The sons of an Ontario nurse who was killed in the Haiti earthquake hours after setting foot in the impoverished country say their mother was a generous person who just wanted to help others find their way.

Yvonne Martin was the first Canadian to be confirmed dead in the devastated region. Her body was found Wednesday, the day after the shelter she was staying in collapsed under the pressure of the tremor.

Luke and Terry Martin said their mother had a special affinity for Haiti. This was her fourth time in the country on a Christian mission.

"She was growing her love for Haiti, this was her retirement plan, to fundraise, learn Haitian Creole and go back," Luke Martin told CTV's Canada AM Friday in an interview from Kitchener, Ont.

Yvonne Martin, a resident of Elmira, Ont. travelled to Haiti with World Partners -- the missions' agency of the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada.

About 90 minutes after arriving, a 7.0 earthquake shook the country, sending much of its already delicate infrastructure crumbling to the ground.

Martin's colleagues return

Martin was the only person in her group to be killed in the quake. The survivors arrived at Pearson airport early Friday morning.

They said the group had been sitting by the pool when Martin, who had gone swimming, went inside to get changed before dinner.

That's when the earth shook.

"The floor heaved. The pool looked like it was going to jump out, the walls started to fall down, debris was flying. We were thrown around," Marilyn Raymer told CTV Toronto.

But Martin was already inside and was buried in rubble.

"We were pretty sure right away that she must have died, but there was always a little bit of hope until they did find her body," said Laura Steckley.

The nurses say that Martin was dedicated to helping others and would have returned to Haiti if she survived the quake.

"If Yvonne was still alive and I was going back in one month, or six weeks....she'd be the first on board to say I'll get together some team members, we'll raise some more funds and we will go," said Marilyn McIlroy.

Three other Canadians have since been reported dead but Foreign Affairs said Friday 1,415 Canadians are still missing in Haiti.

"I think we we're partly in shock, we cry when we can and move forward," said Luke Martin, describing how his mother's death has taken its toll on his father and the couple's grandchildren.

"Our life has changed," Terry added.

The brothers described their mother as a "beautiful servant" to God whose "hands and feet were always of service."

Her career as a nurse was just an extension of the nurturing person she naturally was, they said.

"She was a living and nurturing woman in everything that she did and in all her relationships," Luke said.

The Martin family is now focusing on bringing Yvonne's body home but they said they hope her dedication to the people of Haiti will inspire others to donate their time to others in need.

"There's been a huge tragedy in Haiti and she's making it real for them," Luke said.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss