Emily Lorraine (Lori) Martin

Emily Lorraine (Lori) Martin, 78, long time local small business owner. Although born in Alliance, Nebraska, who was always fiercely independent, lived in many areas of the country before making her way to Texas during her mid-30's.  

However, once she did, she knew she was finally "home"... and the whole family knew better than to bug her on Sunday afternoons - during football season anyway - which, win or lose, she always spent faithfully cheering on her beloved Dallas Cowboys. It was around 1977 when, with only the youngest of her four children left at home, she began looking for a place to really "settle down" and fell in love with a little town to the west named Weatherford.  

The family built a home on a beautiful waterfront lot in Horseshoe Bend and eventually purchased several additional acres to begin raising and training horses. They took great pride in helping to organize the area's first riding group, "The Horseshoe Bend Wranglers"... who, after much time and hard work, rebuilt the stables and arena back into a beautiful functional facility. 

Many local riders may remember Lori as the voice of the club's playdays. Lori's oldest daughter Debbie had been working at an embroidery/monogramming shop for most of her life and, after going through a difficult divorce in the early 80's, moved to Weatherford to be closer to family. The two had a small shop built behind the house for her equipment and thought it would be "fun" to start taking a few orders. 

Unfortunately, over the years, a house fire and repeated flooding forced Lori to move herself and their "little shop" out of Horseshoe Bend and into Weatherford... but - as they often are - this disaster was also a blessing in disguise. That is when "Monograms "R" Us" really began to take off. They eventually moved the shop to its long-time location on Mineral Wells Highway and the rest is history. Even though Debbie had taken over actual ownership of the shop several years prior, Lori loved their customers and even at 70+ years old continued going in every single day just to "help out" until Debbie's serious illness in 2004 forced the sale of the business.  

Even though it is no longer run by our family, knowing that their "little shop" is still in business today truly meant the world to Lori. 

Lori is survived by her son, Johnny Sinclair, of Arlington, Texas, and by her daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Michael Coller of Benbrook, Texas.  

She was preceded in death by two daughters, Becky (Sinclair) Caillouette and Deborah (Fults) Glenn... and, although losing them brought her much sorrow, there was absolutely nothing in life that brought her more joy than her five grandchildren - Blake, Joshua, Heather, Cassie, and Alexis. 

Graveside Funeral Service in Curtis Cemetery, at 2:00 p.m., Monday, August 18, 2008.