Lois K. Martins

Lois passed peacefully on August 6, 2023 surrounded by family. Lois was born on December 4, 1926 in Harvey, North Dakota, the 3rd of 9 children born to Mabel and Ferdinand Muscha. Her mother died when Lois was 10 years old leaving Ferdinand to raise the children. Lois helped her father by staying on the family farm to help raise her younger siblings until she left to attend nurses training in Bottineau, North Dakota. Upon completion of her training, Lois worked in Algona, Iowa for a few years before moving to San Jose, California in 1953. She met and married John Martins that same year. Lois continued to work as a surgical nurse at O’Connor hospital until her first child, Peggy, was born. John and Lois built a lovely home with a small apricot orchard in the Evergreen area.

John’s sudden death in 1967 left Lois to raise their seven children, (ages 3 months to 13 years), on her own. With her usual quiet determination, she guided their children to adulthood and they have all made successful lives for themselves, as well as giving her 18 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Lois sent her children to St Mary’s School, Notre Dame High School, Archbishop Mitty High School, and James Lick High School, and she made sure all of her children attended college or technical school.

In 2008, Lois moved to a smaller home in Campbell where she lived for the next 15 years. Lois loved being in her garden, enjoying the flowers and birds. She was always happy to travel, especially when traveling to visit family and friends.

Lois was a devoted Catholic her entire life. Since her move to California, she has been a parishioner at St. Martin of Tours, St. Mary’s (San Jose), St Clare’s, Most Holy Trinity, and St. Lucy’s. She was an active member of the St. Lucy altar society for several years.

Lois was preceded in death by her parents, Ferd and Mabel, her husband John, her son Jim, her brothers Bob and Myron, and her sisters Jean and Mae. She is survived by her brothers Kenny and Jerry, her sisters Patty and Betty, her children and grandchildren, Peggy Rendler (Gene) John, Jim, Michael, and Kristy; Takako Martins (Jim’s wife) Alex; Anne Cameron (Steve) Lauren, Mark; Tom Martins (Allison) Rosanne, Kyle, Kenneth and Bryan; Ruth Bernal (Rick) Elizabeth and Katherine; Chuck Martins (Sheila) Joe and Maddie; Joe Martins (Donna), Tim, Sophie, and Sam; and great grandchildren Ryan, Ewan, Andrew, Christopher, Jackson, Marlowe, Holden, Ava, and Abigail. She also had many loving nieces and nephews.