Samuel Martin
Samuel Martin arrived in Calgary from Romania in 1911. Having been a baker in the old country, he went to work for Dave Rosenthal’s father, who had a bakery in Riverside.
After his marriage in 1914 to Ida Speevak, from Russia, he opened up a Jewish bakery at 415 – 4th Avenue E. -Martin’s Bakery.
Sam and Ida Martin had three sons: Eddie, Norman and Benny. Eddie (the oldest son) worked in the bakery, while Norman and Benny delivered bread by bicycle after school. Until 1930 the family lived above the bakery; in that year Sam built a house next door to the bakery for $5,000.00
All three Martin boys joined the Air Force during WW II. After the war the Martins built a new bakery at 338 – 4th Avenue E., across the street from the original store. A delivery truck helped the business expand after the war years.
Every Sunday was bagel day and practically the whole Jewish community would congregate at the bakery to buy bagels and bread. The High Holidays were the busiest times at Martin’s as everyone bought challah for Yontiff. In the 1940’s and 50’s, bread sold for 10 cents a loaf and bagels for 25 cents a dozen.
On Sundays Sam Martin’s grandsons Larry, David and Bradley, Norman and Beulah’s sons would come to the bakery and sit on their Zaida’s lap and help him make bagels.
Sam Martin had such a beautiful voice he could have become a Cantor. He did a lot of the cantorial services at the original House of Jacob Synagogue on 5th Avenue E. He was involved with building the Beth Jacob Shul – Calgary’s first – and served as Treasurer of the congregation for 40 years.
Ida Martin passed away in 1963 and the age of 67, Sam Martin passed away in 1977 at age 89.