Martinez, Genia Giles

Genia Giles Martinez, 47, of Cedar Rapids, died Saturday, March 5, 2011, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy. Services: 11 a.m. Saturday at Cedar Rapids Family Church by Pastor Daniel Winn. A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.

Genia is survived by her husband, Jesse; sons, Patrick Giles of Mesa, Ariz., and Trence Giles and Antonio Irwin, both of Cedar Rapids; mother, Earline Lobdell of Peoria, Ill.; sisters, Sherry Wallace, Edna Adams, Camille Alston and Roshawn Giles, all of Peoria, Ill., and Debbie Blackwell of Madison, Wis.; brothers, Charles Giles of Morton, Ill., and Robert Alston of Peoria, Ill.; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, grandchildren, in-laws and friends.

She was preceded in death by her father and brother, Percy Giles; and beloved grandmother, Edna Mae Clark of Peoria, Ill.

Genia was born April 7, 1963, in Clarksdale, Miss., to Willie Giles Sr and Earline Lobdell and lived in Peoria, Ill. until 1984, when she arrived in Cedar Rapids. She met Jesse in 1983 and they were eventually married in 1997. She worked for the Cedar Rapids School District at McKinley Middle School in 1996 as a teacher's associate and Metro High School from 1997 to 2006 as a teacher's associate. Genia later worked for La Petite Academy as a teacher's associate for nearly two years before becoming disabled with breast cancer in 2008.

She loved the Lord and was a member of Cedar Rapids Family Church. She loved to read and study her Bible and Genia loved to sing. She had a beautiful smile and a wonderful laugh. Her first priority was her family and will be remembered for her testimony in her fight with cancer and for her love of all people.