Loretta Martin

11/15/1937 - 10/04/2025

Loretta Faye Martin
Loretta fell asleep in death on October 4, 2025 with her loved ones by her bedside. She was preceded in death by her parents Charles (Charley) Gus Heerssen and Ethel Faye Heerssen and by her dear husband James Earl Martin. She is survived by her brother Raymond Charles Heerssen, niece Jennifer Martin, her husband, John Martin, and their sons Xavier Anthony Martin and Benedict Joseph Martin, her brother David Heerssen, her daughter Teri Rochelle Brennan and her husband, Patrick Brennan, her son, James Darin (Jim) Martin, and his wife, Denese, grandson, Patrick James (PJ) Brennan, Jr. and his wife Megan, and granddaughter Michaela Christine Brennan.
Loretta first learned about Jehovah when she was a little girl. At that time, her mother started studying the Bible with a teenager named Betty Jones (later Betty Smith married to Sydney). Betty had a younger sister named Patsy (later Patsy Hope married to Roland aka Rudd). Patsy remembers Loretta playing jacks in front of her house when Betsy took Patsy on the Bible study. Patsy would become Loretta's life-long friend and the Martin and Hope families are still close friends. Loretta was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses on October 10, 1953, a faithful record of 72 years.
She met the love of her life, James Martin in Corpus Christi, Texas. James was then living with his cousin, Tommy Looper, who happened to be friends with Loretta's brother, Ray, and so the two met. Loretta and James married on July 29, 1956, shortly after Loretta graduated from Ray High School. They moved wherever James' work took them throughout South Texas from Corpus Christi to Beeville, Alice, Victoria, back to Alice then to Pearland and once again back to Alice. Then a few years after their daughter, Teri, was married they moved to Jackson, Michigan. Living with Teri and Pat Brennan, they were blessed to spend much time with their grandchildren PJ and Michaela and contributed greatly to developing their loyal qualities. 23 years later in 2012, they moved to Patterson, Louisiana to be with Jim and Denese. Following the loss of her husband James in 2014 she would return to Jackson, Michigan in June 2020, to live with Pat and Teri .
She was zealous for Jehovah, although quite limited by anxiety, scoliosis, and osteoporosis. Loyalty was one of her dominant qualities. She loved righteousness and trained her children to do so also. She kept her home as neat as a pin and was happy to have people stop by on short notice. She loved to show hospitality to the friends and was a wonderful cook. In her later years visitors would remark on how she would make them feel special, by her many sincere compliments. We look forward to seeing her again soon in perfect health along with all of our dear loved ones.
Memorial contributions are suggested to WellWise Services Area Agency on Aging. Please leave a message of comfort for Loretta's family or sign her guestbook at www.EinederFuneralHomes.com.