This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: marcenath Surnames: Chavez, Balizan, Mata, Lopez, Poling, Diaz Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newmexico.counties.donaana/5155/mb.ashx Message Board Post: We the family of the matriarch Leonila C. Chávez, announce her passing on Monday, January 17, 2011; born to Remedios Chávez April 11, 1915 in La Magadalena, Chihuahua. She immigrated to the U.S. when she was 12 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen at 25. Married to George R. Chávez on January 30, 1933, she and Papa raised 6 children, Bertha, Delia, Manual, Martha, Ramona, and Rudolfo burying two, Bertha at 8 months and Ramona at almost 14 years of age. "Mama," "Mí Mama," "Mama de Papa" with only one grandchild calling our Mama "Grandma" leaves behind 16 grandchildren, 43 great grandchildren, and 13 great-great grandchildren. Leonila was a highly spirited woman, she was a farmer and farmer's wife and was physically and mentally strong, she was decisive, a deeply religious woman, and always clear about her moral and ethical values. Well respected in the community of Picacho Viejo where she lived almost her entire life. Leonila was a voracious reader of newspapers and magazine! s, writer of letters and of notes. Her sixth grade education served Leonila well helping her family prosper. In her twenties through late thirties, she would help community members with letter writing since in those days not all could read and write. A staunch Democrat, Mama served as a poll worker for many years and voted in all elections, even the most recent national and local elections. An extremely hard worker and because of her impoverished beginnings and maturing during the Great Depression, Mama knew how to save a penny. Working alongside her Viejo growing varieties of chile, all sorts of vegetables and fruits, she was a canner, canning the fruits of her labor. She loved her home flower garden letting it go the last few years. She also raised turkeys and chickens and was better at milking the family cow than Papa. With the slaughter of a pig or two during the holiday seasons, she with her good friend Adelina would clean the intestines to be used for chorizo and morcilla. For many years, she worked during the onion seasons alongside Martha. She also worked the lettuce seasons while raising a family and making ends meet in hard times. With the selling of the family farm in the early 60s, Mama continued making ends ! meet. She managed a local motel for several years, was a night care giver at a local nursing home, cleaned houses, and kept things going. During all these years she never lost her faith in God, or her children. Mama was a great cook, an observer of people, curious beyond compare, with a grounded wisdom surfacing through her many dichos. She loved her children and grandchildren and loved the receiving of cards from them at special times of the year. She also had a special place in her heart and soul for her sobrinas and sobrinos from Colorado who she always kept in contact with. In the last couple of decades Mama became more home bound using her well-earned stature as the Matriarch of the Chávez Clan to give advice, to serve as the moral compass of the family and always letting her children know how to do things better. She was strict and forceful, always had an opinion; and almost to the end, she never, but never minced her words. Mama is survived by her mentioned children and their respective spouses,Marcelo (Delia), Rosa Lee (Manual), Martha (Valentin, deceased), and Rudolfo (Graciela), her grand and great-grandchildren, and her nieces and nephews. Mama is preceded in death by her three brothers Emilio, Rafael, and Librado, her two daughters Bertha and Monchi, her husband of 63 years George, and her son-in-law Valentin Balizan (Martha). A special thanks to her neighbors Lola and Vidal Gutierrez and family who were always on the look out for her. Also, heartfelt and special thanks are given to her many caregivers, especially Ms. Irelma Barela, Ms. Margarita Martinez, and Ms. María Dolores López. Casket bearers will be Stevan Balizan (grandson), Alejandro Mata (great grandson), John Eric Chávez (great grandson), José López (grandson), John Paul Poling (great grandson) and Zachariah Diaz (great grandson). Services for Mrs. Leonila C. Chávez will be held at Holy Cross Church. Visitation will occur at Holy Cross Church on Thursday, January 20th from 6 to 7 P.M., immediately followed by a Rosary. Officiated by Monsignor John Anderson and co-celebrated by Father John Weber, funeral mass will be held at Holy Cross Church on Friday, January 21st at 10:00 A.M. followed by her burial at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Reception immediately following the burial at Binns Winery next to the Fairacres Post Office and Pic Quik on Picacho Avenue. Funeral arrangements by La Paz-Graham's Funeral Home, 555 W. Amador, 526-6891. To send the Chavez family condolences please log on to www.lapaz-grahams.com Published in Las Cruces Sun-News on January 21, 2011 Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.