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Diana Kay Martinez passed away on July 2, 2016, one day before her 72nd birthday.
Funeral services will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, on Friday, July 15, at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Jay Kim officiating. Visitation will be Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at a Chapel Hill Cemetery in Littleton, CO.
Diana Hagen was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Alliance. Her Dad was in the veterinary group attached to the Air Force hospital at the Alliance Air Base. She attended all three grade schools in Alliance and graduated from Alliance High in the class of 1962. That summer she went to a telegraphy training school in Lincoln. She and three of her classmates traveled to Chicago and all went to work for Western Union. They shared an apartment and became life-long friends. After a year a couple of the girls were going to be married so Diana came back to Alliance.
Diana went to Denver and became the manager of a Western Union office there. An armed gunman gave her the hold-up experience all WU employees feared.
She moved into an apartment where she met Donald Martinez. They married a year later. In 1973 they adopted a two-month old girl that they named her Maria Michelle. A vibrant family life was shared with Den’s siblings and their families.
Diana worked as a car salesman for the Chrysler agency and pharmacy tech for Pamida in Alliance before opening a catering service through the American Legion. In Denver she was human resources manager and events planner for Metron corporation. Don and three friends formed a real estate corporation and Diana worked as a sales person. At the time of her passing she was employed at Carnegie Art Center.
Don passed away at the age of 51 of an inherited heart condition. When her father had cancer Diana returned to Alliance. She met her second husband, R. Kenneth Bonham after returning to- Denver. Ken had owned a construction company in Texas and worked in construction
most of his life. He passed away after battling cancer.
Throughout her life Diana was a people person. She loved the people she worked with and the many folks she met through her jobs and organizations. People always recognized her hearty laugh. Special friends came from her Pamida Pharmacy work, volunteers and members at Carnegie, Soroptimist, catering business customers including the Lions Club members, Presbyterian Church members and many people who received meals on wheels – a favorite giving back to the community project. She met with a group of graduates of her class for dinner at least once a month. She and Jelinda Nye hung art for Box Butte Art Society at various businesses giving customer appreciated showings and occasional sales for artists. She served as president of S.I. of Alliance at the time of her death, was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and served on the Senior Center board. The Veterans cemetery became a favorite volunteering project from the early days of its planning and she was the cookie chairman.
She is survived by her mother, Donna Hagen Zeller of Alliance, her daughter, Maria Martinez Lekvin of Dade City, Florida; step-son, Ray Martinez and step-daughter, Holly Lupo of Denver; aunt, Shirley (Ernie) Perez of McCook; step-sister, Katherine Niessen, Edina, Minnesota;
step-brothers Robert (LaDonna) and Ronald (Barbara) Zeller and step- sister Carolyn (J.P.) Mann; and many beloved grandchildren and cousins.
She was preceded in death by both of her husbands, her father, Robert G. Hagen, step-father, Robert M. Zeller, aunt Sharon Pate, uncle William K. Case; brother-in-law James Niessen.
Memorials are suggested to Soroptimist International of Alliance, P. O. Box 263, Alliance or to Maria Martinez Lekvin, c/o Donna Zeller, 516 31st Terrace, Alliance or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com.