Elvira A Martin

She grew up on a ranch with five brothers and a sister. As a girl, she was quite the prankster playing tricks on her brothers. She was an accomplished horsewoman. She liked to say she was the best rider in her family, even better than her brothers!

She grew to become a striking beauty that loved to dance and laugh and enjoy life’s celebrations usually with mariachis in the background.

She went from being a young housewife to raising five children on her own for most of their childhood. She went to work to support her family without any experience but lots of strength and determination. Her faith in God provided comfort in hard times including the sudden death of her eldest son in a tragic car accident at the age of 20, her battle with breast cancer and divorce.

Her early work experience in food service at Hotel Dieu and Four Seasons Nursing Home was fitting as her love of food was a constant throughout her life from making fresh flour tortillas for her family to perfecting a pie crust. She learned to bake which turned into a cake decorating hobby for a time. A small pecan orchard in Clint TX with her husband Thomas W. Martin provided the pecans for the best pecan pies ever! Her love of baking rivaled her love of gardening whether it was flowers or vegetables. The space available, large or small, was not a deterrent. She always managed to grow what she wanted.

Elvira was incapable of hiding her emotions. No one had to ask her opinion. Until the end, her face betrayed her thoughts, good or bad. As a strict disciplinarian with her children or any other children, just one look and you knew to quiet down or be still or run! Her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all experienced “the face.”

Elvira spent her retirement years traveling with her children and friends, supporting Veteran organizations financially, as a member of the El Paso Chapter of Gold Star Wives and participating and supporting breast cancer events. Her spiritual faith continued as a long-time member of The First Baptist Church. She loved the live singing Christmas tree during the holidays. She continued to attend church services until she couldn’t. Reading the Bible brought her peace and solace. The Shriner’s Hospital for Children was also a favorite charity as her husband Tom was a Shriner for many years.

Elvira is preceded in death by her eldest son, Luis Manuel Diaz, Jr., a.k.a. “Junie”. She is survived by her sons Jaime Diaz (wife Terri) of Hesperia, CA, Roy Cyr (wife Marisa) and Paul Dean Cyr wife Teresa) and her daughter Sandra Cyr Creek (husband Fred) of Albuquerque, NM. She is also survived by one brother Enrique Alvarez, 9 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews in El Paso and Juarez.

Visitation will be held from 3-7 pm on Thursday June 24th with the eulogy at 6 pm at Hillcrest Funeral Home, 1060 North Carolina Drive, El Paso Texas. Funeral service will be held at 11 am Friday, June 25th, at First Baptist Church, 805 Montana Ave followed by interment service at 1pm at Evergreen Cemetery East, 12400 Montana Ave.