Danny Marten

Danny Marten, age 77, of Aurora, formerly of Gothenburg, passed away on Monday, December 15, 2025 at Memorial Community Care. 
Danny’s wishes were to be cremated. A Memorial Service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, December 22 at Monroe Evangelical Free Church at Phillips.   Mike Brill officiating with Pastor Joe Mullarkey assisting. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Sunday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family for future designation. Condolences may be sent to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.
Danny Lee Marten, the son of Philip John and Vera Augusta (Matzke) Marten was born at Canova, South Dakota on December 27, 1947, and passed away in Aurora, on December 15, 2025, at the age of 77. 
Danny graduated from Canova High School in 1966.   He received a degree in animal science from South Dakota State.   Danny began his cattle career at Fall River Feedyard in Hot Springs, South Dakota, then moved onto Farr Farms in Greeley, Colorado where he met his future wife working there as a secretary.   
Danny married Kathleen Dugan on October 19, 1974 at Greeley, Colorado.   Danny was a feedlot manager in Wellington, Colorado; cattle buyer for Wilson Foods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Tama Pack in Marshalltown, Iowa, Sterling Beef in McCook and National Beef also in McCook and IBP/Tyson in Gothenburg. Shortly before retirement they moved to an acreage in Custer County, where he loved to raise horses and teach his grandkids how to ride. They moved to Aurora to be closer to family. 
Danny was a member of the National Pony Express Association and served as the Nebraska Division treasurer, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and National Rifle Assoc. He enjoyed camping and traveling in their motorhome. Danny was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. He loved to go elk hunting in the mountains on horseback. 
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Sheryl Yahner; brother-in-law, Jim Dugan; in-laws, John and Elva Dugan and granddaughter, Hunter Hohm. 
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Kathy of Aurora; son, Jon Marten of Defuniak Springs, Florida; daughter, Miranda (Ryan) Hohm of Aurora; 8 grandchildren, Korah (David) Carlson, Sophia, Ava, Olivia, Emma Marten, Layton, Karsten and Emmersen Hohm; 3 great-grandsons; brother-in-law, Mike (Amy) Dugan, other family members and friends. 
Danny was a follower of Jesus who enjoyed his time with fellow believers in the early morning Bible studies at the Ivy. He loved his family, his Lord and had a playful infectious sense of humor and brought levity everywhere he went.