The Brownsville Herald - Online Edition OBITUARIES Obituaries, March 5, 2006 FRANCISCO H. CORONADO, 85, passed away on Saturday, March 4, 2006, in Brownsville. Funeral arrangements are pending under the care of Funeraria Del Angel Buena Vista, cemeteries, mausoleums and crematory, 125 McDavitt Blvd., Brownsville, (956) 541-5400. ELPIDIA ESTRADA GARZA, 66, of Port Isabel passed away Feb. 27, 2006, at McAllen Medical Center. Rosary will be recited 7 p.m. today, Sunday, March 5, 2006, at Thomae-Garza Funeral Home in San Benito. Funeral Mass will be held 10 a.m. Monday, March 6, 2006, at Our Lady Star of The Sea Catholic Church in Port Isabel. Interment will follow to Port Isabel City Cemetery in Port Isabel. Funeral arrangements entrusted to the care of Thomae-Garza Funeral Directors, 395 S. Sam Houston St., San Benito, (956)399-1331. ISRAEL JOSE "RELO"JUAREZ, SR., 60, of El Ranchito passed away on March 4, 2006, at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen. Rosary will be on Sunday and Monday at 7 p.m. at Thomae Garza Funeral Home in San Benito. Funeral Services will be Tuesday 2:30 p.m. at San Ignacio Catholic Church in El Ranchito. Interment will follow to Garcia Cemetery in El Ranchito. Thomae-Garza Funeral Directors, 395 S. Sam Houston Blvd., San Benito, (956)399-1331. LOURDES CHRISTINE FLORES Lourdes Christine Flores was received by our Lord with all his loving grace on February 8, 2006. She is survived by her loving family, husband Michael, son Michael Vincent and daughters Mira and Mia, parents Raymond and Esperanza Zaragoza, brother Raymond Jr., sisters Mary, Liz and Estelle, grandmother Maria Zaragoza, numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives. Lou was born on September 3, 1964, in Des Moines, Iowa. She completed her high school education in Fairfield, Iowa. She and her family later moved to Brownsville. She later moved to San Antonio and blossomed with new friends and a new career. She became actively involved with the San Antonio Apartment Association as a volunteer education instructor. She taught weekly CCD class at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. Lou actively participated with the Fiesta Flambeau Parade Association. She served as board member. She also served as a board member to the local chapter of the Families with Children from China. She loved to travel with her husband and children to local towns and enjoyed the simple joys of life. Her passion was to cook and create meals not just for the body but for the soul. Her love of life warmed the hearts of all those that she met. Her smile cooled the hottest of days. She blessed us with her open arms and willingness to act upon kindness and generosity. She lived her philosophy, "Live life to the fullest." Each day was a blessing that allowed her to share love with someone in her life. She bestowed a legacy of integrity, truth, faith in neighbors and compassion. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her especially her best friend, Meli Hernandez of Brownsville. A funeral Mass of Catholic Burial was held at St. Anthony De Padua Catholic Church in San Antonio on February 14, 2006. You are invited to sign the guest book at www.porterloring.com Arrangements with Porter Loring Mortuary North. INEZ MERRYDAY STEWART Inez Merryday Stewart, 83, died peacefully in her home in Brownsville on February 27, 2006. She was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 24, 1922, and grew up in Palatka, Florida. She attended Florida State College for Women and received her associate degree in nursing from St. Vincent's School of Nursing in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1945. She received a bachelor of science in liberal arts from Columbia University in 1948. She married the Rev. J. Rufus Stewart in Mandarin, Florida, in 1952. They moved to Brownsville in 1960 where Rev. Stewart began a 23 year career at the Church of the Advent Episcopal. Mrs. Stewart was very active in the nursing community in the Brownsville area. She worked for many years at Mercy Hospital, taught in the vocational nursing program at Texas Southmost College and worked for Dr. Fernando de Leon in his office. Following her retirement from nursing, she continued to stay active in nursing by becoming involved with the Lower Rio Grande Valley Nursing Scholarship Fund. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, and her husband, the Rev. J. Rufus Stewart. She will be missed by her daughter, Margaret Teague and her husband Wesley of Alexandria, Virginia; her son, John Stewart and his wife Cindy of Kernersville, North Carolina; and her three grandchildren, Sam, Carey Ellen, and Jacqueline. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 6, 2006 at the Church of the Advent Episcopal. The family will be visiting with friends in the Parish Hall of the church immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers the family suggests sending donations to Sunshine Haven, P.O. Box 4478, Brownsville, Texas, 78520, or the Lower Rio Grande Valley Nursing Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 3263, Brownsville, Texas, 78520. TOMAS GARCIA GOMEZ Tomas Garcia Gomez, 79, entered into the glory of his eternal life on Thursday, March 2, 2006, at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville, surrounded by his loving family. Mr. Gomez was a lifetime resident of Brownsville, having been born here on August 27, 1926, to Gumecindo and Amparo Gomez who preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his sisters, Ilaria Garcia, Maria Garza, Rosa Villarreal and Guadalupe Cruz. Mr. Gomez was a pipe fitter having worked for Brown and Root and Union Carbide. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather and brother. His favorite pastimes were fishing and watching the Dallas Cowboys. He also enjoyed keeping himself informed of world events by listening to the various news channels, but his main passion was keeping abreast of the weather. He was the family's "weatherman." Sometimes, a particular news or weather event would illicit his favorite saying, "Valgame Dios de mi Vida." Left to mourn his passing are his wife of 44 years, Elida C. Gomez; his children, Margarita and husband Albert Muñoz, Tomas Jr. and wife Jessica, both of Brownsville, Cynthia and husband Joe Muñoz of Harlingen, Texas; his grandsons, Anthony Muñoz, Albert Muñoz III and Bryan Gomez; his only granddaughter, Mia Jo Muñoz; his step-grandsons, Joe Brandon Muñoz and Niles Muñoz; and his step-granddaughter, Brandi Jo Muñoz. In addition, he is also survived by a brother, Manuel Gomez, and several half brothers and sisters. Visitation will be today, at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 5, 2006, and continues through 9 p.m. with a prayer service at 7 p.m. There will be a 10 a.m. chapel service for Mr. Gomez on Monday, March 6, 2006, followed by interment at Roselawn Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers will be Anthony Muñoz, Bryan Gomez and Brandon Muñoz. Arrangements are under the direction of Trevino Funeral Home, 1355 Old Port Isabel Road, (956) 542-2583. MANUEL I. ZAPATA, SR. Manuel I. Zapata, Sr., died Friday, March 3, 2006, at Ebony Lake Nursing Home. He was born Jan. 26, 1910, in Historic Old Ciudad Guerrero, which is presently under water at Falcon Lake. His mother, a young widow with seven children, fled to Laredo, Texas, from Ciudad Guerrero during the Mexican Revolution. Don Manuel, as he was affectionately called by his friends and colleagues, was raised in Laredo, Texas. Don Manuel was a World War II veteran and served as a sergeant in the Medical Corps under General Douglas McArthur from 1941 through 1945 in the Pacific Theater. He saw action in Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and the Philippines. After the war, he returned to Laredo, married and then moved his young family to Brownsville where he began a long career in agriculture in northern Mexico. Don Manuel was a pioneer cotton grower in northern Mexico during the era "When Cotton was King," in the late 1940s and all through the 1950s and 60s. At his beloved ranch, Los Moros, Don Manuel was instrumental in pioneering a new crop, sorghum, in the region after the cotton industry ended. Don Manuel was preceded in death by his parents, Fabian and San Juanita Zapata, his beloved wife, Amparo R. Zapata; his brothers, Luis, Raul, Renato, Oscar, and Armando Zapata; his adopted brother, Hugo Zapata Gutierrez; and his sister, Josephine Del Rose. He is survived by his children, Judith G. Rodriguez (Roberto) of Brownsville and Manuel I. Zapata Jr. (Vivian) of Carrollton, Texas; his three grandchildren, Vanessa R. LaWare (Paul) of Houston, David M. Rodriguez of Galveston and Colleen Zapata-Pakuszewski (Frank) of San Antonio; and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. today, Sunday, March 5, 2006, and will continue through 9 p.m. with the recitation of the holy rosary at 7:30 p.m. Military rites will be conducted by members of the Veterans Funeral Detail under the direction of Chaplain Paul H. Spell prior to the rosary service. The Mass of Resurrection will be on Monday, March 6, 2006, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Services for Don Manuel will conclude at the church. Arrangements have been entrusted to Darling-Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd., Brownsville, TX 78520, (956) 546-7111. MARTIN Z. SUAREZ Martin Z. Suarez, 43, entered into eternal rest on March 3, 2006, at Sunshine Haven in Brownsville. He was born February 27, 1962, in Matamoros, Tamps., Mexico. He is preceded in death by his mother Maria Suarez. Martin is survived by his father, Moises Suarez Macias; children Christian Ruiz and Salvador Ivan Lopez; sisters Rosa Suarez, Adela S. Magaña, Juana Mendoza; and brothers Moises Suarez and Joel Suarez. Visitation will be held today, Sunday, March 5, 2006, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Funeraria Del Angel Buena Vista with a prayer service to begin at 2 p.m. Chapel services will be held on Monday March 6, 2006, at 2 p.m. with interment to follow at Buena Vista Burial Park. Serving as Pallbearers will be Ramón Mendoza, Javier Rodriguez, Jesús Rezendiz, Juan C. Mendoza, Juan J. Gonzalez and Moises Suarez. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Funeraria del Angel Buena Vista, cemeteries, mausoleums, and crematory, 125 McDavitt Blvd., Brownsville, Texas, 78521, (956) 541-5400. The Brownsville Herald 1135 E. Van Buren Brownsville, TX 78520 956-542-4301 1-800-488-4301 © 2000 The Brownsville Herald