In Loving Memory of Martha Leticia Venzor(January 8, 1959 – December 25, 2025)

Martha Venzor, who preferred the name “Leti,” was born on January 8, 1959, in Chihuahua, Mexico, to Martha De La Rosa-Alvarado and Rito Venzor Miranda. From infancy, she was raised in the loving care of her maternal uncle and aunt, Julio “Apa Julio” De La Rosa-Alvarado and Maria Isabel “Chabela” Mendoza, whom she identified as her parents. After attending school in Mexico, Martha moved to El Paso, Texas, where she graduated through the Job Corps program. She eventually settled in Kansas City, Missouri, dedicating years of hard work to Pioneer Container. Above all else, she was most passionate about being a mother. When asked what her one wish would be, she replied that she would turn back the hands of time to experience once more the days when her children were young, even if just for a single day.

Martha’s greatest lifelong dream was to build the kind of family she had always longed for—a home filled with love, stability, and devotion. In her late teens, she married Hilario Cruz and was blessed with three children: Larry, Elaine, and Michael. Though that chapter later ended in divorce, Martha’s journey led her toward a deeper spiritual calling. Seeking to become the best version of herself through faith and service, she joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It was within this community that she met the love of her life, Santiago Valencia. Together, they welcomed their son, Omar, and shared a beautiful, devoted life for the past 37 years.

To know Martha was to experience a piece of heaven on earth. She was a gift to every soul she encountered, embodying love in its purest form. Her life was a testament to her favorite saying: “It is better to give than to receive.” Whether it was the warmth of her home-cooked meals, the gentle touch of her hands as she braided hair, or her unwavering words of encouragement, she poured herself into others. Her genuine affection and beautiful smile marked everyone she met.

On December 25, 2025, surrounded by the family she so cherished, Martha peacefully departed this life. She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Larry Cruz; her father, Rito Venzor-Miranda; and her brother, Julio Venzor.

Her legacy of love lives on through her devoted partner, Santiago Valencia; her children, Elaine Cruz, Michael (Christina) Cruz, and Omar (Brittani) Valencia; and her cherished grandchildren: Jesse Jaschke Jr., Larry Cruz Cooper, Michael Cruz Jr., Jaslene Vargas, Alex Cruz, Eduardo Vargas, Denicia Valencia, Isiah Valencia, and Maxwell Valencia. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Antonio Cervello and Jennifer Elaine Cooper; her mother, Martha Pereyra; her siblings, Leonardo De La Rosa, Yolanda Venzor, Guadalupe Venzor, Jesse Venzor, and Patricia Westley; and a vast community of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends across the United States and Mexico.