Jennifer was born in Germany at Weisbaden AFB while her dad Anthony (Tony) Martin was stationed there with Air Force. Jennifer was the first of 2 daughters born to Anthony and Christine (Mitchell) Martin. The family moved to Atwater, CA while Castle AFB was still open in 1978.
Her sister Nicole Martin Jones was born in June of 1978. While attending Thomas Oleata School, Mitchell Sr and Atwater High School she played sports starting with softball in the summer. Then all girls teams were travel teams.
There was only 1 girls softball team in Atwater until 6th grade. Recreational basketball and then onto water polo. Water polo there were not enough girls to field a team so during the summer the girls and boys played together.
Jennifer played water polo, volleyball and softball for AHS. Jennifer’s first job was at Beverly Fabrics working in Merced store that her mom managed. Jennifer love for the crafts and diy bloomed.
Jennifer worked through high school and while attending Merced Community College. Jennifer attended Healdsburg College graduating with an AS in computer science. Computers were interesting but her first love was cooking Italian Food and baking gorgeous confectionary masterpieces.
She started a cottage business called Sinister Sweets. Jennifer and Christopher became parents of beautiful daughter Jan 2, 1997 born prematurely 2 months early. Daizsa Caldwell is currently going to Pasadena City College.
If Jennifer wasn’t watching Daizsa play sports here in the Valley, then she was coaching young ladies both in soccer or softball. Jennifer coached at Rio Vista Middle School, Fresno several years. While playing herself on several fast pitch softball teams in the Fresno Clovis area.
Jennifer also ran a girls softball travel team named Storm. Jen and her husband Christopher Caldwell were married in December 1999 and shortly after moved to Fresno where they were residing with their son Kawanii Caldwell born July 2004. Jennifer had the exciting pleasure of watching Kawanii play a challenging sport, Rugby.
Jen was also extremely proud of how her son was watching out for kids around him being bullied and befriends them. Jennifer was always working on diy projects from dressers she would make her husband pickup off the street on trash day to paint and updating their home. She truly could turn trash into treasure.
Christopher gladly put up with the projects rather than get the stank eye or finger tapping his pay off homemade meals to brag about. Jennifer struggled with being bi polar and tried to do on her own terms. Sometimes disrupted to her family life she would do anything for her family.
Just as she wished she could be rescued from bi polar she made it her mission to save pit bulls. Having 3 rescued fur babies at the time of her passing. Vinny, Sinatra, or Dilly her pits along with Simba and Salem the cats changed many people around her with how loving, sweet and good natured these “Scary Pit Bulls” were.
If you like to honor her memory please help by adopting her helping at a no kill pit bull shelter, befriend the person you see by themselves or learn to recognize symptoms of being bipolar. Don’t isolate yourself or ignore someone struggling. It’s not easy for people with any type of mental illness to open up because of the stigmatism of being “CRAZY”.
I am so grateful to her husband and children that they loved our daughter unconditionally through all the ups and downs. How strong she was. Please reach out to others.
You will be missed Jennifer. You changed lives. May you be in peace now as you guide those you love in another way.
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