Obituary of Rose Martens

Rose Marie Herrera Martens, "Beatty", 76, of Montclair, NJ passed peacefully at St. Barnabas Hospital on February 18, 2012. She was a breast cancer survivor of four years. In 2011, she battled multiple medical procedures but was able to welcome a grandson into the family and see her beautiful daughter married. Visitation will be held at Hugh M Moriarty Funeral Home, 76 Park Str., Montclair, on Wednesday, February 22nd from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 23rd at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Montclair, and will be followed by a repast at Fitzgerald's in Glen Ridge. Condolences are welcomed to the Martens' home in Montclair - for further information see moriartyfuneralhome.com. Rose Marie was born in San Antonio, TX on December 24th, 1935 and resided in Montclair for 33 years. As a Texas native, she never strayed from her support of the Dallas Cowboys, and she loved watching "the boys" play on Sundays with her family. An avid sports fan, Rose Marie also supported local teams Rutgers and the NJ Nets. A very compassionate person by nature, Rose Marie was a nurse by profession. She received a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX and a Master of Nursing at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. Rose Marie practiced and taught nursing in Colorado and Texas. While obtaining her Masters, Rose Marie met her husband Vern. They were married in Virginia in 1974 before moving to Montclair a year later. In Montclair, Rose Marie became a full time mother of two. She was very active in the school and regularly volunteered for school functions and activities. Rose Marie was also an artist and enjoyed painting with pastels, sometimes long into the night. Her artwork, many pieces depicting local Essex county nature scenes, decorates the walls of her home and children's homes and has been shown in galleries in Montclair and Livingston. Rose Marie is predeceased by her father Dennis Herrera Sr., mother Beatrice Sanchez, stepfather Claude Sanchez, and brother Dennis Herrera Jr. She is survived by her husband Vernon Martens of Montclair, children Jason Martens and wife Faith of New Brunswick and Christina Hopkins and husband Stan of South Orange, and her sister Anita Herrera of San Antonio, TX. She is also survived by her grandson Stryker Martens and many nieces, nephews and cousins.