Born in Newark, New Jersey on November 11, 1944. Mom was the 2nd daughter born to Adolph and Doris Newman. Shortly after her birth, Mom's mother passed away from breast cancer. Her Dad soon remarried and they had 4 sons, making Mom's family a family of 8.
While in Hanover Park High School, Mom met and fell head over heals in love with Martin Joseph Hettman. After graduation, Marty and Mom married. Very shortly after getting married, Marty was killed at work. Shortly after, Mom had her first son. Edward Martin Hettman was born July 10, 1965. When Ed was young, Mom met and married Charles Guy Martina and had 2 more children, Kimberley Jean (1969) and Kevin Troy (1973).
Due to no fault of her own, Mom was left the responsibility of raising 3 children on her own. Although difficult, Mom always turned to the one person who would guide and direct her life, her Savior, Jesus Christ.
As her daughter, I remember Mom cooking, baking and canning all the time. Although we didn't have much, our doors were always open to those in need (even if we were on the other end of the receiving basket). Mom never said "no" to anyone that asked anything of her.
Throughout our lives, Mom worked in factories making lamp shades, she sewed BMX bike uniforms, sold Avon and Shaklee, drove a bus, worked in a bank and cleaned apartments for new tenants.
Mom's one true love was her Savior, and anyone who met Mom would know who she served within 5 minutes of meeting her. She was very involved in her home Church of First Brethern in Flemington, NJ until Pastor and Mrs. Gray were called to the mission field. Mom sung alto in the Church choir, created and made most of the puppets and the puppet theater we used during opening exercises and was a leader in Pioneer Girls (a Christian based 'girl scouts'). She never missed an opportunity to help out at the Church, whether is was vacuuming the rugs and dusting the pews, or filling in for someone who couldn't cover the nursery shift. Mom was never far behind when someone needed help whether a believer or not, Mom didn't care..she helped whomever, whenever. Just as her Savior instructed her to do.
Faced with horrible financial troubles, Mom decided in the summer of 1983 to sell everything we had (including her car) and move the family to Florida where she was able to get a job. Although a difficult decision, Mom stood strong and didn't allow her children to see her break down.
While in Florida, Mom found out that Kevin was accepted to Milton Hershey School in Hershey PA. A horrible experience no parent should have to deal with, Mom once again obeyed her Lord and Savior and brought Kevin from Florida to Pennsylvania to start school. An exceptional school where Kevin was challenged and taken good care of. When bringing Kevin to Pennsylvania, Mom realized that Eddie was a young man, and he wanted to stay in Florida and spread his wings and fly. So, not only did Mom let go of her oldest son, she let go of her youngest son all within a few days of each other.
What a remarkable woman! Most people would have cracked under all that stress...not Mom, she took her frustrations, anger and sadness to the Lord and HE got her through those difficult times.
Since Kevin was in PA and Eddie was in FL, Mom was able to stay with her Mom in NJ and go to visit Kevin almost every weekend. Mom and I lived with her Mom for 4 years while I went to and graduated from Parsippany Christian High School. I can remember some weekends when Mom couldn't get up to see Kevin in Hershey that she would stay in bed the entire weekend, crying and not understanding why she couldn't make it. She hated the phone calls letting Kevin know that she wasn't going to see him that weekend. She hated hearing the disappointment in his voice. She praised God through all of that, and always told me that there was a lesson to be learned in every situation God put us in.
In June of 1988, I moved into an apartment in Budd Lake, NJ with a girl I had met from church. Mom soon found an apartment a few doors down from mine, and moved in. Eddie was in a serious motorcycle accident, and came back to NJ with a cast on his leg. Mom moved out of her mother's home and into a new apartment by selling many handmade wreathes; something Mom considered God's providence. She was faithful in all things, including give God praise and full glory for everything in her life. Ed moved in with her while convalescing and eventually took over her apartment when she moved to Florida. Kevin left Hershey, and started going to a public school in Budd Lake and lived with Mom for a bit in the same apartment.
I (Kim) moved to Florida and lived with my Aunt and Uncle for awhile before finding out I was pregnant out of wedlock. I called Mom to tell her, and instead of belittling me or making me feel bad, she welcomed me back to NJ with open arms and warm hugs. During my pregnancy, Mom and I had a lot of long, in-depth talks about anything and everything, and became closer because of it. Mom had the entire layette made for my son John before he was even born.
About a year after John was born, I really felt strongly in my heart that is was time for me to go back to FL (Mom believed it was because of John's biological father) but I knew prices were much cheaper than they were in NJ. Even though it broke Mom's heart, she let us go.
Mom never ceased to amaze me with the unconditional love she showed her children. She used to tell us that "If you're right, I'll back you up 100%, but if you're wrong, I can't back you up, because that's not what God tells me to do.
Mom didn't have an easy life. She lost her mom at the age of 4 to breast cancer, lost her husband at the age of 20 and was alone to raise 3 kids by herself in her late 20's. She was ridiculed, verbally and physically abused and persecuted ...tested more than any one person should be...but all the time kept her eyes on the bigger picture, Jesus Christ. She praised God every chance she got. She praised Him when she woke up in the morning, praised him all through the day, and the last thing on her mind before falling asleep was praising Christ her Lord.
Mom lived the bible verse "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, behold all things have passed away, behold all things become new." Mom believed in and accepted Christ her Savior at a young age, and was never the same again. "Behold, all things become new!" PTL for such a promise!