Loretta “Dumplings” Frank Martinez, age 83, of the Kaibab Paiute Tribe passed away peacefully at her home Tuesday, January 19, 2021. She was born December 7, 1937 in Kanab, Utah to Carrie & Donald Frank.

Loretta was a student at Ignacio Colorado Boarding School. Later she moved to California under the Native American Relocation Program. She lived in Los Angeles and worked as a seamstress . She met her husband, Paul Martinez, at Union Station in LA, and they were married in 1956 and lived in Oceanside, Calif. They had three sons, Donald Frank Martinez, Paul T. Martinez Jr., and Alonzo Martinez. They raised their sons in East LA for many years. In 1984 Loretta and her family moved back to the Kaibab Reservation where she worked as a homemaker for the tribe members for over 25 years. Loretta’s greatest joy was her grandchildren, of which she had five: Valerie Martinez, Madeline Martinez, Donald F. Martinez Jr., Venessa Martinez, and Judith Martinez. She spent much of her time raising her granddaughter Valerie as her own.

Loretta enjoyed her hobbies crocheting, embroidering, and sewing doll clothes. She enjoyed participating in the senior activities with her tribe. After she won a battle with cancer in 2013 which caused her further health problems, she moved back to Rialto, California to be cared for by her granddaughter Valerie. Her wish was always to move home to the Reservation to live, and she and Valerie did in 2017, where she lived out her last years with her family.

Survivors include sons Donald Martinez and Alonzo Martinez; grandchildren Valerie Martinez, Madeline Martinez, Donald Martinez Jr., Venessa Martinez, and Judith Martinez; great-grandchildren Loretta Borunda, Richard Borunda, Angel Moreno, Ricky Kurihara, Noah Lara and Ian Grant; and great-great-grandson Ezekiel Borunda.

Services were held Sunday, January 24, 2021 at Mosdell Mortuary in Kanab, and she was buried in the Kaibab Paiute Cemetery on her Reservation she loved.