Martha Paige Obituary

On September 22, 1942, in Carthage, Texas, Martha Ann Paige was born to McNeal Holt and Lucy Holland. At an early age, Martha and her family packed up and made their way to the Golden State. They first lived in the low desert, but Martha ultimately settled in the city of Banning, California, the place where she received her education and which she was proud to call home.

From working as a hotel housekeeper in Palm Springs, a poultry processor in Beaumont, to a feisty campus aide at Hoffer Elementary School with the Banning Unified School District, Martha always displayed a strong work ethic. Even stronger was her love for people and her desire to help. She volunteered at many places in many ways, but she gave much of herself and many years of service to the Banning Senior Center.

Martha was blessed with the birth of five beautiful children, Jo and Diane from early relationships, and David, Derrick, and Tasha with her husband and the love of her life, Glover E. Paige. Their union also brought the added blessing of five stepchildren: Glover Jr., George, Bridgette, Angela, and Johanna. With ten children in the home, Martha worked hard, maintained a clean house, loved cooking, and yet always made time for the Lord, family, and friends.

An example of strength, ambition, and class, Martha was adventurous and let nothing stop her. She loved talking mess, shopping, fishing, dancing, and singing to good music. She was always a well-dressed firecracker, bound to go off at any moment, but it always came from a place of love, and we love her for it.

Known by some as "Meat" and by others as "Teddy Ray," Martha was a fun-loving, outgoing woman. Years ago, upon hearing her husband call her "Teddy Ray," someone asked where the name came from. He responded, "I call her that because she is my teddy bear and ray of sunshine." Today it can be said that although she was his teddy bear, she was a ray of sunshine and light to so many, and she will truly be missed.

Martha is preceded in death by her mother and father, McNeil Holt and Lucy Holland; her sisters, Nellie Fay Sweed and Barbara Lucille Pratt; and her husband, Glover Paige.

She is survived by her youngest sister, Isidra Holt of Corona, CA; her children: Jo Mitchell of Dickson, TN; Diane Dancer of Amarillo, TX; David and Lucy Paige of Moreno Valley, CA; Derrick and Melvina Paige of Banning, CA; and Latasha and Marcus Ellis of Las Vegas, NV; her stepchildren: Glover Paige Jr., George Paige, Angela Paige, Bridgette Paige, and Johanna and Kelvin Stokes; her grandchildren: Shayona, Anthony, Tarik, Brinetta, Brittnay, Briana, Edward, Jamar, Chakakhan, Jamel, Antonette, Larry, Leon, Manda, Aariiah, Maliyah, Kaleb, Styrone Jr., Tajiana, Jada, and Jaylen; 34 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

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