1924
Rita
2009
Rita M. Martinez
January 24, 1924 — February 27, 2009
RITA M. "WELITA" MARTINEZ
SAN JUAN - Rita M. Martinez, 85, was welcomed by our Creator on Friday, February 27, 2009, at her residence in San Juan.
Born in Edinburg, Mrs. Martinez had lived in San Juan ALL of her life and was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish in San Juan.
A “straight-A” student in grade school, poverty forced Rita into migrant farm work for over 50 years. Despite grinding hardships, she devoted her life to raising her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren teaching them the virtues of hard work and honesty as well as to gently stand up for social justice for farm workers and all poor people, often joining in Cesar Chavez’s campaigns for the UFW while maintaining a spirit of humility, even to the extent of requesting a plain pine coffin (handmade by granddaughter Tina’s husband, Dennis Hernandez) for her funeral.
Rita was dearly loved by her children and their offspring and admired by friends and neighbors. She counseled them all with ongoing advice and reminders, but never with guilt. She expected nothing and received love and respect in return. Welita was a very special person to many but to our family she was our rock. She taught us to be kind, forgiving people and never held any anger for anyone.
Welita has been embraced by our Creator; her job of taking care of us is done; always remembering us in her prayers. A religious woman, people remember Welita walking to church with her gray veil over her head. Her Catholic faith and her family were her support to her last day passing in the embrace and singing of her daughter, Josie, granddaughter, Tina, and great-granddaughter, Nikki Jo.
Rita was a modest and humble woman who was a rock in her neighborhood. Despite only a sixth grade education, neighbors would turn to her for information, letter writing, interpretation, haircuts and perms, sewing and wisdom. Friends and acquaintances would walk by her humble home and admire her green yard and shade trees and ask for a piece of sod as a starter for their own yards. She always shared.
Alma, thank you for the candles you brought her weekly and thank you, Dennis, for the handmade pine casket she requested. The family also wishes to thank the staff of Beyamar Hospice for the special care and support given to Welita.
She will be deeply missed by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but all are rejoicing her welcome into paradise. All her family and friends celebrate in her death as she has now gone to her reward and is now feeling the glory that she earned and deserves.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Juan Martinez; her parents; a great-grandson, Cristian Osmar Ortiz; a great-granddaughter, Deandra Martinez; a sister-in-law, Guadalupe Leija Maldonado; two brothers, Pedro Mendoza, Hermenejildo Mendoza ; and two aunts, Tia Maria Garcia and Tia Concha Cavazos.
Mrs. Martinez is survived by six children, Juan Martin Martinez, of San Juan, David (Sandra) Martinez, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Pablo (Flora) Martinez, of Houston, Texas, San Juanita (Robert) Dwyer, of Storrs, Connecticut, Magdalena M. Huerta, of Signal Hill, California, Josefa Martinez, of San Juan; 19 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a brother, Antonio Mendoza, of Mercedes.
Visitation will be held from 3 to 9 pm, with a 7 pm rosary today, March 1, 2009, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral service will be celebrated at 10 am Monday, March 2, 2009, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish in San Juan by long-time family friend, Deacon Agapito Cantu.
Pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchild, Alberto Martinez, Maria Martina “Tina” Martinez, Rebekkah Williams, Nikki Williams, James David Martinez, and Abram Martinez.
Honorary Pallbearers are Justin Tyler Sanchez, and JonAustin “Seven” Sanchez.
Cremation will take place at Val Verde Memorial Gardens in Donna. In lieu of flowers or monetary contributions, we ask for your prayers and for you to hug and kiss your loved ones (Because that’s what Welita would have wanted).
Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.
SAN JUAN - Rita M. Martinez, 85, was welcomed by our Creator on Friday, February 27, 2009, at her residence in San Juan.
Born in Edinburg, Mrs. Martinez had lived in San Juan ALL of her life and was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish in San Juan.
A “straight-A” student in grade school, poverty forced Rita into migrant farm work for over 50 years. Despite grinding hardships, she devoted her life to raising her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren teaching them the virtues of hard work and honesty as well as to gently stand up for social justice for farm workers and all poor people, often joining in Cesar Chavez’s campaigns for the UFW while maintaining a spirit of humility, even to the extent of requesting a plain pine coffin (handmade by granddaughter Tina’s husband, Dennis Hernandez) for her funeral.
Rita was dearly loved by her children and their offspring and admired by friends and neighbors. She counseled them all with ongoing advice and reminders, but never with guilt. She expected nothing and received love and respect in return. Welita was a very special person to many but to our family she was our rock. She taught us to be kind, forgiving people and never held any anger for anyone.
Welita has been embraced by our Creator; her job of taking care of us is done; always remembering us in her prayers. A religious woman, people remember Welita walking to church with her gray veil over her head. Her Catholic faith and her family were her support to her last day passing in the embrace and singing of her daughter, Josie, granddaughter, Tina, and great-granddaughter, Nikki Jo.
Rita was a modest and humble woman who was a rock in her neighborhood. Despite only a sixth grade education, neighbors would turn to her for information, letter writing, interpretation, haircuts and perms, sewing and wisdom. Friends and acquaintances would walk by her humble home and admire her green yard and shade trees and ask for a piece of sod as a starter for their own yards. She always shared.
Alma, thank you for the candles you brought her weekly and thank you, Dennis, for the handmade pine casket she requested. The family also wishes to thank the staff of Beyamar Hospice for the special care and support given to Welita.
She will be deeply missed by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but all are rejoicing her welcome into paradise. All her family and friends celebrate in her death as she has now gone to her reward and is now feeling the glory that she earned and deserves.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Juan Martinez; her parents; a great-grandson, Cristian Osmar Ortiz; a great-granddaughter, Deandra Martinez; a sister-in-law, Guadalupe Leija Maldonado; two brothers, Pedro Mendoza, Hermenejildo Mendoza ; and two aunts, Tia Maria Garcia and Tia Concha Cavazos.
Mrs. Martinez is survived by six children, Juan Martin Martinez, of San Juan, David (Sandra) Martinez, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Pablo (Flora) Martinez, of Houston, Texas, San Juanita (Robert) Dwyer, of Storrs, Connecticut, Magdalena M. Huerta, of Signal Hill, California, Josefa Martinez, of San Juan; 19 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a brother, Antonio Mendoza, of Mercedes.
Visitation will be held from 3 to 9 pm, with a 7 pm rosary today, March 1, 2009, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral service will be celebrated at 10 am Monday, March 2, 2009, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish in San Juan by long-time family friend, Deacon Agapito Cantu.
Pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchild, Alberto Martinez, Maria Martina “Tina” Martinez, Rebekkah Williams, Nikki Williams, James David Martinez, and Abram Martinez.
Honorary Pallbearers are Justin Tyler Sanchez, and JonAustin “Seven” Sanchez.
Cremation will take place at Val Verde Memorial Gardens in Donna. In lieu of flowers or monetary contributions, we ask for your prayers and for you to hug and kiss your loved ones (Because that’s what Welita would have wanted).
Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Rita M. Martinez, please visit our flower store.
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