul, Judith and possibly Calvin will have multiple therapy appointments scheduled.

Jason Durham of Sidney, who drives a milk truck for McDonald Farms based in Mount Pleasant, stopped by the Martin dairy farm on Wednesday to make his usual milk pick-up.

“Paul’s always happy and fun to talk to,” Durham said. “The kids are always out here playing and running around and wanting me to honk my horn.”

But the farm was silent Wednesday.

“It’s pretty sad for the whole community,” Durham said, shaking his head before getting back into his truck and driving away down the dirt road.

ewaldon@staffordgroup.com

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