Ida Mae Martinez Selenkow died she was 78. Martinez was an American professional wrestler in the 1950s, known as Ida Mae Martinez. After her retirement in 1960, she appeared in the 2004 documentary Lipstick & Dynamite about the early years of female wrestling in North America. In addition to wrestling, Martinez was a yodeler, releasing the CD The Yodeling Lady Ms. Ida also in 2004. Martinez also obtained a Master's Degree in Nursing and was one of the first nurses in Baltimore to work with AIDS patients. | (September 9, 1931 – January 19, 2010) |
After watching a female professional wrestling match between Johnny Mae Young and Gloria Barattini, Martinez sought out promoter Billy Wolfe.[1] Wolfe invited her to train in Columbus, Ohio.[1] She debuted in August 1951 in Ohio.[1] She won the Championship of Mexico in 1952.[1][3] She held the title until 1953.[2]
She retired in 1960 after remarrying.[1] In the 1980s, she became a board member for the Cauliflower Alley Club.[1] Martinez also was featured in the 2004 documentary about women's wrestling, Lipstick & Dynamite.[1] In 2006, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame awarded her the Senator Hugh Farley Award for her contribution in and outside of the ring.[3]
Martinez was born to a prostitute mother and unknown father.[1] She believed she was of Spanish descent.[1] Her guardians were abusive towards her,[3] and she left home sometime between the ages of 13 and 15 to live with her cousin.[1][3] She attended Norwich Free Academy,[1] but eventually dropped out of high school.[3] In addition to school, she worked as a yodeler and singer at country and minstrel shows.[1]
Martinez married at age 17 and claimed that her husband was abusive.[1] She remarried in 1960 to a man with whom she had two daughters, I. Ryan and Traci.[1] She received her GED in 1971, an Associate's Degree in nursing in 1975, and a Bachelor's Degree in nursing in 1980.[1][3] Ten years later she received her Master's Degree in Nursing from the University of Maryland.[1] She was inducted into the Nursing Honor Society Sigma Theta Tau.[2] She was one of the first nurses in Baltimore to care for AIDS patients.[1] She also published writings about her work with AIDS patients.[2]
She later converted to Judaism.[1] In 2004, she released a yodeling CD, The Yodeling Lady Ms. Ida.[1] She even appeared on The Rosie O'Donnell Show as a yodeler in April 1999.[1][2][3] She was also a member of the Western Music Association.[2]
To see more of who died in 2010 click here
No comments:
Post a Comment