Parade Grand Marshal Ed Martin Has Been Proud Advocate For Glenwood’s Homecoming Traditions

For Ed Martin, homecoming has always been about more than a football game or a parade. It is about community, tradition, and the excitement that spreads throughout Glenwood when homecoming arrives.

This year, the community has the opportunity to recognize someone who has spent years quietly contributing to those traditions. Ed Martin has been selected to serve as the Glenwood Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal, a fitting honor for a man who has never missed a homecoming parade and has become one of the Glenwood Rams’ most recognizable and enthusiastic supporters.

Ed came to Iowa in 1973, although the question of where he is originally from does not have a simple answer. His father served in the military, so Ed and his five siblings - two older sisters and three younger brothers - grew up in several different places. As the oldest son in a family of six children, Ed learned early about responsibility and looking out for others.

Ed also served for a short time in the U.S. Army before eventually making his home in southwest Iowa. Before joining the Glenwood Community School District, he worked at the Glenwood Resource Center.

Ed experienced his first Glenwood homecoming as a school employee in 2012. Since then, he has become a familiar face throughout the district and at countless school activities. Whether he is working with students during the school day, helping in the concession stand after hours, driving a trail cart at cross-country meets, or parking buses for the Loess Hills Band Competition - a responsibility he has taken on for the past seven or eight years - Ed is someone who simply shows up when there is work to be done.

When it comes to Ram Pride, Ed is not exactly difficult to spot. Those who attend Glenwood sporting events may recognize him by his enthusiastic and sometimes especially spirited Ram attire. People who know him describe him as one of the Rams’ biggest fans, but also as a humble and kind man with a generous heart.

Ed’s support for others extends far beyond school activities. Over the years, he has quietly helped people throughout the community whenever he became aware of a need. He has purchased Christmas gifts and school supplies for children who may not have known how to ask for help, or whose families simply needed a helping hand. He never asked for applause or recognition. He simply saw a need and responded with a loving and generous heart.

The respect Glenwood students have for Ed speaks volumes about his character and the genuine connection he has built with generations of young people. They know him not only as a familiar face at school, holding the door open at the high school each morning to greet them, but also as someone who sees them, encourages them, and truly cares about them. His quiet generosity reflects the way he lives his life: noticing others and helping whenever he can, without expecting anything in return.

Of all the homecoming traditions, Ed says the floats are his favorite. He enjoys seeing the creativity that goes into them and the excitement homecoming brings to the entire town. That spirit of togetherness is among the things he treasures most about Glenwood. 

Over the years, Ed has watched the community change. He has seen businesses and gathering places come and go, including the lumberyard, bowling alley, and the pool hall that once stood on the west side of the town square. Of all the places that have disappeared through the years, Kaiman’s is the one he says he misses most.

Glenwood is also where Ed met his wife, Ella Jean Houchin. The two married in September 1974. Approximately three years ago, Ed experienced tremendous loss when Ella Jean passed away following a battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Through both the joyful and difficult seasons of his life, Ed has remained a steady presence in the community and at Glenwood Community Schools.

A few years ago, Ed was invited to speak to Glenwood’s National Honor Society. His message that evening was simple, but it revealed a great deal about the way he approaches life.

“It’s the little things we do for others on a daily basis that make the biggest differences in the world. A simple compliment, saying thank you, or recognizing someone’s look to make them feel better about themselves can go so far. Notice the people around you.”

Perhaps that message best explains why Ed Martin is such a fitting choice for Grand Marshal. For years, Ed has noticed the people around him. He has supported students, cheered for athletes, helped behind the scenes, volunteered whenever an extra hand was needed, and proudly displayed his Ram spirit for everyone to see.

This homecoming, as the floats make their way through Glenwood and the community celebrates another year of tradition, the person leading the parade will be someone who has spent years cheering from the sidelines, quietly lending a hand, and reminding others that sometimes the little things really do make the biggest difference.

This year’s Glenwood Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal, Ed Martin, is a proud Ram, a devoted community member, and a familiar friend to generations of Glenwood students and families.