Esther Martinez

Born on August 18th, 1931, in Santa Rita, New Mexico, to Arquelina (Rodriguez) and Francisco Contreras, Esther went on to earn a Bachelor of Education degree from what is now Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico.

She was staying in Albuquerque to help her sister and brother-in-law, Elvira and Paul Cuevas, with their newborn daughter Judy when she met her future husband, Hiram Martinez, at a church picnic for Bethany Spanish Baptist Church, where Reverend Cuevas was pastor.

Esther taught First Graders in Datil and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, before marrying Hiram in 1955 and moving to Albuquerque. There she began a 30-year relationship with the Albuquerque Pubic Schools. She started out doing substitute teaching before taking a job teaching First Grade at Mission Avenue Elementary School until she retired in 1986.

She loved teaching and spent all her life teaching preschoolers at church and throughout New Mexico when she served as a Mission Friends trainer through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Women’s Missionary Union in the late 80s and early 90s.

She served as a preschool Sunday School and Mission Friends teacher at Alameda, Bethany Spanish, Isleta, and Del Norte Baptist Churches.

In 2018, Esther and Hiram moved to Phoenix to live with their daughters and joined First Baptist Church Chandler where they were faithful members of the Senior Adult class.

Esther is survived by her husband, Hiram, four children, H. Timothy Martinez, Evangeline Burge, Elizabeth Martinez, and Naomi (Marc) Martinez-Goldstick, grandchildren Robert Burge, Eli Goldstick, and Hannah Goldstick, sisters Alice Anaya, Mary Lou Contreras, and brother Frank Contreras, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, as well as siblings Elena Arellano, Jose Contreras, Daniel Contreras, Samuel Contreras, Elvira Cuevas, Eva Maldonado, Dolores Arguello, and three young siblings.

We look forward to seeing her again in Glory where she now sees Jesus face to face.