Martha Jane Ball

She was born February 16, 1921 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to William Thomas and Ida Lee Hopkins. Martha Jane and Raymond Ball were married 62 years and her loving husband preceded her in death. She leaves behind her two daughters, Karen Fontenot and husband, Alden of Missouri City, Texas, and Cynthia Ekstrom of League City, Texas; five grandchildren, Laura Stoltenberg, Kevin Fontenot, Leah Brown, Charles Ekstrom, and Natalie Glaser; and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Her family was very important to her, so her pallbearers will be her grandsons, Kevin Fontenot and Charles Ekstrom, grandson-in-laws, Langston Brown and Mark Glaser, and two of her great-grandsons, Austyn and Andrew Stoltenberg.

Martha Jane was a longtime resident of Maplewood where she lived with her husband and raised her children. She retired from Olin Corporation after working there as a secretary for 29 years. She formerly attended and was a member of Maplewood First Baptist Church, where she was involved in the church choir, and has been a member of Sugar Land Baptist Church for the last 10 years. She enjoyed singing, crafts, painting, cooking, and entertaining her friends.

Her funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 17, in Hixson-Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home. The Rev. Clarence Young will officiate. Burial will be in Mimosa Pines South Cemetery in Carlyss. Visitation is from 11 a.m. until the time of service Saturday in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to either Maplewood First Baptist Church or Sugar Land Baptist Church, 16755 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, TX 77479. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.hixsonfuneralhomes.com.