Margaret Mary Martinez

Our beloved "Tia Margarita" slipped away quietly to join her heavenly family on February 16, 2018. The youngest daughter of Jose and Mercedes Martinez, Margaret Mary Martinez was born October 17, 1918 in Ogden, Utah. "Tia", as the "little sister" completes the gathering of the Martinez spiritual family who are now enjoying their heavenly peace. As a founding member of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Therese, she spent her life working for the "Little Flower Church" at a time the Church was producing a magazine dedicated to the Little Flower. After the magazine ceased production, she served as a receptionist at the Church. In 2005 she was recognized by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma and the Vatican for a lifetime of faithful service to the Church. Her famous "confetti eggs" were a legacy that she started as her contribution to the annual church carnival and remains popular today. Her church and her family were the foundation of her life and she gave so generously to both. Numerous nieces and nephews, on whom she doted, survive her. She was the embodiment of a loving aunt; later she shared this love with her pets and other animals who became the focus of her life. Her family would like to thank Grace Living Center and their caretakers, who tirelessly sought to make her comfortable in the last few weeks of her life. The care displayed by all employees was exemplary. Her primary caregiver was her niece Esther Rebecca Baltierra. Esther's loving care provided for all her needs after "Tia" remained the lone family member of her generation. We would also like to thank neighbors Mary Helen, Maggie, Esther, and Celeste, plus the nuns and clergy of Little Flower who checked on "Tia" daily. She was preceded in death by her sister Pauline Baltierra and brother-in-law Raul Baltierra; her brother John and sister-in-law Paula Martinez; her brother Ramon Martinez and step-mother, Carmen Martinez plus siblings who died at birth. "Tia" became the matriarch of the Baltierra and Martinez families - she remained the center of their lives and will be missed greatly. Visitation will be on Thursday, February 22, 2018 from 10am-6pm at Smith & Kernke Funeral Home (1401 NW 23rd Street, OKC, OK). A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10am on Friday at Little Flower Church (1125 S. Walker Ave., OKC, OK). May she rest in peace and may perpetual light shine on her.