Marta Kae (Laughlin) Appel entered the gates of Heaven on Saturday March 7, 2015, after a courageous ten year battle with a unique type of skin cancer.

Marta Kae, affectionately known as Martie to her friends and family, was born September 17, 1958, in Des Moines, IA, to Donald and Jonna Deane (Watson) Laughlin. Martie attended elementary and middle school in Des Moines and high school at Lead High School, Lead, SD, as a member of the Class of 1977. She did not graduate, but one of her biggest accomplishments was obtaining her GED.

Martie selflessly served her country in the United States Navy as a Cook and had been stationed in Hawaii prior to honorably being discharged from the Navy and returning home to South Dakota. Martie worked as a cook within Sturgis for several years before retiring and studied Culinary Arts at National College in Rapid City for two years. Cooking was always Martie's passion and her spaghetti and meatballs and Reesee's peanut butter cup pie will always be remembered fondly.

Martie had a strong love for the outdoors and would always be sneaking off to go fishing or camping, although her greatest loves were always her pets. Never one to back down from a fight, Martie faced this cancer with the bravest of souls and as she had given her life to her Savior, Jesus, she put the cancer in His hands and continued fighting until the very end. Martie's hope was that they would be able to use her and learn from this cancer and be able to help anyone else stricken with it.

Martie was married to Daniel Appel of Denver, CO, and the two had remained the best of friends. Although Martie had no children of her own, she had the biggest heart and even considered two special people as her children and adored her nieces and nephews with every fiber of her being.

Martie's memory will be cherished by her best friend, husband, Daniel of Denver, CO; her brothers, Hammer (Mindy) Laughlin, Des Moines, IA, and Michael Laughlin, Bremerton, WA; her sisters, Kellie (Richard) Huffmaster, Springfield, OR, and Shannon Laughlin Jackson, Lawton, OK; nieces and nephews, Sarah (Levi) Bishop, Amber and Tim Reed of Springfield, OR, Marina Yelko, Cleveland, OH, Chase Fust, Des Moines, IA, JonnaDeane, Dalton, Cleveland, and Sailor Laughlin, Des Moines, IA, Seth and Amy Laughlin, Bremerton, WA, Christopher (Nicolle) Burr and Philip Burr, Spearfish, SD, and Veronika Laughlin, Lawton, OK: great-nieces and nephews, Taryn Peck and Olivia Bishop, Springfield, OR, Aliaha and Jaden Yelko, Cleveland, OH, and Delilah and Maddox Burr, Spearfish, SD; several cousins in the rural Iowa area; special friends she cherished as a daughter and son, Heidi Erhart and her significant other, John Hill, and their children, Trisha and Summer, Belle Fourche, SD; and special friends who were family to her, Denise LaFranz, Whitewood, SD, and Sharon Brown.

Martie was met in Heaven by her mother, Jonna Deane, and father, Donald; her brother, Thomas Laughlin; her maternal grandparents, Raymond Jennings and Thomas and Bernice Watson; and her paternal grandparents, Martin and Mabel Laughlin.

Beyond the door, there is peace I'm sure. And I know there'll be no more tears in Heaven. Rest in Paradise, Martie.

Memorial services will be held Thursday, March 12, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel. Inurnment will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery.

A memorial has been established to the American Cancer Society.