Martha Lou Bolash was born in 1932 in Blue, on Pyle’s Mountain, a community just outside of McAlester, OK, to William Paul and Mary Lou Wagoner. She left us for her heavenly home on Sunday, December 19, at Mercer House in Rowlett, TX.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her three sisters—Emmie Mae Freeman, Josephine Paglia, and Paulita Damewood -- and a niece Patricia Freeman. Although she didn’t have children, Martha is survived by her nieces and nephews that she loved—Paula Smith (Larry) of Rowlett, TX; Nathan Keith (Mary) of Carmel, Indiana, Mark Damewood of Forney, TX, Linda Kelley of McAlester, OK, Bud Freeman (Debbie) of Tulsa, OK, Rick Freeman (Lucy) of Arlington, TX, Cathey Carlile (Mike) of Jackson, LA, and Larry Freeman (Mari) of Jackson, LA.
Her parents were sharecroppers for a time on her grandfather Scoggins land where she began her schooling in a one-room schoolhouse and where she picked cotton with her family. When she was eight, her family moved to McAlester where her father owned a shoe repair shop until he retired. Martha graduated from McAlester High School and shortly thereafter moved to Lubbock, TX, where she met and married the love of her life Peter W. Bolash. Pete was in the Air Force, and Martha traveled with him to the Philippines. They returned from overseas to make their home in Lubbock.
Martha was active in her church, Highland Baptist, and especially the 3 R’s senior group. She taught a women’s Sunday School class at Highland Baptist for many years. Martha and her husband Pete loved to travel and visit new places, making trips from Florida to Alaska through their years together. They also belonged to a dinner theater group and loved attending plays and Texas Tech football games. Martha had many interests that included cooking and baking (she always had a dessert and coffee ready for anyone that came to visit), reading, crocheting, traveling, making jewelry and learning new things. Loving to paint on china, she joined the Caprock China Painters Guild and enjoyed giving away most of the china she painted.
Martha held many jobs through the years although the most unique was when she first moved to Lubbock. She was a telephone operator for the Bell Telephone Company. After her husband passed away in 1988, she purchased a place in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, to enjoy the beautiful mountains and many friends every summer. Martha was truly the greatest optimist of all times and truly never met a stranger. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.resthavenfuneralhome.com for the Bolash family.
