Marta Teresa Artiles

Marta Teresa Artiles, 80, passed away Wednesday, September 11th, 2013 in Grand Prairie, Texas. Born August 10th, 1933, in Jovellanos, Cuba to her loving parents Antonia Perez Diaz and Deudedis Diaz. Marta grew up in Havana where she also became a Third Order Carmelite where by through a profession of promises, she made a formal and public commitment to living the Carmelite way of life. In Havana, she attended daily mass with her friends and while with them, she caught the discerning eye of a young medical student named Benjamin Artiles. One courtship, a break-up, and an infamous case of the Chicken Pox later, they were married in Havana, Cuba at Our Lady of Carmel on July 15th, 1956. Marta, being an only child, wanted nothing more than to have a large family. Being so open to God's will, He granted her request and blessed her with nine beautiful children, Ana Maria Ash married to Richard Ash, Isabel Robison married to Rocky Robison, Frank Artiles, Joseph Artiles married to Lisa Artiles, Letitia Ruelas married to Gil Ruelas, Benjamin Artiles married to Eve Artiles, Lawrence Artiles married to Lisa Artiles, David Artiles married to Lanette Artiles, and Charity Artiles. We will never forget you. Ever. You left such an indelible mark on each of us, it would be impossible. Your faith, your devout affection for our Lord will carry on with a fiery passion through us because you instilled that in us. You may not ever enter our history books, nor will you ever make massive headlines but we know you are bigger, more important, and ever deserving of such powerful recognitions because of the legacy you created in honoring Christ. Your forged path to God is dug so deeply, you left no doubt as to where we needed to follow you to Him. In times where our own human frailty caused us to stray, you were always right behind us with Christ to show us the way back to Him. No one has taught us better that God is love. You had an awe-inspiring capacity for making each of us feel like we were the center of your world. Your beautiful consideration and compassion for others is a living and breathing beacon, one which burns so strongly we will never lose sight of it regardless how badly storms have gathered because there was never for one second we doubted that the kindness you shared, we should also show to others. Yes, you were the very definition of love and in turn, that taught us that our Lord is love. The most powerful lesson you could ever bestow and we thank you. We will never forget you. Not your ridiculous Chesterfields, nor your “yule-ry”, not your magnificent, albeit, expensive taste, or your garden honoring Our Lady. We will never forget your stacks of catalogs, your perfumes, your millions of picture frames full of your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We will never forget the “bobas”, the detested highway bridges, your saltines with ham and mayo. We will never forget your generous heart, nor how you never said an unkind word about anyone. We will never forget your “benefits of the doubt” or your hope for the seemingly doomed souls around you. We could never forget you, Grandma. Ever. In these things, we are eternally grateful to you. We love you and because of you, we love our Lord. We imagine your seat is right next to Him because that's where we always wanted you. Survivors: She is survived and her faithful endowment will fervently live on through her nine children, their six spouses, twenty grandchildren and six great-grandchildren but most importantly, she persists on this earth through her fifty-seven years of marriage to Dr. Benjamin Artiles, whom she so often spoke of with such devotion, you couldn't help but be influenced by them and thus, the prolific legacy they created together. Memorials: Donations in memory of Marta Artiles may be sent to St Maria Goretti's "St. Theresa's Baby's World" ministry. Address: 1200 South Davis, Arlington, TX 76013. Checks payable to St. Maria Goretti, with memo: Memory of Marta Artiles, Baby's World. On envelope place Attention: Sherry.