Dateline Columbus, NM December 1, 2025:
Martha J. Skinner was a force. An independent woman way ahead of her time. A loyal mother of two boys. A trophy wife to five husbands & My mom.
by – Addison Bachman (Martha’s son)
I do intend on memorializing my memories about my mother in print and/or video. She’s a great story whos life is worthy of remembrance. I’m just not up to the task yet. It’ll be tough. With that in mind, I thought I could break the ice by recounting her life in the Village of Columbus, New Mexico, as I witnessed it. It might be interesting to those who encountered her during her Columbus years. It may be surprising too.
It was sometime around 1989-90 that Martha returned to her home state of New Mexico. Born in Alamogordo, died in Columbus.
Prior to her moving here to start a new chapter in her life, she was married to #4. Richard Sanchez. A really nice guy, I liked him a lot.
They owned a beauty shop together in Glendale, California called “On Broadway”, as its location was on Broadway Blvd. They had recently finished restoring a very large two-story old Victorian Boarding House, and were renting out the ten or so rooms by the month, offering home-cooked meals and services to their tenants.
The “Richard” years were calming and healing for Martha.
She had come out of marriage #3 absolutely broke and alone. She immediately began remaking herself. Again. She got licensed as a Cosmetologist, and through her friendship with renown Beauty Expert Tova Borgnine (Ernest Borgnine’s wife), secured her first job at the famous beauty shop in the iconic Ambassador Hotel in Los Angles, CA.
That’s where she bumped into Richard, a hairdresser in the shop. I say “bumped into” because their meeting was a reunion from a many decades old secret relationship they once had. It seems Martha first met Richard at a dance she attended in the historic Cocoanut Grove Ballroom at the hotel. Apparently, they “danced” a lot after that.
Richard’s “claim to fame” in his personal life came on the morning of June 5, 1968, when Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Medical teams attempted to treat him, but he died the following day.
It was that morning Richard got a call to come to RFK’s room in the hotel to give him a quick trim. Turned out to be minutes before RFK was assassinated. He was shot walking through the hotels kitchen. Richard was questioned and released.
Why Columbus?
Martha moved to Columbus at the behest of her younger brother Philip Skinner (presently the Mayor of Columbus), who had a few years previously moved to the village and opened Skinner Furniture, a Maquiladora over the border in Palomas, Mexico. Martha’s background was in accounting, and Philip asked her to join the company as it’s bookkeeper. And she did.
Selling her business and home, Martha, Richard (and Richard’s mother, Esther,) moved to Columbus and reinvested in building Martha’s Place Hotel, and a small beauty shop for Richard to ply his trade. That beauty shop is now the Village Courthouse. Sadly, Richard was a lifelong functional alcoholic. And while our climate may be dry, the bars in Palomas are not, and Richard went down the rabbit hole and died there most believe. But Martha believed differently. More on that later.
The Tumbleweed Theater Years
After settling into her new digs at Martha’s Place and working at he factory, things we’re going along famously for the Skinner’s in Columbus. My grandmother, Margie Skinner even moved to town to join the fun. She also died in Columbus, and Martha scattered her ashes at her childhood home in Alamogordo, NM.
The Hay day was in full affect in the early nineties. The furniture factory was cranking out furniture, Martha’s Place had become the regular watering hole for visitors to Columbus, and Philip started raising some cattle that would soon turn into steaks served on Friday and Saturday nights at the Tumbleweed Theater and Dinner Review located in the backyard of Martha’s Place.
A western town set was built to showcase the Tumbleweed’s brightest star, Martha Skinner. Mom could sing and entertain. Always the hit of the party. The woman simply shone.
Along with the success of the hotel and dinner theater came a new actor on the scene. Javier Lazano.
The Javier Chapter
Number Five was a pistol! Javier Lazano brought fun and excitement back into Martha’s life after the hard years rebuilding that life with Richard. I guess this is the place I should tell you how Martha suspected Richard died.
You’ve heard the phrase “To Kill For”? She was pretty sure Javier had something to do with making her a single woman long enough to marry her.
Who Was The Real Javier Lozano?
Javier was always a mystery. The man had a very disarming charm, and the look of somebody you didn’t want to cross.
My brother and I first saw the signs of Javier’s clandestine life from the tales our children would tell about their visit with Grandma at Martha’s Place. Like when my 10 year-old niece reported going over the border with “grandpa” Javier.
“We drove over to Palomas and Javier took us to a home. Javier opened the garage, pulled in, and closed shut the garage door, and opened the hood of the truck. I was still in the truck, but when he opened the hood I saw him take something apart and he pulled gun and bullets out and put them somewhere in the garage. Then we went back home to grandma’s house”
When I moved to Columbus in 2008 I first lived in the hotel. I had many conversations with Javier in those days, and over the years too. I have no way of confirming what’s true or not. I can only take Javier at his word.
Javier told me he was a longtime CIA Mercenary / Operative
According to Javier, he was born in New York City, NY. He was an American. I don’t recall the logistics, but Javier at some point in his youth moved to Mexico and was raised a Mexican. He was a Mexican too. They call it “Duel Citizenship”, and in Javier’s case it was kept a secret.
When Javier reached adulthood he landed back in NYC where he was recruited at a bar by a CIA operative. He told me he and seven other were sent into Nicaragua in the Ollie North days to quell a group that were blowing up oil fields and pipelines to disrupt the economy. He said only 2 of the men made it back. He was one of them. He showed me the scars left by a couple of bullet wounds on his back and torso.
Years later he was implanted in Palomas where he became the Chief of Police and reigned there for many years operating for the CIA. He’s a bit of a legend over there. You didn’t want Lozano on your trail. One story he recounted to me was about a pedophile who had escaped over the border into Palomas to evade capture by the US authorities. Javier found him, stripped him naked, wrapped him head to toe in duct tape and dumped him back over the border.
My question has always been, “Was Martha Javier’s cover story?”. I still don’t know, but I do know all of a sudden Richard was dead and Javier took his place, married Martha, and reigned as the Municipal Judge (in Richards old beauty shop) for many years until run out under several charges that stripped him from ever presiding as a judge again. Read More
I could go on with other tales, and some I can’t because a few of the players are still around, but I will conclude with the most bizarre story regarding the last I heard of Javier.
Javier was arrested and jailed for shoplifting Shrimp from the Family Dollar
I searched for records of the incident I’m about to tell you. I couldn’t find any, and that is very odd. Maybe if I spent some time doing a deep dive I’d find what used to being front page results about Javier’s arrest and imprisonment in the Deming Correctional Prison. Or, it’s all been scrubbed. Nevertheless this is what I read back in the day. Javier was caught on camera stealing frozen shrimp from the Family Dollar at the border. He was arrested and sentenced to some prison time. And at some point, the 75 year old ESCAPED FROM PRISON AND FLED TO MEXICO.
It’s hard for me to believe a seventy five year-old man could bust out of prison and make it across 35 miles of open desert to Mexico without help. CIA maybe? I’d love to find out, wouldn’t you?
Martha’s Final Days
In 2015 Martha sold the hotel to her brother Philip and moved in with my then wife and I. We got out of Dodge and moved to the beach in Shallotte, North Carolina. Martha immediately got back into playing bridge, a card game she was a registered master at. She played competitively for most of her adult life until moving to Columbus. She quickly became the person all bridge players wanted to partner with.
Turned out that my wife and I just couldn’t get gainful employment, and nearly three years later we sold the house and retuned to our home in Columbus. Martha couldn’t be happier. She loved Columbus, and she told me to bury her there. I did.
On the day we held her burial at the Valley Heights Cemetery, and wake at the hotel, the family all went over to Palomas for dinner in her honor. When we came back across the border we noticed a new cool looking metal art designed mural had been affixed to the Port Of Entry wall. As I followed along the map I came to Columbus. It’s demarked by the “Martha’s Place Hotel” logo. Through teary eyes I shouted for everyone to come see. It was such a fitting end to that day.
Martha left a mark in the minds of her fellow Columbs-ians, enough to earn the spot that marked the village location on the map.
And she certainly left her mark on me. Shine On Mom!
Martha had been Mrs. Smith (mothered my older brother Randy) – Mrs. Bachman (mothered me) – Mrs. Loen – Mrs. Sanchez – and Mrs. Lazano. But she died named on her ID’s as she was born.
Martha Jean Skinner. Feburary 22, 1937 – October 15th, 2018
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