Martha A. Fey, 100, was called home by Jesus in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 12, 2023. She was a resident of Cedar Ridge Alzheimer Care Center in Cedar Park, Texas. Martha was born to Joseph Bedrich and Mary Brigid Hons on July 16, 1923. Her hundred-year life was filled with many blessings, with the best being 57 years of marriage to Aloys. Together they had four children who gave them four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Martha is preceded in death by her husband, Aloys J Fey; parents, Joseph and Mary Hons; son, Jerome Fey; sons-in-law, James Smith and Danny Reid; brothers, Joseph (wife Edna), Sigmund, Casper, and Vincent Hons; sister, Mary Jarzombek (husband Joe); and brother-in-law, George Dziuk.

Martha is survived by her children; Catherine Smith of Magnolia, James Fey (wife Janice) of Cedar Park, and Theresa Reid of Shady Shores; grandchildren, Elizabeth Resczenski (husband DeVaughn) of Mission, Johnathan Smith of Magnolia, Stephen Smith (wife Lisa) of The Woodlands, and Jennifer Macklom (husband David) of Cedar Park. Martha, also known as GG, is survived by great-grandchildren, Cora and Alice Resczenski of Mission; Leonna Salazar (husband Vincent), Emma and Tristan Smith of Magnolia; Gabriella Smith of The Woodlands; and Miriam, Naomi, and Ruth Macklom of Cedar Park. Other survivors include sisters, Ester Nester (husband John) of D'Hanis and Elizabeth Dziuk of San Antonio; sister-in-law, Grace Hons of Falls City; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Martha was an excellent baker. She spent 30 years working for the New Braunfels Independent School District's central kitchen where she baked cookies and other goodies for the children of the district.  Since Martha did not drive, giving homemade cookies to those who took her to church, the doctor, or grocery store was her way of saying thank you. Christmas was always a tasty delight with so many varieties of homemade cookies, candy and always apple strudel. Actually, any day was a reason to bake cakes, pies, and definitely kolaches. She worked off all those calories taking walks up and down Kuehler Ave. and working in their garden. Martha and Aloys had a huge garden that supplied family, neighbors, friends, and the parish priests with a lot of cantaloupes and vegetables especially zucchini. It was a common sight to see them pushing a wheelbarrow full of the produce down Kuehler to give to any neighbor that was home. Also, when you came out of Mass on Sunday, you might find your front seat filled with vegetables.

Martha also sewed quilts! A small number were used to keep herself warm, but most were given to family, charities, or someone who needed them. One of her grandchildren once commented, "I will always take another of GG's quilts, but I already have enough to keep us warm through the next Ice Age."

She loved making jigsaw puzzles, solving crossword puzzles, and playing games like Tarock, Skip-Bo, Uno, and Dominos. In her younger days she would play cards with her son Jerome and his friends into the night, and much to their dismay, would often beat them.

One of Jerome's high school buddies was Leslie Dischinger. Over time Leslie and his wife Sandy became a valued part of the Fey family: always fixing things, giving rides, sharing meals, visiting, and generally being present. They held a special place in Aloys and Martha's hearts with Martha referring to them as her "fifth child."

Although Martha was perfectly happy to be at home and read a book when her adult children came to visit, she was always ready to go see or do something different and exciting. When her fourth grandchild was born, she and Aloys used the opportunity to fly to Bakersfield, CA where she was able to fulfill a dream of putting her feet in the Pacific Ocean.

Martha had a lifelong devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary and to the rosary, prompting her to donate a larger-than-life marble statue of Our Lady of Fatima to Saint Matthias Catholic Church in Magnolia TX. She was an active member of Saints Peter and Paul Church in New Braunfels, where she was a member of the Christian Mothers Society, and later St. Matthias Catholic Church in Magnolia until health and Alzheimer's made it impossible for her to attend.

Three traumatic events marked Martha's early life forever: the Great Depression, World War II and the house fire of 1953. Rather than being bitter about these events Martha learned valuable life lessons from them. The depression taught her how to be frugal yet generous. From World War II, she learned how to forgive, even those responsible for the death of her two brothers Sigmund and Casper. Following the fire, with her husband and two small children she quickly learned how to start over from nothing, to never take tomorrow for granted, and to love unconditionally those people who are important to you.

Martha was not one to quote the Bible, but she read it and lived it. "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35

Martha's family extends a special thank you to Cedar Ridge Alzheimer Care Center for providing her with the special care which we were not qualified to provide. Your professional care and love made her final years as happy as possible.

Visitation: Wednesday, November 29, at 5:00pm with Rosary following at 6:00pm at Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home, 189 N Seguin Ave, New Braunfels, Texas (830-625-3434)

Funeral: Thursday, November 30, Mass at 10:00am at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 386 N Castell Ave, New Braunfels, Texas (830-625-4531). Entombment will follow at the Sts. Peter and Paul Mausoleum.