Aunt Martha

My dear Aunt Martha passed peacefully from this world early this morning. She had been battling ovarian cancer since 1999. My mother was by her side as she went.

Aunt Martha was the matriarch of my mother's family. A former special education teacher, Martha Barrett went on to become the president of the Texas State Teacher's Union. She spent her life advocating fair treatment and proper working conditions for public school teachers. She was known for her strength and leadership and she never liked to waste time. In fact, it was only two days ago that the doctors told her there was nothing more they could do to treat her cancer. I can just hear her saying, "Well, if I'm gonna die, let's get goin'!"

Aunt Martha is survived by her grown daughter and son, three grandchildren, three younger sisters, and her father. She was 61 years old.