She was preceded in death by her parents †Ines Salas and †Raul Lucero; grandparents †Jesus and †Maria Salas; brother †Humberto Salas; husband †John E. (Pat) Clark; sons †Alfredo (Freddy) Chavez Sr. and †Raymundo (Ray) Chavez; and her Comadre †Amelia (Tia Melita) Hernandez.
Martha is survived by her children Eustacio Chavez III (†Maria); Antonio Chavez Sr (Irma); Margie (†Freddy Sr) Chavez; Ronaldo Chavez (Martha); Enrique Chavez Sr.; Eduardo Chavez; Theresa Quintanar (Bernie); Maria Milligan; 31 grandchildren; 54 great-grandchildren; and 7 great-great-grandchildren; several godchildren, and many friends all who love her dearly, miss her immensely, and will forever hold her in their hearts.
Martha became a mother at a young age and her children were her joy. She was happiest during any family gathering when her Comadre (Tia Melita) would visit. Although always loud, she enjoyed the visits where all the kids were laughing, dancing, and enjoying time with the cousins. She worked hard for many years as a Head Housekeeper at Hospital Hotel Dieu to provide for her children. She dreamt of the day she might have more time to sew and crochet just for pleasure.
Martha remarried in the late ‘70s and moved to Anderson, IN. There, she attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church and assisted in the church’s food pantry and soup kitchen. She always sewed and crocheted for pleasure and gifted many items to her family and friends. After much coaxing from her husband, Pat, she submitted one of her crocheted tablecloths to the county fair, where she won first place and went on to the state fair, winning the prized blue ribbon. Later, she would join the Redbud Quilt Guild and the Basement Quilters, crocheting and quilting to her heart’s content. She became a partial business owner of Clark & Daughters Concessions and spent her summers working throughout the state at various fairs, festivals, and even the Indianapolis 500. When she wasn’t working, she loved tending to her gardens, where she grew countless beautiful flowers and tasty vegetables. Martha loved to spend her time with family and friends, oftentimes packing up the RV and traveling cross-country with her husband, Pat, to be with them.
Martha returned to El Paso in 2012. She remained active in her faith and attended St. Luke’s Catholic Church. She continued her service to others by joining the groups Project Linus and the Paso Del Norte Quilt Guild. There, she would sew, quilt, and crochet baby blankets, quilts, pillowcases, and other items that were given to those in the community who were in need, whether they were children in the hospital, single mothers, teens aging out of foster care or veterans.
Martha’s love, kindness, guidance, and generosity will be missed by many, none more so than her family, but we know she is at peace and resting with our Heavenly Father.
