Martha Ann Hastings

Martha was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma to Ralph D. and Lucille Haney Murray. Her Texas roots went back five generations to the Republic of Texas, including her 5ggf George W. Brooks who was a member of Capt. Jack Shackelford’s Company, the Alabama Red Rovers, and a survivor of the Massacre of Goliad and the Battle of San Jacinto. Martha’s father was a Navy flight instructor and she moved often during her childhood. She graduated high school in Ft. Worth and eventually settled in Corpus Christi, Texas. She had two brothers, Charles and John. Charles was Pfc. in the 5th Marine Division and lost his life at 18 in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Martha’s beloved mother never recovered from the loss of her son and succumbed to cancer a few years later. Martha and her mom enjoyed happy times, too, especially traveling together, going to the beach and the movies, of which Martha was an avid fan. She was an irresistible combination of wit, fortitude, and sweetness that won her many friends.

Martha always put the needs of her family before her own, so when her mother died she withdrew her applications to college to stay home and support her father and care for her disabled brother John. Martha always longed to go to college and be a librarian but she found a calling in office management and organization, talents that she brought to her home as well. She met and married Joe R. Hastings, a petroleum engineer, on January 23, 1960. Their marriage lasted over 50 years, until Joe died in 2014. As was common in the oil industry, the family moved to various locations, including Oklahoma City, Dallas, Denver, and Midland. Joe and Martha had two daughters, Kathleen and Marilu. The four of them most enjoyed their times camping, traveling, and causing mischief together in foreign lands.

As a mother and homemaker, Martha prided herself in creating a beautiful, nurturing, and orderly home. She was a wonderful cook but some of the best family memories are her various holiday meal disasters that tasted great but looked awful. She appreciated that everything would work out fine in the kitchen as long as a glass of wine was nearby. She was an accomplished seamstress, gardener, and craft maker. Later in life she discovered new talents working retail at Steinmart in Midland.

Martha marked her life partly by the pets she welcomed into her home. From the dogs she had as a child, to the countless dogs, cats, reptiles, rodents, and birds her girls had growing up, to her treasured dog who was her constant companion at the end of her life, Martha found joy in each one of them.

Martha and Joe enjoyed taking cruises with friends and traveling to new places, including a trip to Germany where Joe was a tank commander in WWII. One highlight of Martha’s life was family visits to Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, where Kathleen lived for 20 years. For the past 16 years the light of her life was her only grandchild, Elena, who referred to her grandmother as “Doty,” for Martha’s habit of doting on her and indulging her every whim.

Martha was an inspired, self-less, and thoughtful mother, wife, grandmother, and life-long friend. Martha always had just the right card to send to mark a special occasion or for no reason at all, knew the right thing to say to someone dear when their heart was breaking, and could conjure reasons to celebrate anytime, anywhere. She will be truly missed by those who knew her and her passing is a great loss to many.

Martha is pre-deceased by her parents, Ralph and Lucille Murray, her brother Charles E. Murray, her brother John Murray, her husband Joe, her son-in-law Mitchell L. Mathis, and her beloved canine companion Sunny. She is survived by her two devoted daughters, Kathleen Hastings of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Marilu Hastings Mathis of Austin, Texas; and her granddaughter, Elena Fe Mathis.

Martha’s family takes solace in their faith that her soul is exultant now, free from pain and responsibility, and reunited with all the family, friends, and pets she longed to see again. Her survivors miss her in turn but know that, when it is their own time, they will be equally joyful to see her again. In the meantime, they will recognize her spirit in the flowers and birds that she loved; the rare cool, rainy days that soothed her; and a pitcher of margaritas that refreshed her on a hot Texas afternoon. May she rest in eternal peace.

Graveside services will be held at Castro Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Dimmitt, Texas on September 24, 2021 at 4 pm with a margarita toast to follow in celebration of Martha’s life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Shriner’s Hospital for Children at www.lovetotherescue.org.