Maria Minerva Martins, 64, of Fall River, widow of Joao P. Martins, died unexpectedly on March 29, 2009 at Charlton Memorial Hospital. Born in Santa Barbara, Sao Miguel, Azores, daughter of the late Manuel & Maria (Oliveira) Arruda, she lived in Fall River most of her life. Employed in the textile trade for many years at Bomark and Klear-Vu Corp, she was a member of the ILGWU (now UNITE) where she had also worked for short time. Mother of John Martins (wife Jennifer) and Melinda M. Waring (companion John Costa), sister of Francisco Arruda, all of Fall River, and Maria Oliveira of Berkley, MA, grandmother of Zachary Martins. She also leaves several nieces & nephews. Her funeral Mass was celebrated in Espirito Santo Church. Pallbearers Joseph and Paul Oliveira, Richard, Floriano and Michael Sousa and Kevin Hubert brought Maria to her final resting place at St Patrick Cemetery.