Esther Virginia Martz

Esther Virginia Martz, affectionately known to everyone as Curly, passed from this life on June 1, 2026, at Somerford Assistive Living in Frederick formerly Seaton Assisted living. Curly was 100 years old.

She was the wife of the late Harold H. Martz Sr., for 73 years.

She was born on Bethel Road in Frederick MD on August 13, 1925, to the late William L. DeLaughter and Bessie Houck DeLaughter.

Curly was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Middletown MD since 1948, where she taught Sunday School.

She farmed with her husband in Frederick County, and in Edgar Wisconsin. She also worked as the bookkeeper for the family’s landscape business.

Curly, loved spending time with her family and preparing amazing home-cooked meals for Halloween, Christmas, the Super Bowl, and birthday celebrations, truly any occasion to gather. She enjoyed working in her vegetable and flower gardens, loved all animals and wildlife, and she especially loved watching her hummingbirds. She fed everyone and everything.

Curly is survived by her daughter, Jenice and Terry Nusbaum; her daughter-in-law, Carla Martz; granddaughters, Valerie and Dan Fox, Heidi and Chris Sweet, Holly and Wayne Frolich, Jessica and Brian Brotherton, and Hilary and Thomas Gumphrey; seven great-grandchildren, Harper, River, Carson, Wolfie, Wylder, Dexter, and Waylon; and many nieces and nephews, including Dottie, Karen, Cynthia, and Bob.

She is also fondly remembered by her lifelong friends and family in Wisconsin and Hawaii, including the Stencil, Balz, and Andrus families.

In addition to her parents and husband she is preceded in death by her son; Harold Hendrix Martz Jr.; her brothers, Russell and Richard DeLaughter; her sisters, Katherine Fisher and Lottie J. Showalter; her brothers-in-law, Edgar Martz and Elise, George R. Martz and Vivian, Russell Fisher, Mel Showalter and Richard Masser; and nieces and nephews, Polly, Brenda, Bobby, and Larry.

Curly will be deeply missed by her family and friends. The family extends special thanks to the staff at Paramount, Somerford, formerly Seaton, and Hospice.

The family will receive friends from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at Stauffer Funeral Homes, 1621 Opossumtown Pike in Frederick, MD.

A celebration of Esther's life journey will take place at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the funeral home. Interment will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, MD.

*If you would like to wear something yellow to honor Curly, please do. Yellow was her favorite color.