Theresa Lorraine Bland

Theresa Cecelia Lorraine Bronson-Bland went to the arms of the Lord August 13th, 2021, at the age of 92. She passed away from natural causes.  Born in Bell, California on January 12, 1929, to Louis and Katherine Bronson, she was the 7th of ten children. Theresa was quiet and shy as a child but loved playing outside in the haystacks when the San Fernando Valley, where she grew up, was primarily farmland and citrus groves. Though a silent child, Theresa absorbed all that surrounded her, viewing the world with profound optimism as she grew into a young lady. Her blonde tresses, blue eyes, lovely smile, and kindness gave her the gift of instant likeability. Theresa attended Canoga Park High School, where she enjoyed partaking in Drama Club; but her dream of being a wife and mother superseded any thespian aspirations. She married straight out of high school and became Mrs. Wilfred Martinez. Being a homemaker held its usual challenges, but Theresa found happiness, she wrote, "in little things: a baby's smile, a letter from a friend, the song of a bird, light through a window." After her children were grown, her passion for creative writing, poetry, and genealogy filled her days.   Theresa's proudest legacy is her eight children: Brian Martinez of Prescott Valley, Carolyn Martinez of Canyon Country, California, Shawn (Susan) Martinez of Prescott, Estelle (Rayson) Kobayashi of Hilo, Hawaii, Michelle Arnold of Prescott Valley, Bruce (Brenda) Martinez of Prescott, Anita Martinez of Phoenix, and Gary (Anne) Martinez of Chatsworth, California. Her legacy continues with 27 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.  Theresa was predeceased by her first husband, Wilfred Martinez, and her second husband, Charles Bland. She is survived by her siblings, Thomas Bronson of Tigard, Oregon and Marilyn Rasp Gale of Rainbow, California.  Theresa's family and friends are filled with great sorrow at the loss of their mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend who "met the challenge of each new day in serene faith that all things work together for good for those who love God."  Rosary and Funeral Mass is scheduled for Friday, September 3, 2021, at St. Germaine's Catholic Church in Prescott Valley, Arizona at 10 o'clock a.m. (Viewing at 9:30 a.m.). 

Funeral Arrangements entrusted to Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Homes.