October 27th, 1944 to June 29th, 2022
Marjory Ann Martinez (nee Mortenson) passed away on June 29th, 2022 in the early morning at Lovelock Pershing Hospital and Nursing Facility, after a long battle with cancer plus exposure to COVID-19.
She was well-liked by the many residents, cared for by the many nurses, social workers and other wonderful staff that helped take care of her during her residency of thirty two months.
Marge was born on October 27th, 1944 in Noonan, North Dakota to Marvin and Virles Mortenson (nee Goodchild) and lived in many towns in North Dakota with her parents and siblings.
She also lived in Plentywood, Montana during her teenage years with her grandmother Mamie Goodchild and later with her foster parents, Roy and Helen Rue.
Marge came to the Bay Area of California in 1962 after high school. She settled in Hayward, CA and worked for 16 years for the Alameda County Welfare Department.
She married her husband, Benito Martinez on May 9th, 1970 and lived in Fremont during the 1970s.
They later moved to Pioneer, California during the late 1970s and had two daughters in the early 1980’s.
Marge worked as a secretary, and later as a home health aide helping many residents in Amador County get the care they needed in their homes in the mid to late 1990s.
Marge, Ben and the family later lived in Rio Vista, California from 2000 to 2008. Marge worked as a caregiver for PACE in Vacaville, California.
She was loved by many of her clients, many of whom have passed on, as well as their families. She was also liked by many of her coworkers at PACE.
Ben and Marge eventually retired in Lovelock, Nevada in 2008. Marge and Ben travelled around the Western United States during their retirement.
Marge volunteered at the Pershing County Recycling Center and was active at the Pershing County Senior Center and her local church.
On September 17th, 2011, Ben passed away after a few months of suffering from the effects of lung cancer. Marge continued to live in Lovelock at her home on Grinnel Avenue until 2019. She resided in the Pershing County Hospital and Nursing Facility from late 2019 up until her death.
Marge will be remembered for her sense of humor, her cooking, her passion for genealogy, her love of taking on new hobbies, her dressing up and celebrating on each and every holiday, including St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and Halloween, her devotion to her community and her enthusiasm for finding unique bargains at garage sales, what she called “garbage sales”.
She is preceded in death by her husband of forty-one years, Benito Martinez, her parents, her foster parents, and her grandparents. She is also preceded in death by three sisters-in-law and one brother-in-law.
She is survived by her large family which includes: her daughters, Samantha Martinez and Amanda Martinez; her siblings: Sandi Vivion and her husband Ron; Virgil Mortenson and his wife Teeny; Roger Mortenson; Erl Mortenson and his wife Laurie; Michael Bergh and his wife Linda; Craig Bergh and his wife Pamela; and Kerry Lambert and her husband, Ed; her foster sisters Geri Becker and her husband Randy and Lynn Jones and her husband Steven.
She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, services will not be held until determined to be safe for everyone.
