Eva J. Martin

Eva J. Martin, 97, of Bryan passed away Saturday, May 28, 2016 at Park Place Assisted Living in Bryan, Texas. Born in Bryan, TX on February 22, 1919 she was the fourth child of five born to Mary Conway and Horace Frank Jones. She is predeceased by her husband of 68 years, Dial F. Martin, her parents and four siblings: Horace Chester Jones, Sr., Melvern Bauguss, Mary Helen Howard and Darwin Jones.

Eva was only 5 years old when her mom and dad moved their church membership from First Baptist Church, Bryan, to the newly established College Avenue Baptist Church on the corner of Texas Avenue and 25th Street, now Central Baptist Church on FM 1518. From the first day and as long as health permitted, she had been an active church member as well as financially supporting the Texas State Children's Home in Round Rock, TX and Still Creek Children's Home in Bryan. Eva was a gifted pianist and loved to play the piano for her Sunday School Department, loved to laugh and to have good, clean fun.

Eva attended the Bryan Schools graduating from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1937, she then joined her sister, Mary Helen, at Baylor University for one year. She loved Baylor and would have attended more, but she had met a handsome Aggie, Dial F. Martin. He got a friend to tell her that he wanted a date with her. She said, "If he wants a date, he'll have to ask me himself." He had never dated before, but he got up the courage and that began a life-long love affair with each other. Dial and Eva never had any children of their own, so they lavished their love on their brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, their friends and children and his alma mater, Texas A&M University. Being the wife of a nationally known entomologist, they moved to Brownsville, TX, Washington, D.C., Leland, MS, Brazil and then retired to Bryan.

The visitation for Eva J. Martin will be held on Tuesday, May 31 at Memorial Funeral Chapel, Bryan, starting at 1:00 p.m. The memorial service will follow at 2:00 p.m. with a private burial service in Bryan City Cemetery. Her service will be conducted by Wayne Carroll and Monty Hunt of The Bridge Ministries and John Maurer, Director of Legacy Adult Ministry, Central Baptist Church. Memorials may be made to The Bridge Ministries, 1401 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. St., Suite 201, Bryan, TX 77803 or Central Baptist Church, 1991 FM 158, College Station, TX 77845 or Hospice Brazos Valley, 502 W. 26th Street, Bryan, TX 77803.