Martha “Nell” Blackford, age 85 of New Boston, Texas passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer, Saturday, January 20, 2024 in Nacogdoches, TX where she was residing at the Arbor Assisted Living Center. Services will be held Thursday, January 25, 2024 at 2:00 P.M in the Bates Rolf Chapel, New Boston, Texas. Interment will be in New Boston Cemetery under the direction of Bates-Rolf Funeral Home, New Boston, TX.
Mrs. Blackford was born October 27, 1938, in Kemp, Texas in Kaufman County, Texas. Nell was a graduate of Newcomb College of Tulane University, New Orleans, LA with a Major in Liberal Arts she continued her education with a BA in English and History from the University of Houston. Nell enjoyed traveling and had quite the flare for life. In her younger years; she was a typist for the USAF at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. She worked as an airline hostess while in Denver, CO, a secretary for Manpower in New York, NY; she worked in the Senate Mail Distribution Center at the Texas Capitol in Austin, TX, and as an English and History teacher in Huffman, TX, Baytown, TX and LaPorte, TX. She was the CEO of Blackford Exterminating Company of LaPorte, TX. Nell furthered her education once again obtaining a Law Degree from South Texas College of Law. She then opened Blackford Law Office a General Practice specializing in Family Law. She also served as Municipal Judge in Shoreacres, TX. When Nell returned to New Boston, TX she practiced law for a while before retiring completely.
Nell enjoyed socializing and she was very active in the LaPorte and Baytown Chambers of Commerce, LaPorte Heritage Society, LaPorte Ladies Civic Club, Go-Texan Committee, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Association and many other associations in all of the communities where she lived or worked. She was an avid reader and enjoyed keeping up with the different memberships such as American Bar Association; Texas State Bar Association, Houston Bar Associates, Daughters of the Confederacy and Alpha Delta Pi Sorority.
Martha Nell is survived by her eldest son, Robert Wayne Howard, II and his wife Connie Lyn Wilson Howard of Nacogdoches, Texas, their son, Trey Howard, and his fiancé, Roberta Marquez, of Las Cruces, NM; their daughter, Katy Howard Waserman, and her husband, Noah, of Las Cruces, NM; daughter Ashley Anne Howard Stonesifer, and her husband Greg Stonesifer, of Seabrook, Texas. Their oldest son, Kyle Stonesifer, and his wife, Samantha, of San Antonio, TX; and their youngest son, Pierce Stonesifer, and his wife, Anna of Houston, Texas.
Martha Nell will be laid to rest in the New Boston Cemetery beside family that preceded her in death, including her father, L.P. Sturgeon, mother, Martha Link Sturgeon, grandmother, Nellie Mae McGee, brother Lee Sturgeon, youngest son Donald Howard, stepson, Trampas Alvin Blackford, and husband Alvin Dan Blackford.
Memorial donations can be made to the New Boston Cemetery Fund, 599 CR 3104, New Boston, TX 75570, or to Tapp Methodist Church, 715 S. McCoy Blvd, New Boston, TX 75570.
