Martha Villareal

Zamora

Martha Villareal Zamora, 89, of Harlingen, Texas passed away peacefully on November 11, 2023, after a brief illness surrounded by her loving family.

She was predeceased by her parents Favian and Candelaria P. Villareal as well as her sister Guadalupe Villareal and three brothers, Vicente, Federico, and Angel Villareal, first husband Hector Luis Zamora and her second husband Wiley Harrison Young as well as adopted son Rene E. Garza (Lina F. Garza) and grandson Robert Rene Garza.

She is survived by her two sons, Hector Luis Zamora Jr. (Teri) and Fabian Zamora (Elzbieta), adopted son Robert Garza (Emily), grandkids Mindi Zamora Wood (Aaron), Daniel Zamora (Kate), Dallas Zamora (Chelsea), Vincent Zamora (Makayla), Julie Garza Timms (Mike), Robert Randall Garza, and Laura Y. Guidry (Pierre).

She was also blessed with great grandkids Rhyli Olivia, Maddox Paul, and Deacon Cole Wood, Scott and Dara Zamora, Hayes and Harper Zamora, Waylon and Wren Zamora, Jay and Katie Timms, Madeline and Rhett Garza, Randy and Nicole Garza.

Martha was born in Mission, Texas on June 6, 1934, as the youngest of five children.  Her mother died when she was just 6 months old, so her father agreed to have her live with her maternal grandmother, Crescencia Trevino Perez.  While living with her grandmother, she worked as a field laborer and migrant worker which only allowed her to reach the 8th grade before she dropped out of school to help the family.

Despite her limited education, she found a way to get a job selling shoes in downtown Mission.  She quickly learned the trade and made new friends and there she met her husband to be, Hector Luis Zamora.  They married and moved to McAllen in the mid-1950s.  They continued their careers as managers of shoe stores in McAllen and later in Harlingen and went on to become business owners by acquiring Lairsen's ladies clothing and shoe store.

Martha was hard-working and very determined to be the best that she could be in business.  She had a difficult early life but always strived to do better and she did.

Before and after retirement she was very involved in the community.  She served on the Valley Baptist Hospital board for many years and was very active with the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce. She was also very involved in the Pan-American Roundtable and Theta Omega sorority.  She was highly respected in the community.

She enjoyed getting together with her "comadres" but after the death of her husband, Wiley Young in 2014, she moved to Houston to live with her oldest son Hector Jr. and at times spent time in Tampa with her youngest son Fabian.  In her latter years, she was a regular attender of Second Baptist Church in Kingwood.

She always considered herself to be very blessed. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.

A funeral service will be held on December 2 at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Funeral Home, 1002 E. Harrison, Harlingen, Texas.  A private burial will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park in La Feria, Texas.