Martha Luann (Cope) Leyva

Our precious mother and sister, Marta Luann Cope Eads Leyva, grandmother of eight and wife of Enrique H. Leyva, has gone on to glory in Jesus.

Marta was born on December 10, 1944, in Clayton, New Mexico, to Mart Lafayette Cope and Mary Louise Goyne. She attended Baptist church in Jal, NM where she enjoyed playing the piano. In 1965, Marta married Cecil Eads in Texas and gave birth to her eldest son Martin. She later married Enrique Leyva in LA before moving to Barranquilla, Colombia with her children where she lived from 1971 to 1985. In 1986 she returned to Miami, Florida where she remained through the early 1990s. Marta then spent periods in Texas and Oklahoma before coming to live with her son John in Watkinsville, Georgia where she resided since 2004.

Marta leaves behind her son, Martin R. Leyva, and his wife Christina of Bedminster, NJ, her daughter, Beatriz Kate of Watkinsville, GA, her son Henry L. Leyva of West Palm Beach, FL, her son, John H. S. Leyva, and his wife Willda of Watkinsville, Georgia, Joseph (Jody) M. Leyva of Cumming, GA, and Willie Charles Boynton-Leyva of Kennedy, Texas. Marta also leaves behind her sister, Melissa Lynn Cope Browning of Rankin, TX, her niece, Sarah (Cindy) Ben-Saadon and husband Offer Ben-Saadon of Austin, Texas. Marta's grandchildren include, Lauren E. and Matthew R. Leyva of Fort Worth, Texas, Chris Rivera, Veronica Rivera, Martin A. Leyva and Francis S. Leyva of Oklahoma City, OK, Stephen Lee of Bedminster, NJ, Anna Esperanza Leyva of Watkinsville, GA, and Jesse Olivares of FW, TX. Marta's daughters-in-law also include Linda Leyva of FW, Texas and Veronica Muñoz of Oklahoma City, OK. Marta had one great-granddaughter, Khloe Buck of Oklahoma City, OK.

We give thanks to family, friends and all of the special people who enriched Marta's life. They include our extended Jalite family, the nurses, doctors and medical staff at CC Dialysis, St. Mary's, ARMC, Landmark, special friends Kay and Wally Johnson and Patty and David Ezell of Rankin, TX, and all those who took care of Marta with loving kindness. We extend a special thanks to her shared community of faith at Alpha Omega Ministries, Bishop Clarence Harris, his wife Althea, and all the prayer warriors associated with Marta's church family.

Marta touched many people's lives in her 67 years. We, her children, will always remember the deep love she had for her sister and the warm and nurturing upbringing we shared in a home that honored God. Marta's grandchildren will always remember her as a wonderful, loving grandmother. She will be greatly, greatly missed.

1 Corinthians Chapter 15, Verse 52; In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST TRUMP: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at 10 a.m. at Oconee Chapel Funeral Directors in Watkinsville, Georgia. Interment will follow service in Oconee Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Alpha Omega Productions (www.alphaomegapro@aol.com), P.O. 6641, GA 30604-6641. Arrangements were under the direction of Oconee Chapel Funeral Directors. Please post all online condolences on Marta's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/marta.leyva).