Maria Esther Urbina

In my early teens, I felt the call to serve in missions. My first call was to our church mission. I taught Sunday School preschoolers. The Pastors children were in my class. When I graduated from High School I wanted to go to college to study to be a missionary, but I only could get a church scholarship for one semester. My father who was not supportive said he would not help me financially because I would not be able to make a living in that field.

Broken hearted I left my hometown to stay with an Aunt and Uncle who lived in Los Angeles CA. They had no children and opened their home to me. I joined the First Mexican Baptist Church in L.A. One Wednesday night I was surprised to see that my boyfriend from Corpus Christie, TX; after completing his first year in college. He hitchhiked to L.A and came to the church to surprise me, Wow, he did! He was a pastor’s son and came to L.A seeking me. He was hosted by the church pastor, got a job and became very active in the church, as a music director, and choir director.

We dated for a year and got engaged. The call to be a missionary was still in my heart. I felt I could serve the Lord as a Pastor’s wife. We married on Feb. 24, 1956. Our church sponsored us to open a new work. The Lord directed us to a Los Angeles suburb named Pico Rivera, California. For four Saturdays we went and knocked on doors seeking a place to open a mission. On the fourth Saturday the Lord led us to a sponsoring family. A Baptist family from Texas who had 5 children who were not in any church. They opened their home to host the first church in Pico Rivera, California.

The Southern Baptist Convention appointed my husband and me to be student missionary pastors. My husband left a good paying job at Lockheed Aircraft Aviation to a student missionary salary, when we started a new mission. He also attended California Baptist College in Riverside, CA for 4 years. He earned his BA degree and we had to move to attend Seminary in San Francisco. He was called to pastor a Baptist church in San Jose, CA. He committed to the seminary 3 times a week.

In California we had 4 children – 3 boys and 1 girl. After 10 years in California, we moved back to Texas and were called to be Pastor of El Calvario Baptist Church. He Continued to Pastor and study in Seminary. In Texas we had 2 more children. We were able to buy a home in Houston. There was another Baptist church that had a day school and a day care. This other Baptist church was 2 blocks away from our home. I applied for a job there and also registered our children for Preschool and after school day care. I also got a job as a Day Care worker.

In the fall of 1978 I applied to Houston Baptist University to attend under a new program in conjunction with HISD. They had begum a new bilingual program. I attended Houston Baptist University on a full scholarship and graduated with a Bachelors degree. Ten years later I received a full scholarship for a Masters degree and graduated from University of Houston Clear Lake.

I continued to teach Bilingual Education for 25 years and also served as a pastor’s wife. My husband has now been a Pastor for 63 years. I served as a Sunday School Teacher, and pianist. Together we sang a duet and recorded 3 long play records. All the hymns were written both words and music by my husband Marcos Urbina. To God be the glory for all He has done.

Maria is survived by Husband Dr. Marcos Urbina, Children, Joshua Urbina, Joel Urbina, Benjamin Urbina, Ruthelisabeth Urbina, Rebecca Urbina Brown, Ron Brown, Roger Urbina, Martha Urbina. Grandchildren: Andrew Soliz, Miriah Alexandria Soliz Glaser, Cedric Glaser, Aaron Grant Soliz, Johnathan Urbina and Justin Brown. She will be dearly missed.

A graveside service for Maria will be held Monday, December 6, 2021 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Forest Park East Cemetery, 21620 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX 77598.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ForestParkLawndaleFH.com for the Urbina family.