With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Maria M Brown of Cushing, OK, who passed away peacefully at home on Monday, October 7th, 2024, surrounded by family and loved ones. Maria Martinez was born on August 15, 1940, in Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico to José Martinez and Maria Grijalva.
Maria grew up in Nacozari with her parents and 2 sisters. This is where she learned to love cooking, being creative, and a strong sense of family. This is also where she caught Wayne Brown’s eye in 1965. It was love at first sight for Wayne. This led to many dates and exchanged love letters. After he won her heart, she was truly devoted to him. The two were married in 1965, moved to California, and had their only child, Verna, in 1967. She was a loving wife and mother.
Wayne, Maria, and Verna made the move to New Mexico in 1981 and soon thereafter purchased their family home in Carlsbad, NM where Maria lived until Wayne passed away in 2009. Then she moved to Cushing, OK to be near Verna where she was her nextdoor neighbor until her passing. She was very active in her church in both Carlsbad at San Jose Catholic Church and in Cushing at Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
Maria embraced her new life as a wife in a new country. She took English classes and became fluent in the language in addition to her native Spanish. She went to trade school and became a hair stylist and worked in that field until retirement in 1990. Maria’s love language was cooking! If you have ever had her tortillas, tamales, tacos, any of the soups she would make for the Lenten Soup Luncheons, or anything else she made, you could tell she loved to cook. She loved motherhood and was her daughter’s biggest cheerleader. Maria was also blessed with a green thumb and always had the biggest, most beautiful plants. She and Wayne loved to travel to different parts of the country and to entertain friends with large meals at home.
Waiting for Maria at the Door to Heaven was the love of her life, Wayne, her parents, José & Maria Martinez, her two sisters, Bertha & Adelina, and one niece, Ana Delia. Maria is survived by her loving daughter, Verna Huckabay, and son-in-law Don of Cushing; her two granddaughters Ashleigh Cloud and husband Alex Chelminski of Huntley, IL, and Paige Cloud of Alexandria, VA; two bonus grandchildren, Erica Hall of Broken Arrow, OK and Alan Huckabay and wife Kara of Cushing; great grandchildren, Addyson and Brayden Huckabay and one more on the way; nieces and nephews who were like her own children: Argelia, Octavio, Rene, Martha, & Vicky; and many other family members and friends who were like family. Maria will be deeply missed by all. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home.
A Rosary will be held at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church on Monday, October 14, at 7:00 pm and Funeral Mass on Tuesday, October 15 at 10:00 am. Both will be held at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Cushing, OK. Burial will follow the mass with her final resting place being Euchee Valley Memorial Park. Friends and family are invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in Maria’s memory.
May Maria rest in peace, forever remembered for her kindness, love, and the indelible impact on those who knew her.
