Martha Toles Frost

Martha Diane Toles Frost, 75, of Tucumcari, NM, passed away on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 in Amarillo. Funeral services will be at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at the First Baptist Church in Happy with Kyle Sumner, Lead Pastor, officiating. Private burial will be in Happy Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. on Friday, December 17, 2021 at Happy's Memorial Chapel. Viewing will be in Happy's Memorial Chapel beginning Friday at 1:00 P.M.

Martha was born March 15, 1946, in Amarillo, the daughter of John Frank and Novalene Byrd Toles. She attended the University of Texas at Austin, Texas and Texas Tech University and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from West Texas A&M University (WT) and Master of Arts degrees from WT and Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in English and Women's Studies, respectively. Inspired by renowned Happy High School (HHS) English teacher, Lella F. Moudy, Martha studied and taught English her entire professional career, beginning at Grady, New Mexico then for many years at San Jon; and finally, as a professor of English, film and creative writing at ENMU and Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari.

As a senior in high school, Martha played on the HHS Girls' Basketball team which won Third at the UIL State Tournament. She also competed with hundreds of thousands of Texas high school girls in a writing contest to win the Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow scholarship and award for the state of Texas.
Martha wrote poetry, directed the high school plays and wrote an Easter Passion Play that was performed by San Jon citizenry along the northern caprock escarpment of the Llano Estacado, near her then home.
She was a member of San Jon United Methodist Church in San Jon but also maintained a strong connection to the Baptist faith of her youth.

Survivors include a daughter, Larissa Frost Gardner of Spring; a son, John Edward Frost of Tucumcari; and a son and daughter-in-law Will Lenord and Sonja Morales Frost of Tucumcari; sisters Linda Toles Brown of Wichita Falls and Cynthia Ann Toles of Houston, and brother and sister-in-law John Holland and Janet Foster Toles of New Braunfels; seven grandchildren, Kristoff Glenn Gardner, Brandi Jael Casillas, John David and Callie Ray Frost, and Ruby and twins Ember and Nikita Morales Frost; and three great-grandchildren, Natalie, Leah and Madeline Casillas.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials to Shriners Hospitals for Children at lovetotherescue.org. Or the Swisher County Archives and Museum, PO Box 445 Tulia, Texas 79088