Martina Lewis Traylor entered into the infinite light of Christ on December 29, 2019. She was born March 16, 1934 to Michael & Mary Francis (Walsh) Lewis.

She began her life in the beautiful fishing village of Fleur de lys, Newfoundland, where life was hard but made easier by family, faith and community. She was one of nine children whose mother passed when she was only two years old. Having lost her mother at such a young age she adopted the Blessed Mother as her mother, praying the Rosary daily and looking to her for guidance and strength. Her faith got her through many trials over the years and was a very important part of her life. At 15 she left Fleur De Lys by steamer and traveled to more populated areas of the island. She lived with different families helping with chores and earning her room and board. She eventually made her way to Grand Falls and got a job at The Brown Derby — “the place to work,” according to her sister Ann. She also worked at Riff’s Limited, a local department store.

It was while living and working in Grand Falls she met a young serviceman from the United States named James Traylor. He knew he wanted to marry her when he met her although she took some persuading. On May 19, 1955 they were married in St. Joseph’s Church in Grand Falls and an amazing adventure and beautiful partnership began. Marrying made her an Air Force wife and she had to leave the island in order to experience the world. The first stop, Rome, New York, where she began to learn to cook American style. It was also while living here she studied and earned her American citizenship. Over the years she and Jim would have four children and would live in many places; Texas, Alaska, North Dakota and Germany. Being stationed in Europe allowed the family to travel and her to see sights she never imagined. One of her favorite trips was to Lourdes in France where a vision of Mary had made history and documented miracles occurred at the site. Jim’s final tour in the Air Force brought the family to Hampton, Virginia near to his family and close enough for the entire family to go to Newfoundland. No matter where the family traveled mom always made it home yet she really treasured her trips back to Newfoundland over the years.

Eventually Jim would retire and take a job in Eureka. Retiring meant being able to put down some roots and she did that. She took the opportunity to return to school and get her American high school diploma. She was very proud of her academic performance in school and was named valedictorian. As said before, her Catholic faith was very important to Martina and she found her community in the people of St. Bernard’s Parish. She became involved teaching Sunday school, joining the Young Ladies Institute, serving as a Eucharistic minister and most importantly as an RCIA team leader. In 1980 Jim suffered stroke and Martina’s faith and church community were there to support her and she cared for him and her family over the next years until he passed away in 1990. Whenever life would deal her heavy blows she would always look to her God for strength, saying “God never gives you more than you can handle.”

God must have known what a strong woman she was because she fought back from illness, adversity and injury many times with grace. The last time being the spring and summer of 2018, Martina had planned a trip to Newfoundland for July and in late May she fell and broke both shoulders. She was hospitalized for six weeks, doing intensive physical therapy and regaining the use of her arms. Four days after being released from the hospital she took her last trip to Newfoundland to see her family. It was a unbelievable trip with so many family happy to see her. It had been 16 years since she had seen any of them and knowing it was the last time made the trip that much more special.

Martina is preceded in death by her parents, Michael and Mary Francis Lewis; husband, James Traylor; brothers, John Lewis and Gus (wife Beth); Sisters and their husbands, Mary Jo (Tom Silvey), Helen (Ed Glavine), Bridge (Jim Shea) and Dole (Tom Tobin); Son-In-Law, Dale Hustler and brother-in-law, Gerald Burke who she had a wonderful visit with in July of 2018.

She is survived by her children; Donna Hustler, Michael Traylor, Gilbert Traylor and Tina Traylor; Grandchildren, Russ Thallheimer, Adam (Darrian) and James Hustler, Michael and Lexi Traylor; Great-granddaughter Amelia; Sisters Ann Burke and Dolly Stein (Don) ; Sisters-in-law, Margaret Lewis, Betty Duke and Leslie Gray; Brothers-in-law, Sonny Duke and Dickie Gray; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. She loved all of her family.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Bernard’s Church at 615 H Street Eureka CA at 2 p.m. on March 16. We will gather immediately following in the St Bernard’s Parish Hall to celebrate her life. Refreshments will be served and the family invites all who knew her to come share stories and memories on what would have been her 86th birthday.

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