Frances Davis Martin

Frances Martin passed away on April 16, 2024, in College Station, Texas. A graveside service will be at 2:00pm Saturday, April 20 at College Station Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Thomas Episcopal Church at 906 George Bush Drive, College Station, TX 77840.

Frances was born on March 22, 1928, in Magnolia Springs, Texas to Minet M Davis and Margie Roxie Barnett. After graduating from Kirbyville High School in 1945, she received her Bachelor of Arts from Sam Houston State Teachers College, now Sam Houston State University, and her Teachers Permanent Certificate from the State of Texas in 1950. She continued her education at the University of Houston receiving a Master of Arts in 1961.

Frances was part of a family of prolific educators. One in which a Houston newspaper referred as the “Teaching Most Family in Texas.” Following in her family’s footsteps, she began her teaching career at Kirbyville after graduation from Sam Houston. She then moved to Alvin, TX where she taught English at Alvin Junior High School and met her future husband Rod Martin in 1953. They had their first date on August 14, 1954, having dinner at the Dow Hotel in Freeport followed by a movie. Rod proposed to her on Christmas Day, 1954 and they were married on June 5, 1955, at First Babtist Church in Kirbyville. They began their lives together in College Station where Rod finished his degrees at Texas A&M and worked for the United States Department of Agriculture while she taught school in Bryan. Their children Jerry and Minette were born before moving to Stillwater, OK where they lived from 1961 until 1964 while Rod earned his Ph.D. They returned to College Station where they spent the remainder of their lives. Frances taught English and Texas History in Bryan at Anson Jones Junior High School until her retirement in 1988. A long-term member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Frances enjoyed camping and fishing with Rod and their family and friends, and spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was a passionate genealogist and an avid fan of Texas A&M athletics, especially women’s basketball. She was an annual volunteer in assisting with Income Tax preparation for the IRS, a member of Texas Research Ramblers, Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and enjoyed playing bridge with friends.

Frances was preceded in death by Rod, her husband of 67 years. She is survived by her son Gerald “Jerry,” daughter Minette and son-in-law Lon Heuer, grandsons Lon and James Heuer, granddaughter Betty and her husband Travis Scruggs and great-granddaughters June and Lily Scruggs.