Isabelle - Age 92 - Chimayo - Martinez

ISABELLE MARTINEZ was born on July 8, 1920, in Chimayo, to Epimenia Montoya and Federico Martinez, and christened Maria Isabel. She had 3 younger sisters and 2 younger brothers. Isabelle attended John Hyson Memorial Mission School through eighth grade, was perfectly literate in Spanish and English. She was a voracious reader and was particularly fond of Bible scriptures and hymns. She and her sister Angie spent many hours singing hymns together.\r\n As a very young woman, she married in Chimayo’s El Buen Pastor Presbyterian Church to Teofilo Ortega and they had two daughters. Later she married Sinfo Martinez and had three sons and two daughters. Finally, she married Joe Mike Martinez, from whom she is widowed, and had two sons. All but one of her nine children is living. She has twenty-three grandchildren, and only one preceded her in going to her heavenly rest.\r\n Isabelle worked hard to feed her family, rising early and retiring late to plant and tend her gardens and orchard. She sewed, cooked, canned, quilted, wove sarapes, roofed and repaired her home as it often needed. In between all this, she cut her boy’s hair and braided her girl’s hair.\r\n Isabelle was a good friend and had many friends with who she kept in touch. She has a very large network of extended family, primarily in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. She gave many hours of work to her church.\r\n She lived most of her 92 years in Chimayo, but some years in Wyoming and short period of time in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. She lived her final years with a daughter in Corrales and was in a rehabilitation Center the final two months of her life, where she made friends with many of the residents in Chimayo. She was in good physical health except for the normal pains of aging.\r\n Isabelle went to sleep on April 22 and was called to her permanent heavenly home as she slept peacefully. She lived with the blessed assurance that she had eternal life with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.\r\n Isabelle was preceded in death by husband Mike; son, David; granddaughter, Maria; sisters: Mabel and Rosario; brother, Pete; parents, Epimenia and Federico Martinez.\r\n Isabelle is survived by her children: Betty Jo Ortega and husband Arturo, Margie Ortega Lucero and husband Larry, Jesse S. Martinez and wife Colleen, J.F. Walter Martinez and wife Anile, Consuelo Cordova, Samuel Martinez, Linda Howland and Alan Bartlett and Michael Martinez; grandchildren: Carin Rangel Lucero, Elena Rangel Carson, Marco Rangel, Marisa Rangel Durfee, Celia Rangel Vieau, Lisa Lucero Mogford, Monica Lucero Harmon, Diego Javier and Nina Martinez, Gabriela Martinez Acevedo, Loren Martinez, Felipe Cordova and Davina Cordova, Mario Martinez, Melissa Howland-Smith, Julian Howland, Sam Howland and Jennifer Howland, Jacob, Jessica, Gary and Nikki Martinez; brother, Manuel Martinez; sister, Angelina Martinez Mendez; numerous other loving grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.\r\n Funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. in the Sangre de Cristo Chapel of Devargas Funeral Home & Crematory with burial to follow at Los Llanitos Cemetery in Truchas with the following serving the family as pallbearers: Sam Martinez, Felipe Cordova, Paul Durfee, Marco Rangel, Lucas Martinez, Peter Sena and Julian Howland. The family of Isabelle Martinez has entrusted the care of their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley.

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