E. Sue Martin

E. Sue Martin neé Penfold passed from this world on January 24, 2026, to be reunited with her beloved husband, Glen, and their furry companion, Sheila. She studied art at Trinity University in the late 1950s, then she married and brought up two kids. She became familiar with San Antonio hot-rod culture through her first husband, and took over ownership of Southwest Racing Equipment in 1971.

Later she moved on to dabble in real-estate and then launch a new career as restaurateur. In1984, she opened The Country Spirit restaurant in the historic Mansion House on Boerne's Main Street, and she ran it till 2003. There her talents in design, décor, and cooking came to full expression. She extended her hospitality to thousands of guests and loved feeding them and visiting with them; moreover, she extended her family to embrace all who worked there. She prided herself on her mother's German stock, but much more on her connection to Boerne and Texas.

She served on the Boerne Historic Landmark Commission for two decades, and some time on the Boerne Area Preservation Society. In her private life, she channeled her passions into restoring her 1850s historic home, her garden, and her animals. In her family's memory, she kept horses for most of her life, but she was never without dogs or cats that she had rescued and loved. She detested cruelty, and supported causes for animal welfare like the preservation of wild mustangs. In the end, her heart quit her before her spirit ever did.

Sue is survived by her sisters, Judy and Margie and their families; by her daughter, Wendy, and her son-in-law, Jeremy; by her son, William, and her daughter-in-law, Maren; by her granddaughter, Anna; by her great-granddaughter, Andrea; and by her last four-legged love, Lizzie.

May The Lord bless Sue and Glen and keep them forever. Amen.