Born: Thursday Oct-29-1931
Died: Monday Apr-06-2020
Funeral: Thursday Apr-09-2020

Morrison Funeral Home
& Crematory
188 S. Hwy 24
Rupert, Idaho 83350
Contact and Directions

Roberto Guajardo Martinez 88 years old, passed away Monday April 6, 2020 at his home in Heyburn Idaho. He fought and suffered with Alzheimer’s/Dementia for over ten years. Roberto was born October 29, 1931 in Cuatro Cienigas, Coahuila, Mexico. He was the second eldest of 4 children.   

He is survived by his wife Maria Martinez and 8 children. Maria, Francisco and Helena living in the Boise, Idaho area and Roberto Jr, David, Lilia, Lucia and Cecilia living in Burley and Heyburn, Idaho along with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.  And his brother of 87 years Jose Uriel Martinez. 

Roberto was always a very hard worker.  As a young man he worked in West Texas for various ranchers and farmers under the Bracero Program. Then one day he saw the Love of his life while temporarily working in Eagle Pass, Texas and followed her way North to Worland, Wyoming where he asked for her hand in marriage.  They were married January 19, 1964. Together they became your typical Migrant family. Field work and manual labor took them to the likes of Orlando, Florida to pick oranges. Tri city Washington area to hoe sugar beets, to pick in the apple and cherry orchards, tying of the grapes and the hop fields for beer producers. Ontario and Nyssa Oregon and Payette and Weiser Idaho where they hoed more sugar beets and cut the seed tops of onions, filling burlap sacks to be planted for future crops. Glenn’s Ferry to hoe more sugar beets and Shelley Idaho for more sugar beets and where Roberto first learned to drive truck during the potato harvest hauling to different spud cellars.

Roberto and Maria eventually settled in Heyburn, Idaho. Slowly but surely raising 8 children. Roberto purchased a very small house that he was able to pay off in 2 years. He then with help from a carpenter buddy and the half of his older children added a two car garage and three bedrooms to accommodate the growing family. All children attended and graduated from Rupert Minico High School. As seasons came and went Roberto continued to work the fields in agriculture thru out the whole great Magic Valley area. He even worked a few weeks in the Sun Valley area with Basque workers herding and sheering sheep. He was employed for a small period with Amalgamated Sugar Co. and McCaine’s potato processing plant only to feel trapped working indoors and therefore left to continue working outside despite the season or the inclement weather.

As Roberto’s children grew up (though they may not have liked it much) Roberto seized the opportunity during their time away from school such as every Spring Break, every summer and even some weekends, he would have them help him work the local sugar beet and onion fields.  One year they worked loading flatbed trucks with alfalfa bails. And for a couple summers he took them to work the spinach fields in Colorado. Having acquired his own ten wheel truck, every year Roberto would work in the potato and sugar beet harvest. As his three sons obtained their driver’s permit he was able to purchase another ten wheel truck and had them drive and haul spuds and sugar beets for various farmers to different cellars and processing plants. One year Roberto and a couple of buddies decided they would head up to Ketchikan, Alaska thru Canada to explore and work in the Fish Packing Companies and make a few good dollars.  Unfortunately, their adventures had them returning home with holes in their pockets and more in debt than they bargained for. But they definitely had stories to tell, LOL…

Roberto was a simple man with simple tastes and big dreams, he perhaps was not able to fully realize. Though he may not have always found it easy to show, he loved his family deeply. He made sure his family always had something to eat, clothes on their back and a roof over their head. Roberto came from a very humble and meager beginning. While being raised in Mexico, his mother died when he was approximately 5 years old. During labor from her fourth and last child his mother died of complications and the child (Roberto’s little brother) died before 1 year old. That in turn left his sister Elba the eldest, him and his younger brother Jose Uriel. Roberto took charge and looked after them even though a couple of aunts (his father sisters) took the three of them in and loved and nurtured them and afforded them school. Within the year his father came back with a step mother to collect them. They never were able to go back to school and they worked hard on their land to survive and support themselves until they were barely old enough to give the world a shot of their own.

Roberto taught his children about hard work, the meaning of a good dollar, endurance and perseverance.  He ruled with an iron thumb and always with an abundance of discipline. Those who were very close to him were privileged to see a softer more playful and jokester side to him. He had an adventurous spirit and loved to travel all over these great United States. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, exploring and tinkering in the garage all the while listening to his Mexican music and enjoying a cold one or two. He also enjoyed his multiple trips to Jackpot, Nevada when he was still able to drive. This past year he was able to enjoy the casinos again as he was afforded a couple of trips (when he wasn’t feeling so sickly) to the Shoshone and Bannock Casinos in Fort Hall.

Although his Alzheimer’s/Dementia was getting the best of him Roberto unbelievably, never forgot his eternal love and wife Maria. Roberto was very proud of his sons and daughters accomplishments. Expressing his love and concern for his family was not something he did often or easily, but when he did, it hit you like a ton of bricks because you just knew it came from deep inside his heart and soul. As for me, though it might have been hard to live with him at times, it will be much harder to live without him. 

Due to COVID-19 a small and intimate Viewing was held on Thursday March 9, 2020 at 11am at Morrison Funeral Home and Crematory in Rupert followed by a small Graveside Service at Riverside Cemetery in Heyburn at 12:15pm. There will be no future Memorial Service.