BEVERLY JAY MARTIN

Beverly Jay Martin age 86, of Howe and Van Alstyne, Texas passed away on Thursday, July 3, 2025 at her country home near Van Alstyne. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday July 10, at Howe Methodist Church with Pastor J.B. Bryant officiating. The burial will follow at Hall Cemetery, Hall Cemetery Road, Howe, under the direction of Waldo Funeral Home.

Beverly was born on June 26, 1939, in Sherman, Texas, to Overton and Vinita Jay of Howe. She graduated from Howe High School in 1956, then attended the SMU School of Nursing until she married the love of her life, Army Lieutenant Ernest "Ernie" H. Martin, January 4, 1958. They traveled extensively during their 62 years of marriage. During Ernie's more than 20 years in the Army, Beverly accompanied him on tours including Alaska and West Germany, where they made many lifelong friends while traveling and collecting antiques. After Ernie's Army retirement, they enjoyed life for 20 years in Lafayette, Louisiana, before returning to the family farm between Howe and Van Alstyne to be closer to family.

Beverly's interests were many and deep. After her children left home, she became a landscape architect in 1980, then ran her own successful landscaping business, Green Ideas, for nearly two decades. She became an exceptionally skilled wood carver, focusing on wildlife carvings, gun stocks, Santa Claus figures and pens made from exotic woods. As a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Beverly used her extensive expertise as a genealogist to help rebuild the local Martha Jefferson Randolph chapter from 47 members to almost 100 in two years. She was Chapter Regent for several years and in 2012 was named Texas DAR Volunteer Genealogist.

Beverly is survived by one son, Walter Jay Martin of Overland Park, Kansas, daughers-in-laws Lezlie Martin of Overland Park, Kansas, Rhonda Martin of Van Alstyne, 12 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Overton and Vinita Jay; husband Ernest Harrington Martin, Sr.; sons Edward Graham Martin, Sr. and Ernest Harrington Martin, Jr.; sister Mary Jo Wrenn; and grandson Brock Martin. Pallbearers will be Edward Martin, Jr, William Martin, Brent Weilbacher, Grant Bingham, Leonard Rodgers and Brennan Martin.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at Waldo Funeral Home Chapel (619 N. Travis Street, Sherman, TX 75090). In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Home Hospice of Grayson County at: (https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=fc10f3). A special thank you goes to Beverly's caregivers from Home Hospice and Home Instead in Sherman, Texas.