Senior of the Month

Manuel and Lilly Martinez are proud residents of La Union. Manuel is 93 years old and Lily is 90 years old.

They have been married for 68 years. They have five children, three grandchildren, and one great grandson.

Born in Chamberino, Manuel attended Valley High School (Gadsden) through the 9th grade. He then served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division.

They are both members of Our Lady of Refuge Church. Manuel retired from White Sands Missile Range at the age of 54 with 30 years of service. He continued working his father’s farm in Chamberino until the age of 80.

He then became Lily’s full-time caregiver when she took early retirement from Blue Bell/Wrangler Jeans in 1984 due to an accident where she became disabled. To this day she continues to look after her flower garden.

Manuel and Lilly share a wealth of knowledge about the history of the Valley.

They were both very hardworking individuals and even now, wish they could still help around the house. Manuel kept active being a caring husband to his wife Lily. She keeps busy with her pleasure of coloring and has never complained about being disabled. They both complement each other by always looking out after each other.