On Friday, Jan. 7, God called home our beautiful, amazing, strong Momma, Christina Ione Martinez. She knew and loved God all her life. She was born Dec. 20, 1947, in Kemmerer, the daughter of Ellen Ione (Lamb) and Oliver and Mary Kampman.
You are our mother with a capital M! You are sacred to us. We hope you know just how much beauty your love has brought to our lives. We are eternally grateful you chose to be our mother. You took care of us through every moment in our lives.
She cherished her family more than anything on this earth. She enjoyed spending time in the mountains and desert, especially on her family ranch. I don’t think there’s a piece of ground she didn’t cover in southern Wyoming, and she also had a few adventures overseas. She had many ventures camping, fishing, or just taking an afternoon ride to the cedars hunting arrowheads.
She loved spending time in her greenhouse planting any seed she could find. It was fun to see what random veggies would pop up. Spring was her joy, as new plants sprouted and nature’s babies came into the world.
Most of all, she loved her children: daughter, Tina and her husband, Dan Kruckenberg; son, Greg and his wife, Tashia Martinez; son, Eric Martinez; and daughter, Sara Martinez; her precious grandchildren, Jennifer (Phil), Ryan, Dustin (Kelsey), Rudy, Gracie, Bon, Jesse, Kalob, Haven, Genesis (Josh), Kortney (Heath), Deserai, Kindra and Austin; many great-grandchildren, Makayla, Addison, Kaden, Kamden, Chloe, Quaiden, Sawyer, Tiggin, Kennedy, Karter, Shane, Deegan, Shad, Calvin, Kyle and Leeander; great-great-grandchild, Blakely; and many nieces and nephews.
She graduated high school in Connecticut in 1966, on the Dean’s list, of course. After graduation, she returned to Kemmerer. She received her cosmetologist license in Idaho Falls. She worked hard all her life to care for her children. She was a cosmetologist for many years, making many friends along the way.
In 1980, she decided she’d try her hand at working in a coal mine. She is one of the pioneers for women and blessed to be in a group of some of the first women to work in coal mines. She worked for FMC Skull Point and P&M mines until her retirement in 2007.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Ione Kampman; father, Oliver Kampman and mother Mary Kampman; brothers, Mark Kampman, Mike Kampman and Dennis Kampman; and all of her grandparents.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 15, at Ball Family Chapel. Interment will follow services at the South Lincoln Cemetery, Kemmerer.
Memorial donations may be made to T2T.org The Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
