Emerietta Martinez

Emerietta Hanson Martinez, 72, of Billings, Montana, passed away Thursday, September 10, 2020, at RiverStone Health Hospice Home in Billings following a courageous 2 year cancer battle. Funeral services will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2020 at Dahl Funeral Chapel, 10 Yellowstone Avenue, Billings, Montana. Bishop Allen from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will officiate. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. prior to the funeral service. There will be a picnic style luncheon immediately following the service at the Pavilion at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 3595 Monad Rd., Billings. Emerietta Hanson was born on November 30, 1947 in Greybull, Wyoming, the daughter of James “Emery” Hanson and Edna (Bellamy) Hanson. She attended Lovell High School where her bubbly personality gained her many friends and she was a Majorette. On June 3, 1965, Emerietta and Gordon Hulbert were married. The couple made their home in Casper, Wyoming, then Sheridan, Wyoming and finally settled in Rapid City, South Dakota. From their marriage two children were born, Marnie Jo and Martin James. Emerietta continued her education at National College of Business in Rapid City while also being a single parent and working as many as three jobs at a time to support her family. She was a hard worker and a skilled bartender with regulars that loved her at Romans, The Brass Rail and The Red Lion. Emerietta lived in Rapid City until she married Arthur Martinez on February 18, 1989, when the couple moved to Billings, Montana. Emerietta then began a career at Yellowstone County Detention Facility as a Jailer until 2001 when her husband's health was failing and she devoted her time to being by his side until his death in 2002. Emerietta continued to make her home in Billings until her passing, living there for over 31 years. Emerietta was one of a kind. A true special gem. You will never meet another person like her. You will never meet someone with as big of a heart, as generous, selfless, protective, devoted, who had better intuition or could find out what you were really up to more than her. She was a giver and she had pure talent for finding anything anyone needed, and if it was an item, it was always at a great price. She was always thinking of others and keeping her eyes open for the perfect gift for anyone she knew and often people she had never met but had heard they needed something. She was fearless and always willing to try anything. That is at long as it wasn't early in the morning. She wasn't a morning person. But if you needed someone at midnight she was the one to call. She loved her sleep, her desserts, boat rides, the Bighorn Mountains, trains, designer purses and shoes that most have never even heard of (but always at a great price), Elvis, blackjack, her little dog Bud and her greatest joys and what she was most proud of were her children, grandchildren, great granddaughter and the rest of her family. Emerietta loved big and with everything she had and fought big as well. She took on cancer with all that she had for over two years. She was a spitfire and fought back hard right up until the end. “Mom, you have given so much and asked for so little in return. Thank you for always being there for us, for teaching us, listening to us, helping and forgiving us, and always, always loving us. You deserved so much more than you were given, because you deserved the world. Farewell until we see you in heaven sweet mama. You were simply magnificent.” Blessed to have shared her life are her two children daughter Marnie Johnson (David Toskey) of Hammond, Wisconsin, son Martin Hulbert of Billings, Montana, six grandchildren, Kyle (Catherine) Johnson of Webster, Minnesota, Justin Johnson of Baldwin, Wisconsin, Mercedes, Austin and Lexus Hulbert of Billings, Montana, great-granddaughter Aubrey Beaman of New Brighton, Minnesota, brother Fred Jolley of Billings, Montana, sister Delvena Adams of Fresno, California, sister in law Mary Jolley of Casper, Wyoming and many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and cousins. Preceding her in death are her parents, husband Arthur, grandson Gregory Kaiser, her sister Jerry Lee Jolley, brothers John and Edward Jolley, and sister in laws Marianne Jolley and Pam Jolley.