Our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend Martha Sinforosa Ebell passed away on September 27th, 2022 at the age of 87 in Albuquerque, NM. She was born March 13, 1935, in Roy NM to her parents Isabel and Eusebio Maestas. She and her siblings were single-handedly raised by their strong and loving mother who lived to be just one month shy of 103 years of age.
When she was born her brother invited his best friend to come to see his new baby sister. The friend looked at her in awe and stated that when she grew up, he was going to marry her. Sixteen years, nine months later she married that man. This brave, tenacious and young girl, who had never been out of New Mexico moved to Montana with her husband. There she learned and honed lessons that she would use throughout her life. Six of their seven children were born while they lived in Anaconda, Montana. She became a strong woman, a good wife, and the best caring mother and daughter ever.
Following the birth of their sixth child, they moved back to New Mexico and bought a small place outside of Springer NM, where their seventh child was born. As a ranch wife, where everything we ate was, raised and butchered, from, beef, lamb, goat, hogs, and chickens, huge gardens were grown, harvested, and canned, eggs were gathered and cows were milked, she kept adding to her repertoire and culinary skills. She was doing farm-to-table long before it was a popular movement. She always prepared the healthiest, well-rounded best meals ever and her desserts were always to die for. She always loved cooking and had a knack for perfecting or creating recipes. Her entrepreneurship began as she sold surplus milk to neighbors and sold her famous tamales at Tony’s Bar on Saturday nights. Her culinary skills were adding to the family coffers long before she opened Martha’s Café. In 1969 after nine years of ranching, the family moved to Roy. Where they leased and ran the Menapace bar for a few years. The lack of social outlets for the youth and her community-minded spirit led her to open the Teen Canteen as a teen hang out. The canteen soon segued into Martha’s Café. The café was originally next to the bar. In 1975 they purchased the Mesa Hotel where they became hoteliers and moved the restaurant to the basement. She ran the restaurant for close to forty years. She served many a meal to most in Harding County, catered many of the areas family’s events, the Marlboro crew during filming, and the US Army as they trained in the canyons of the Canadian River and Mills as they prepared for deployment to Afghanistan to name a few. Many vacationers from across the United States included the restaurant in their traveling plans year after year. Her green chile cheeseburger won the New Mexico State Fair’s “Burger of the Year” in the ’80s. She closed the café due to age but mostly because her Parkinson’s disease progressed. She continued to supply Albuquerque’s Cooperage and Scarpa’s restaurants with her famous chile and by special order, her tamales after closing the cafe.
Martha was a devout parishioner of the Holy Family Catholic Church. She and Andres served as a mayordomos many, many times and served on many of the church’s many committees, including the church’s 75th Anniversary celebration. They also hosted many Posadas during the Christmas season. She was a member of the church choir for over 30 years and when there was no longer a choir help lead the congregational singing until 2020 when the pandemic closed our houses of faith.
We are heartbroken to lose someone so special. She was a wonderful woman who because of her love of family, strong faith, community-mindedness, and success as a businesswoman, has left us a legacy that will continue to guide us always, we deeply miss her and will never forget her.
Martha was predeceased by Isabel Martinez Maestas, her mother in April 2003, Andres Ebell, her husband of 64 years, on December 25, 2015, her sisters Gertrude Medina Cruz, Priscilla Tafoya LeRoux, and Margaret Baca, and brothers Joe Maestas and Frank Maestas and infant Francis Maestas, grandson Caleb Fluhman and son-in-law Richard Fluhman, her mother and father-in-law Bonifacio and Margarita Naranjo Ebell, brothers-in-law Eloy Ebell, Enriquez Ebell, Horacio and wife Helen Ebell, Bonifacio and wife Rosina Ebell, Hilario and wife Leola Ebell
She is survived by daughters Lina Weisdorfer, husband Donald, and Sinforosa Lovato, husband Manuel of Roy NM, son Andres Ebell, wife Teresa of Springer NM, daughters Cicilia Martinez, and Stella Fluhman Devers, partner Mike Perea of Albuquerque, NM, son Robert Ebell and friend Mary Harris of the family home in Roy, NM and daughter Dolores Brooke, husband Guy of Amarillo, TX.
She is survived by 18 grandchildren, Jennifer Weisdorfer Baca, husband Matthew, Patrick Weisdorfer, wife Rose, Jeremy Weisdorfer, wife Theresa, Ann Lovato, partner Miguel Vigil, Leo Lovato wife, Carmen, Sara Lovato, partner Toby Herrera, Andres(Tattoo) Ebell, Antonio Ebell, wife Andrea, Adam Ebell, wife Cynthia, Estevan Ebell, Sara Zinck, Jessica Martinez, Christopher Fluhman, ex-wife Andrea, Lina Romero, husband Victor, Michael Ebell, partner Ashley Cissell, Leticia Vick, husband Jeremy, Nicole Brooke and Joshua Brooke. 31 great grandchildren, Samson Baca(Briana), Shane Baca(Johana), Selma Baca, Sylviana Baca, Gabriel Weisdorfer, Pia Weisdorfer, Gus Weisdorfer, Lauren Bryant, Jameson Bryant, Jeremiah Weisdorfer, Isa Weisdorfer, Michael Vigil, Rosie Lovato, Rocky Lovato, Elisa Ebell, Antonio(Lil Boone) Ebell, Gabriella Ebell, Evan Morse, Oliver Morse, Bryce Gomez, Julia Gomez, Martinez, Bella Martinez, Berklee Fluhman, Dakota Fluhman, Victoria Romero, Lilah Romero, Andres Romero, Caleb Ebell(Ali), Zachary Keith, Isaiah Vick, Jameson Lozano, and 8 great-great grandchildren, Emiliana, Korey and Adalynn Baca, Niko Ebell, Faith Martinez, Braxton Baca, Damarion and Sariah Ewing.
She is also survived by two sisters, Tillie Cruz of Albuquerque NM and Mary Tapia and husband Zeke of Taos NM, and brother-in-law, Daniel Ebell of Roy NM and sister-in-law, Sister Anthony Ebell, with of Order the Sacred Heart, and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins.
Services will be at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Roy, NM. Rosary will be held Friday evening, October 14th at 7:00 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:30 pm., on October 15, 2022, with celebrant Fr. John Brasher. Burial will follow at the Village of Roy Cemetery The family invites everyone to come to share in a meal and memories at a reception at the Harding County Community Building following the burial.
Arrangement entrusted to and under the care of Rogers Mortuary in Las Vegas, NM.
