Jutta Martel

Jutta was born in Berlin, Germany, to Rudolf and Margarete Linke on February 27th, 1934. Jutta grew up with her mother, father and two sisters, in the heart of Germany, surrounded by the chaos and tragedy of the Second World War. Jutta’s childhood although difficult, was filled with the love of her family and she spent many happy days in the German countryside, as her family tried to escape from the war. After the war, Jutta spent her teenage years working in a factory as a hat maker and during her leisure time she would go dancing with her friends whenever possible. When Jutta was 19 years old, she fell in love with an American soldier and was married a short time later. In 1954, Jutta moved with her new husband, to the United States and then spent most of her early adulthood as a devoted military wife and mother. Jutta officially became a US citizen in 1957 while traveling with her husband and family to many different military bases. Jutta loved her family and loved being a mother to her four children, who she is survived by, Patricia Little (Roger), Jeanette DiBenedetti (Billy), Joe Martel (Sue) and David Martel. Jutta was also the proud grandmother to 7 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren and was very active in all their lives.

Despite leaving Germany early in her life, Jutta never forgot her German roots and the family that she left behind. Jutta would travel back to Germany as often as possible and would stay for several months to spend time with her family and friends in Berlin. Jutta was always very proud of her German heritage, and she instilled this pride in her children by teaching all about Germany. Jutta made sure that all of her children were fluent in German, that she shared all the German traditions and holidays, she would cook them German cuisine and tell them stories about the history or her country. Jutta beside being survived by her family in the US, is also survived by her two sisters, Margot Manntz and Brigitte Bucholtz (Wolfgang) and several other of her extended family members in Germany.

In addition to being a wife and mother, Jutta also had a very successful retail career working for the Bealls Department Store for over 35 years. Jutta held many different positions over her career with Bealls however she finished her career as a District Manager overseeing the shoe department. Jutta retired from Bealls at the age of 72, a well-respected leader in the company. Jutta was well known in both her professional and personal life for not being shy to express her opinions and would always “tell it like it is”.

Throughout her life, Jutta found joy in many things and had several hobbies like collecting both decorative dishes and all sorts of frog knick-knacks. (She loved frogs). Jutta when at home could often be found spending time with her best friend of over 50 years (Ms. Housman), outside gardening, sewing, crafting, or whipping up something delicious in her kitchen. Jutta was also an avid reader and enjoyed Amish love stories and would breeze through several a week while satisfying her sweet tooth with a treat. Perhaps Jutta’s greatest of all her loves however was animals, she loved her pets, raising farm animals, bird watching and watching Dr. Pol on the discovery channel.

Jutta will be especially missed during the Christmas holiday season which was her favorite time of the year. Jutta loved the Lord and was always her happiest when gathering with her family and friends to celebrate his birthday. Her family is comforted by the thought that she is now safe in the warm arms of his loving embrace.

A visitation for Jutta will be held Friday, February 10, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Fountainhead Funeral Home, 7359 Babcock Street SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909. A funeral service will occur Friday, February 10, 2023 at 11:00 AM, 7359 Babcock Street SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909. A committal service will occur Friday, February 10, 2023 at 12:00 PM at Fountainhead Memorial Park, 7303 Babcock Street SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.FountainheadFuneralHome.com for the Martel family.