Martina Nester Saathoff

Martina M. Nester Saathoff of Hondo, 92, passed away in San Antonio on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

Born Aug. 7, 1933, in D’Hanis, she was the daughter of Martin Emil and Elizabeth Koch Nester.

Martina married Albert Rolf Saathoff on January 18,1953 in D’Hanis, Texas at Holy Cross Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Albert R. Saathoff; brothers, Harold Nester (Olivia) and Raymond Nester (Vivian) and sister, Madeline Hyman. (Howard).

Left behind to cherish her memory are her son, Greg Saathoff (Jean) of Hondo; daughters, Denise Holzhaus (Mickey) of Castroville and Andrea Bohmfalk (Larry) of Hondo; nine grandchildren -Megan Bohmfalk (Eric) Fernandez; Katie Bohmfalk (Travis) Hay; Zachary (Aly) Bohmfalk; and Hannah Bohmfalk (James) Maddox; Vanessa Saathoff (Anthony) Cortez, Natalie Saathoff (Jimmy) Taylor; Marshall (Sarah), Saathoff; Grady (Kristen) Holzhaus; Emily Holzhaus (Nick) Schorr.

Also, 19 great-grandchildren: Sadie and Beau Taylor; Hayden Castro, Madelyn and Parker Holzhaus; Brooke, Cam and Jack Fernandez; Ava, Cole and Reagan Hay; Paige, Emma and Molly Maddox; Addy and Owen Bohmfalk; Maisie Saathoff; Wade and Wyatt Schorr.

Martina started her professional career in Hondo at Universal Rundle and then moved to Chapman Grain. She later worked at St. John’s Church as the church secretary and religious education coordinator for the youth of the church.

Family, faith, hard work and adventure fashioned Martina’s full life. She enjoyed cooking delicious Sunday family dinners, hosting family Christmas celebrations loaded with gifts reaching half way up the tree, creating and sewing an array of colorful quilts for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Sipping iced tea and catching up with family on the back porch or just watching the world go by were simple times she treasured. She looked forward to monthly bridge and rook parties with her Hondo and D’Hanis friends.

She and her beloved husband, Albert, traveled extensively in the United States and Europe. The Grand Finale of their trips for us kids were Kodak slides of faraway places like Italy, Greece, Mexico, Russia shown in a darkened kitchen with family, both young and old alike, enjoying their adventures and inadvertently planting the “seed for the love of travel” in all of us. Martina was a ferocious reader, and the proof was in the back seat of her maroon Grand Marque where mountains of books from the public library would later be devoured by mom late into the night. Her devotion to her Catholic faith was apparent in her love for the rosary and morning meditation books that always could be found by her bedside table.

Mom, Grandma, Great Grandma, Aunt, Friend, and Daughter of Christ: “You have fought the good fight. You have finished the race. You have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Visitation will be Friday, August 7, at 1:00 p.m. followed by recitation of the Rosary at 1:30 p.m. and Memorial Mass at 2:00, at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. A social gathering at St. John’s Parish Hall will follow after Mass. Private interment of her ashes will be at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church for the Youth Center Capital Fund or the charity of your choice.

Guinn-Horger