Karen Martin

Karen Martin, a resident of Lockhart, Texas for the past four years, died peacefully in her sleep on Oct. 12, 2021, at the Chisholm Trail Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Lockhart, ending a year of steady decline in her health. She was a nurse, a wife, and a mother who particularly loved horses and dogs. She was a proud Texan who managed to live most of her life in Texas.
Karen was born in San Antonio, Texas on August 27, 1950 and was adopted as an infant by Bill and Jean Warner. She grew up in San Angelo, Texas, in a loving family and community of friends and relatives. She had her own horse (“Babe”) during her high school years. She graduated from San Angelo Central High School in 1968. After graduation, she worked at a local hospital to become an LVN (licensed vocational nurse). She continued her nursing training after joining the US Air Force, where she met the love of her life, Bill Martin. They were married in San Angelo on March 5, 1971 and were stationed in North Dakota, where their first child, Clint, was born. Soon after Clint’s birth, the Air Force sent them to Greece, where Bill served out his Air Force commitment. After Bill’s resignation from the Air Force, they returned to the US to live in Virginia Beach, VA, where Bill worked for his father as a brick layer, Karen worked as a nurse and their second child Marty was born. After a few years in North Carolina, at Karen’s urging, they moved to Niederwald, Texas, to be near Karen’s parents. They acquired a property with a house and facilities to house horses, a business that Karen and Bill managed for several years.
All was well until Bill, Karen and Clint were in a terrible auto accident on Oct. 3, 1990. All three experienced serious injuries. Karen and Clint eventually recovered but Bill died 10 days later at age 42. Karen continued working as a nurse in various locations, including an extended period at the Kyle Correctional Facility in Kyle, Texas. After suffering from Type 1 diabetes for most of his life, Marty died on April 14, 2017, at age 41. By then, Karen had moved frequently, first to places around Austin, then to San Angelo and then to Washington State, to live with Clint and his wife Julie. But, the pull of Texas was too strong, so after a few months in Washington, she returned to Texas, to live in Lockhart for the rest of her life.
Survivors include her son Clint Martin, his wife Julie and their daughter Vivian Patricia, her brother David Warner, his wife Mary Beekman and their sons Andrew and Robert.
There will be a memorial service at the Lockhart Church of Christ, located at 317 S. Blanco St in Lockhart, on Nov. 13. at 11:00am., followed by a meal.
Memorials may be made to the Lockhart Church of Christ, a local animal rescue facility, or a favorite charity.