Maria Elena Martinez Mendoza Martin

Maria Elena Martinez Mendoza Martin 74, of Fairbury, was born December 22, 1939 to Antonio and Natalia (Mendoza) Martinez in Lampazos de Naranjo Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

She married Gerardo Quintanilla Sierra born in Monterrey Nuevo Leon.
She miscarried one baby. Gerardo worked at Petroleos Mexicanos in the oil fields and was killed in a car accident while on his way to work.

Maria's second husband, Earl Martin was born in St. Louis Missouri.
He owned his own property and ranch. He bred pigs and had a large plantation of different crops. They never had any children.

Maria Elena went to school in Monterrey and accomplished her degree as a Bilingual Secretary. After she graduated, she went on to open a school for Bilingual Secretarys in her place of birth, Lampazos de Nuevo Leon. While working in a Machinery Factory as a Bilingual Secretary, she met her Earl and soon after that they moved to St. Louis, Missouri. Her heart & passion was to be able to educate students in bilingual & education.

When they moved to Missouri, she worked with her husband on his ranch. After Earl passed away, she moved to Nebraska. She was one of fifteen children. She had 7 brothers & 7 sisters. Her Parents were poor but had a small ranch with cattle & sheep, they worked hard to make a living & to provide for all of their children. They sold the cattle milk & processed cheese to provide for their family.

Survivors are Brothers: Antonio, Pedro, Ildefonso, Manuel, Sisters: Guadalupe, Juana, Josefina, Andrea, Nieces & Nephews.
She is preceded in death by her Parents, Husbands Gerardo & Earl, Brothers Jose, Francisco, Juan, Sisters Maria de Jesus, Maria Luisa, Petrabertha.

Services will be Tuesday, July 29, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Fairbury, Nebraska with Father John Birkel officiating. A Rosary will be held Monday evening at 7:00 at the Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury and the family will greet friends following the Rosary. Memorials will go to the family's choice. Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury is in charge of the arrangements.