Brother Martin

The Golden Girls article

"It's like we say in St. Olaf, Christmas without fruitcake is like St. Sigmund's Day without the headless boy." This article is incomplete. You can help the Golden Girls Wiki by expanding it.

Brother Martin
Portrayed by	Don Ameche
Character Information
Nicknames	Brother Martin
Gender	Male
Age	84
Birthday	March 1, 1909
Occupation(s)	Monk
Family Members
Parents Unnamed parents † Children Rose Nylund (daughter) Grandchildren Kirsten Adams Bridget Nylund Gunilla Nylund Adam Nylund Charlie Nylund, Jr. 'Descendants Charley Adams Charlene Charley Adams's sister (great-granddaughters) Other Relatives Charles Nylund, Sr. (son-in-law) † Mr. Adams (grandson-in-law)
Romances
Ingrid Karklavoner (lover) †
Production Information
Appears In	The Golden Girls
Debuts in	"Once, In St. Olaf" (The Golden Girls, 1990)
Final Appearance	"Once, In St. Olaf" (The Golden Girls, 1990)
Episode Count	1

Brother Martin (full name unknown) is a major one-off character in the 1986 NBC sitcom The Golden Girls. He is a monk at the St. Olaf Monastery and the biological father of Rose Nylund.

Martin is first alluded to in the Season 3 episode "You Gotta Have Hope", and makes his only appearance in the Season 6 episode "Once, In St. Olaf". He was portrayed by veteran actor Don Ameche.

Personality and Traits

To be added.

Biography

Early life

Brother Martin was born in the early 1900s in the small town of St. Olaf, Minnesota. When he became an adult, he became a monk at the St. Olaf Monastery.

Affair with Ingrid Karklavoner

In 1929, Martin befriended the young cook at the monastery, Ingrid Karklavoner. Ingrid was a very talkative woman, which Martin remarked as being "very refreshing" since the monks had taken a vow of silence. Ingrid became pregnant from this affair, and the abbot learned of Martin's relationship with her. The abbot told Martin he had to give Ingrid up or leave the monastery, and Martin chose the monastery. Unknown to Martin, the abbot neglected to mention that Ingrid died in childbirth, giving birth to a baby girl whom the abbot dropped off at the St. Olaf orphanage.

Reuniting with Rose

Sixty years after Ingrid's death, Martin visited Miami, Florida, and had to go to the hospital. At the hospital, he met his daughter Rose, who had been working at the hospital as a candy striper. After reminiscing about St. Olaf, Martin learned that Rose knew about Ingrid Karklavoner, and realized that Rose was his and Ingrid's daughter. This revelation shook Rose to the core, and she withdrew from the hospital while she tried to cope with the revelation. Although Rose was initially angry with her father for never wanting to meet her through, she forgave him quickly and they reconnected.

Like most of the main characters’ relatives, Brother Martin was never seen nor mentioned on the show after "Once in St. Olaf".

Family tree

To be added.

Relationships

Rose Nylund

To be added.

Ingrid Karklavoner

Martin's lover for a brief period.

Blanche Devereaux and Dorothy Zbornak

Martin was happy to meet his daughter's best friends, but asked them politely if they could stop hitting Rose over the head with newspapers. Dorothy and Blanche sheepishly say that they'll try.

Quotes

To be added.

Appearances

The Golden Girls (1985 - 1992)

Season 4
1. "Yes, We Have No Havanas":	Absent	14. "Love Me Tender":	Absent
2. "The Days and Nights of Sophia Petrillo":	Absent	15. "Valentine's Day":	Absent
3. "The One That Got Away":	Absent	16."Two Rode Together":	Absent
4. "Yokel Hero":	Absent	17. "You Gotta Have Hope":	Mentioned
5. "Bang the Drum, Stanley":	Absent	18. "Fiddler On the Ropes":	Absent
6. "Sophia's Wedding, Part 1":	Absent	19. "Till Death Do We Volley":	Absent
7. "Sophia's Wedding, Part 2":	Absent	20. "High Anxiety":	Absent
8. "Brother, Can You Spare That Jacket":	Absent	21. "Little Sister":	Absent
9. "Scared Straight":	Absent	22. "Sophia's Choice":	Absent
10. "Stan Takes a Wife":	Absent	23. "Rites of Spring":	Absent
11. "The Auction":	Absent	24. "Foreign Exchange":	Absent
12. "Blind Date":	Absent	25. "We're Outta Here, Part 1":	Absent
13. "The Impotence of Being Ernest":	Absent	26. "We're Outta Here, Part 2":	Absent

Season 6
1. "Blanche Delivers":	Absent	14. "Sister of the Bride":	Absent
2. "Once, In St. Olaf":	Debut	15. "Miles to Go":	Absent
3. "If At Last You Do Succeed":	Absent	16. "There Goes the Bride, Part 1":	Absent
4. "Snap Out Of It":	Absent	17. "There Goes the Bride, Part 2":	Absent
5. "Wham, Bam, Thank You Mammy":	Absent	18. "Older and Wiser":	Absent
6. "Feelings":	Absent	19. "Melodrama":	Absent
7. "Zborn Again":	Absent	20. "Even Grandmas Get the Blues":	Absent
8. "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sophia?":	Absent	21. "Witness":	Absent
9. "Mrs. George Devereaux":	Absent	22. "What a Difference a Date Makes":	Absent
10. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun... Before They Die":	Absent	23. "Love for Sale":	Absent
11. "Stand By Your Man":	Absent	24. "Never Yell Fire in a Crowded Retirement Home, Part 1":	Absent
12. "Ebbtide's Revenge":	Absent	25. "Never Yell Fire in a Crowded Retirement Home, Part 2":	Absent
13. "The Bloom Is Off the Rose":	Absent	26. "Henny Penny — Straight, No Chaser":	Absent

Trivia

• Don Ameche, who portrayed Brother Martin, was only fourteen years older than Betty White at the time the episode was taped.
• Brother Martin's robe is similar to the one worn by Alec Guinness in Star Wars. However, Rose initially believed that Martin was a Trekkie, a fan of Star Trek, and confused Star Wars with Star Trek.

Site Navigation

[v · e · ?] The Golden Girls characters Main Cast Leading Ladies Blanche Devereaux  •  Dorothy Zbornak  •  Rose Nylund  •  Sophia Petrillo Recurring Cast Miles Webber  •  Salvadore Petrillo  •  Stanley Zbornak Family Members Blanche's Family Aurora Devereaux  •  Charmaine Hollingsworth  •  Clayton Hollingsworth  •  Curtis Hollingsworth  •  David Blackmore  •  Elizabeth Hollingsworth  •  Jamie Devereaux  •  Janet Blackmore  •  Lucas Hollingsworth  •  Lucy Warren  •  Rebecca Devereaux  •  Theodore Hollingsworth  •  Virginia Warren Dorothy and Sophia's Family Angelo Grisanti, Jr.  •  Angela Petrillo  •  Angela Vecchio  •  Don Angelo Grisanti, Sr.  •  Gloria Harker  •  Jim Harker  •  Kate Griffiths  •  Michael Zbornak  •  Phillip Petrillo Rose's Family Alma Lindstrom  •  Bridget Nylund  •  Brother Martin  •  Charles Nylund, Sr.  •  Gunter Lindstrom  •  Holly Lindstrom

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Rainey  •  Daisy  •  Dave  •  Dr. Ashley  •  Duncan  •  Edna McCracken  •  Edwin Newman  •  Eleanor  •  Elizabeth Hollingsworth  •  Ernie  •  Father Rossi  •  Floyd McCallum  •  Freddy  •  Gil Kessler  •  Greta  •  Guy Corbin  •  Hastings  •  Jacob  •  Jeremy  •  Jerry  •  Jody  •  Kolak  •  Laszlo Glagorian  •  Libby  •  Linda (Letters to Gorbachev • A Visit from Little Sven)  •  Lorraine Wagner  •  Marguerite  •  Marty  •  McCracken  •  Midge  •  Mister Terrific  •  Mr. Escobar  •  Mr. Murray  •  Murray Guttman  •  Nancy  •  Nancy  •  Olga Nordstrum  •  Priscilla  •  Raymond  •  Rocco  •  Russell  •  Sandra Newcastle  •  Sven Lindstrom  •  Theodore Zbornak  •  Trudy  •  Victor  •  Vincenzo  •  Willard  •  Yolanda Zbornak Season 4 Abe  •  Ben  •  Billy  •  Bob Hope  •  Charley  •  Claire  •  Dan Cumming  •  Dominic Bosco  •  Don Angelo Grisanti, Sr.  •  Dr. Cauley  •  Dr. Jerry  •  Dr. Stewart  •  Dr. Watkins  •  Eddie  •  Edgar  •  Eduardo  •  Elaine  •  Ernest  •  Ernie  •  Esther Weinstock  •  Esther  •  Father Campbell  •  Fidel Santiago  •  Fred  •  Frieda  •  Gary Tucker  •  Gina Bosco  •  Gonzales  •  Ham Lushbough  •  Heather  •  Holly Lindstrom  •  Ida  •  Jack McCann  •  Jackie  •  Jasper DeKimmel  •  Jim Shu  •  John Quinn  •  Julio Iglesias  •  Katherine O’Conner  •  Kenny  •  Lillian (Sophia’s Choice • Dancing in the Dark)  •  Lois  •  Major Barker  •  Marla  •  Max Weinstock  •  Mildred  •  Misha  •  Mr. Yakomora  •  Mrs. Leonard  •  Pepe  •  Philomena Bosco  •  Phyliss  •  Porter  •  Raymond  •  Sam  •  Sid LaBass  •  Stan Wojno  •  Steve  •  Sy Ferber  •  The Donatello Triplets  •  Timmy  •  Toppelkopper Triplets (Ben • Len • Sven)  •  Trudy McCann  •  Wanda  •  Yvonne Season 5 Agent Bell  •  Buzz Mueller  •  Caroline  •  Charmaine Hollingsworth  •  David Patton  •  Doug (The Mangiacavallo Curse Makes a Lousy Wedding Present • All Bets Are Off)  •  Dr. Manning  •  Dr. Stevens  •  Dr. Strien  •  Elise  •  Father Avery  •  Francis Lillestrand  •  Fred  •  Gayle  •  Gloria Schmidt  •  Guiseppe Mangiacavallo  •  Harv  •  Helen Budd  •  Howard  •  James  •  Jamie Devereaux  •  Jenny  •  Jimmy  •  Joey  •  Ken Whittingham  •  Lewis Budd  •  Maddy  •  Magda Yitchinson  •  Malcolm  •  Maria  •  Martha Lamont  •  Mary-Ellen  •  Mary  •  Merril  •  Michael Chang  •  Mr. Hernandez  •  Mr. Kane  •  Mr. Lillestrand  •  Mr. Morelli  •  Mrs. Lillestrand  •  Oliver  •  Paul  •  Peter  •  Roger  •  Simon  •  Steven  •  Terry Franco  •  Thomas Season 6 Abby Wolf  •  Andy  •  Angela Petrillo  •  Arthur Nivingston  •  Bill  •  Brother Martin  •  Coach Odlivak  •  Detective Parres  •  Don the Fool  •  Doug Hollingsworth  •  Dr. Bob  •  Dr. Tess  •  Dr. Warren  •  Errol  •  Father Monroe  •  Father O’Mara  •  Father Salerno  •  Frank Nann  •  Gladys  •  Herb  •  Irving  •  Jack  •  Jason Stillman  •  Jimmy  •  John Noretti  •  Kevin Kelly  •  Lou Norgan  •  Louise  •  Lucille  •  Lyle Waggoner  •  Marvin Mitchelson  •  Mel Bushman  •  Mickey Moran  •  Mother Superior  •  Mr. Lewis  •  Mr. Ninervini  •  Mr. Percy  •  Mr. Porter  •  Mrs. Contini  •  Mrs. Taylor  •  Mrs. Ward  •  Myra  •  Rex Huntington  •  Sarah  •  Sister Anne  •  Sister Claire  •  Smokey  •  Sonny Bono  •  Susan Dodd  •  Tamara  •  Ted Tanner  •  Terry  •  Tony DelVecchio  •  Truby  •  Viola Watkins Season 7 To be added.