Martha's Life
Martha Catherine Jones was born in Lubbock, Texas on January 4, 1951, the first child of L.B and Catherine Jones. Martha attended public schools in Lubbock, graduating from Monterey High School in 1969. As a teenager, Martha and three friends performed in a group called the “Company of Cowards”, singing primarily folk tunes and ballads. In high school, Martha was active in the Future Nurses organization, already having the goal of becoming a nurse like her mother. Martha attended Texas Tech University for two years, but since Texas Tech did not then have a nursing school, she transferred into the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing. Martha graduated with a B.S. in Nursing in 1973. It was also at U.T., in the fall of 1972, that Martha met John, her future husband (and perhaps confirming Martha’s Mom’s worst fears about Austin!)
Upon graduation, Martha began her critical care nursing career at the Brackenridge Hospital ICU in Austin. In 1974, Martha and John were married and moved to Washington, D.C. where John was attending law school. Martha again worked in the ICU, this time at the George Washington University Hospital. In 1978, Martha began her 34-year career with the Seton Family of Hospitals, working in the Seton Main ICU. In 1991, Martha moved to the new Seton Northwest Hospital, where as unit manager she helped open the ICU.
Martha was a strong role model and mentor to many younger nurses. Her entire nursing career was shaped by her desire to provide compassionate care to her patients and support to their families while at the same time giving outstanding clinical care. Martha’s calm demeanor, quiet but persistent advocacy, and clinical expertise helped shape and improve critical care nursing at Seton for over 3 decades.
In addition to her passionate dedication to nursing, Martha led an abundantly full life as a wife, mother, sister, and friend. Martha was married to her husband John for over 38 years, and was extremely proud of sons Johnny and his wife Brittainy and Jason. Martha was also very close to her two sisters, Laura (Janie) and her husband Stan from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and their three children, Michael, Colin, and Amanda, and Amy and her husband Michael from Lubbock, and their two daughters, Audra and Jessica, and was equally close to sister-in-law Joan Hamelwright and her husband Michael of Austin, and their four children Michelle, Hunter, Marshall, and Emily.
Martha loved to travel, hike, shop, and spend time with family and friends. She especially loved taking family trips to Yellowstone and other National Parks, going to Colorado in the fall to see the leaves change, touring different Hawaiian Islands, and taking cruises. Martha also loved to bake her award-winning pumpkin bread to give to family and friends over the holidays.
“Celebrate my life and yours, I will always be with you in spirit.”
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Martha C. Gooding Foundation For Compassionate Nursing