Funeral service for Francisca Guardiola Mata, 82, Lawton will be at 1:30 pm Wednesday, September 11, 2013 in the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Chapel with Father Joseph R. Ross, Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Lawton officiating. Mrs. Francisca Guardiola Mata passed away at home Sunday, September 8. Private family burial will be in the Post Cemetery, Fort Sill, Oklahoma under the direction of the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home. Mrs. Mata, a long time Lawton resident, was born in Julimez, Mexico to Fortunato and Angela Guardiola. In 1948 she married Alberto Gomez Mata in El Paso, Texas and began her new life's journey and career: a military wife and mother. With occasional extended family supports she began to work as a seamstress, but with her husband's three tours to Korea she gave it up to care for her young children. With Alberto's Asian & European duty tours, she served as a prime family head---one that grew with each new challenge and proportioned resolutions that were empowering for herself & children. The duty orders provided little to no information or guidance. Luckily other passengers provided some useful but sketchy information. From El Paso, Mrs. Mata & family followed her husband to Munich, Germany with four Sons and an infant daughter. With minimal information or formal assistance she got her children from El Paso Airport to Rhein Main to their Munich Perlacher Forest three year duty housing assignment -- thru her perseverance and the goodness of one Army House Wife to another. Again, upon arrival in Munich, here she was saddled with readjusting herself and the family to "Military Kaserne & Quarters within Cold War Milieu & Context" as well as larger German society. Once adjusted to Munich, her family was sent to Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas with the possibility of being detailed to Ft Hood, Bliss or Houston. At Ft. Chaffee she delivers her daughter. For her, in terms of extended family ties to her elderly maternal & paternal grandparents, Ft Chaffee was as difficult in terms of distance to them -- as again her spouse's field and training assignments took precedence . Also, many men were being called up for various national alerts, Korea and now a place called Vietnam. She possessed a keen intellect, a strong communal & work ethic, a sense of personal & familial responsibility and warm regard & respect for others. It was evident in her day-to-day interactions at work as well as with her friends. Although she and her spouse only completed middle school education, they valued and prized education! She worked with her children before entering primary school and was as supportive as she could be during their elementary school years. All 6 completed their Bachelors, both daughters completed over 30 years professional service! One as a Licensed Occupational Therapist and the other as a senior Special Education Teacher in three states. Two obtained their Juris Doctorates & are practicing lawyers & a third son with a Philosophy Doctorate. She always reminded her sons and daughters of their humble beginnings and their need to keep it simple, keep their feet on feet on ground be constantly commitment to common good! She is survived by four sons, Alberto G. Mata, Jr, Antonio G.Mata, Armando G. Mata and Arturo G. Mata and his wife Sheryl of Lawton; two daughters, Marta G. Torres of Norman; Lydia G. Easton and husband Phillip of Coppell, Texas. She is also survived by grandchildren, Rachel & her husband Larry Bush; Amber & her husband Jason Speer, Alex Phillip Easton, Michael Albert Easton, Christina Torres, Jon Torres, Marilyn Mata and five great grandchildren Melissa, Devon, Trinity Crystal, and Victoria.