Martens, Henry: - Both Henry Martens and his wife, Elma, have shared a living passion of caring for all of God's creation, including people with all their needs-physical and spiritual. It is therefore no surprise that, as a labor of love, they spent many years helping to establish a Bible camp, a Christian nature interpretive center, and the Pembina Valley Provincial Park in the Pembina Valley of Southern Manitoba.
After dropping out of school as a teenager, Henry returned to school and earned his BA, BEd, and MEd degrees from the University of Manitoba. His first teaching assignment was at a remote First Nations community in Northern Manitoba. When Henry and Elma's children reached school age, the family returned to Southern Manitoba, where Henry continued his teaching career.
Henry has authored two books, Footprints of Hope and The Valley: My Quest for the Ultimate Reality, both written to specifically augment and support the Pembina Valley Interpretive Center.
Both Henry and Elma have been very active in their local church. Henry has served as assistant pastor and as pastor. They each emphasize that God has given them a wonderful life; none of it was of their own doing. They have three children and eight grandchildren.