Marta (Lambert) Charlton

Marta Clare (Lambert) Charlton, age 56, of Giltner, passed away on May 18, 2026.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 27, 2026, from 5-7 p.m. at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary 1404 L Street, Aurora. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., at St Ann’s Catholic Church, 202 N 5th, Doniphan. Inurnment at Cederview Cemetery on West Cedarview Road, Doniphan. A luncheon will follow at the Doniphan Events Center, 103 W Pine Street, Doniphan.   Both events are dress casual. Family has requested that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Marta Charlton family.   Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.
Marta’s wishes were to be cremated and to be laid to rest next to her son, Elliot.
Marta was born on January 15, 1970, in Aurora, to Thomas and JoAnne (LaBrie) Lambert. She grew up in Giltner. Following graduation in 1988, she set out on of life’s adventures before returning to her hometown to build her life and raise her family. She was a devoted mother to her daughter, Elizabeth Janelle, born in 1993, and her son, Elliot James, born in 1995.
In 2001, Marta met Alan Charlton, and the two united in marriage on November 11, 2011. A date picked for Alan to easily remember. Together, they continued their life in Giltner, where Marta remained deeply connected to her family and friends.
Throughout her life, Marta held many roles in the workforce, including positions in the fast food industry, as a cashier, in a general store, janitorial work, and computer boardworks. However, her most meaningful and cherished role was as a Para Educator in the Grand Island Public Schools System. Marta was in her element at Lincoln Elementary, supporting each special needs student with tenderness, compassion, and respect, while also maintaining a firm sense of right and wrong. She loved being called “Miss Marta” and had a special gift for creating imaginative and engaging bulletin board displays throughout the school year.
Before her medical retirement, Marta was honored as a “one in a million” Staff Member of the Year by Grand Island Public Schools—recognition of her deep devotion and the lasting impact she made on students and staff alike.
She had a playful spirit and found joy in the little things. She had a deep love for dot-to-dot, puzzle, and sticker books, all genres of music, reality and crime television shows. Embroidery, sewing, and all kinds of crafts could be found throughout her home.
Marta had a knack for finding treasures and could never pass up a good bargain. Garage sales, online marketplaces, and junk jaunts were among her favorite adventures. She loved collecting bears, pigs, and turtles, and delighted in discovering unusual eyewear and accessories—often surprising loved ones by turning around wearing her latest find with a casual “what?” glance that never failed to bring laughter.
In 2013, Marta’s life changed when she was diagnosed with oral cancer. Over the next 13 years, she faced her journey with strength, undergoing major surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy, and artery and bone transplants. During preparation for one procedure involving a bone transplant, a small bone from her lower leg was to be used in the reconstruction of her jaw. Her concern was not the surgery itself, but whether it would affect the Cancer Survivor ribbon tattoo on her leg. The medical team went around the tattoo which made her healing process just a bit easier.   
Marta was practical, proud, punctual, and polite. She walked through this world with strength, grace, determination, and bravery making her an absolute inspiration to many.   She was not one to seek pity—she met life as it came, steady and dependable, always someone who had your back. Quick-witted and sharp in humor, she had a way of making the dark times bright and the light times even brighter. 
She was preceded in death by her son, Elliot; grandparents, Glen and Lurye LaBrie and Robert and Alice Lambert; father-in-law Gary Charlton, aunts and uncles, Margaret Baxa, Donna Simcoe, Carol LaBrie, David and Sandy LaBrie, Richard LaBrie, Dale Brehm and cousins, Bartt LaBrie, Richie and Eric Brehm.
She is survived by her husband, Alan Charlton of Giltner; daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Anthony Ogden in Mesa, AZ; her parents, Thomas and JoAnne Lambert; sister and brother-in-law, Stephanie and Brent Lemburg; her brother and sister-in-law, Charlie and Amy Lambert; her mother-in-law, Ann Charlton; sister and brother-in-law, Kristi and Adam Broughton; nieces and nephews: Taylor Lemburg; Jordyn Lambert; Sam and Cherie Lemburg; Jaclyn Lambert; Jocelyn and Jason Flink; Trevor Lambert; Karleen and Joel Bender; and Jenna Broughton, great nieces and nephews, Dale Lemburg; Penelope, Tinley, and Walker Flink; Adam Dean and Anna Lousie Broughton, numerous family members, coworkers, and friends.