Senior of the Month 

Martha Martinez 

Martha Ann  Martinez was born in Canutillo, Texas  in January 1957.  She has one daughter Nicole Torres.  Martha has four  siblings:  Manny Jr., Max, Monica and Mario. Her parents are Manuel  Appelzoller Martinez (recently deceased) and Lily Enriquez Martinez.

At a very early age, both parents instilled hard work ethics.  While growing up, Martha worked  picking vegetables, cotton and keeping their home and yard  clean. She learned to sew and  was the happiest when her dad bought her a Singer Sewing machine.   In high school and when home from college  on weekends , she worked as a waitress at Griggs Restaurant. 

Martha is a proud graduate  of Gadsden High School  from the class of 1975.   The summers following her high school graduation, she worked at White Sands Missile Range in the Headquarters  and for the Dept of Navy. 

She attended Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing .  Martha went to work for Payless Shoe Source as a store manager for 23 years . In 2003,   she earned  a Master of Arts  Degree from New Mexico State University in Special Education.  Martha worked for the Gadsden Independent School District and  Las Cruces Public Schools, as a special education teacher for 20 years.

Raising Nicole was Martha’s dream.  They both enjoyed  volunteering in church activities .  Martha was very involved in Nicole’s school functions such as traveling to Dallas and New York for fashion design trips. Martha and Nicole opened up their home to many foster children for a few  years and provided  guidance, support and a safe home environment.

In 2023, Martha made a very important decision to retire from teaching to  help care for her elderly parents full-time.  Although she resides  in Las Cruces, she currently lives in La Union helping take care of her mother.  She joined her sibling’s  journey of learning how to care for the elderly and most of all, to make their parents as comfortable as possible while their father had onset Lewy Body Dementia.  Martha has shared many times, that giving up social invitations and other activities became a norm knowing that her mom and dad were getting the best possible care. 

  Martha still enjoys spending time with dear friends, crafting and gardening, while caring for her dear mother Lily.

Some of Martha's favorite quotes are

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou

 "Cherish all your happy moments: they make a fine cushion for old age."

Author unknown

Congratulations Martha! 

Thank you for your contributions to the La Union community, your family, and children who needed a loving home. 

We appreciate you!