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Long time Modesto Junior College ESL instructor and community advocate for El Concilio, Martha Cadena Barrón entered into rest on October 10, 2022 in Modesto, CA. Martha was born on March 24, 1929 in Chihuahua, Mexico to Jose Cadena and Ana Gonzalez. She spent her early years in Chihuahua, MX. She married Manuel Barrón in the year 1952, in the church of the Santo Niño in the Industrial Colony in the city of Chihuahua Chihuahua. When leaving the church, they decorated his car with many boats and he walked around the neighborhood making a lot of noise so that the entire neighborhood knew. Together they moved to California. While living in CA, she resided in Turlock, Denair, and Atwater. Martha attended Modesto Junior College and transferred to UC Davis where she studied English. She was an English teacher for 21 years, but her passion for teaching started at the tender age of 17 when she was still living in Mexico. She would travel by horseback to the Copper Canyon to teach the Tarahumara, an indigenous group living in the state of Chihuahua. In the year of 1946, Martha began as a rural teacher in the mineral town called Concheño. It is located in the high Sierra Tarahumara, near San Juanito in the city of Chihuahua Chihuahua. In that town, she taught as a primary school teacher, they traveled on horseback because there was no other means of transportation. As soon as she arrived, she was summoned to a meeting and had to walk with her sisters along the train tracks so as not to get lost. Well, they wouldn't get lost along the train tracks. The meeting ended very late and it occurred to them to take a gap, but they did not find the way to the town where they would live. They got lost for 3 hours because it was already getting dark. They walked among the pine trees to see if they could find anything, but they did not find any. They were scared because they heard the howls of the coyotes. Thank God they found a truck carrying wood. He picked them up and took them to his town San Juanito. This is how many adventures happened, but very happy because they received the affection of the people. Martha was a very loved teacher because at that time they had students of all ages from first year to sixth and students, even older than her. Between 1965 and 1975, Martha provided English instruction courses for General Foods, Teamsters Local, and King Kennedy Center. During this time, she was instrumental in establishing a farmworker project called El Rancho Del Sol in 1970. In 1974, Martha was an educator for Catholic Charities as well as an educator and advocate for El Concilio. By 1977, she was an English teacher at Modesto Junior College. During her many years at MJC, Martha taught to various waves of immigrants: Spanish, Vietnamese, and Iranian. She worked with GAIN Program, CalWorks, Teamster Union, Tri-Valley Growers, and Foster Farms. Besides her love for teaching, Martha had many other passions. She loved spending quality time with her family, gardening, and being outdoors. She was a devoted member to Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Catholic Charities. She touched the lives of many people, and she will be missed by all who knew her. Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Manuel Barrón; her daughter, Lilly Barrón; her sons, Joe and Efrem Barrón; and her parents, Jose and Ana. Martha is survived by her children, Martha (Doyle) Rice, Eduardo (Norma) Barrón, and Edmond (Cecilia) Barrón; her grandchildren, Savannah, Madison, Andrea (Erik), Nikki (Joaquin), Marcia (Maurice), Evan (Michaela), Augie (Jenn), and Anthony (Valerie); her great-grandchildren, Maverik, Ezykiiel, Edmond, Olivia, Joaquin, Alexa, Anthony, and Giana. The family asks that donations be made in Martha’s memory to Catholic Charities. A visitation and recitation of the rosary is being held on Thursday, October 27, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Turlock Funeral Home, in the Main Chapel. A funeral mass is being held on Friday, October 28, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Following the mass, Martha will be laid to rest at Turlock Memorial Park.

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Martha Cadena Barrón

March 24, 1929 - October 10, 2022