ESTELLA ROSE FLORES Aug. 23, 1906 to Jan. 30, 2001
Estella Flores, a child care provider for 43 years, died in Walnut Creek. She was 94. The native of Stevens County, Wash., lived in Oakland before moving to Walnut Creek 52 years ago. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting and playing cards.
She is survived by her daughters, Aldora Farnsworth of Oregon, Wilda Martin of Fremont and Linda Bianchi of Walnut Creek; son, Rodney Flores of Washington; 21 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Clarence Oratio and Cora Maud (Fisk) Farnsworth, her five brothers George, John, Claude, James and Freddie Farnsworth, her second husband, Gonzalo Flores and her sons, Fred Clarence Moscon, Willie Marshall Flores and Wilber Gonzalo Flores.
Services: Funeral 1:30 p.m. Monday at Oak Park Hills Chapel in Walnut Creek, with burial at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette.
WOMAN NURTURED GENERATIONS ESTELLA FLORES, A LIFELONG CHILD CARE PROVIDER, ALSO RAISED SEVEN CHILDREN OF HER OWN SHE DIED JAN. 30 AT 94
Estella Flores spent a lifetime loving children.
For almost 80 years, she worked as a nanny, raised seven children of her own and baby-sat for friends and neighbors before opening her own day care center in her Walnut Creek home. Even when she "retired" at age 86 after almost 50 years as a day care provider she still baby-sat for her own grandchildren. And great-grandchildren. And great-great-grandchildren. She took in just about any age, but toddlers and babies were her favorites. "She loved babies," says Linda Bianchi, Estella's daughter. "A lot of day cares wouldn't take them they were too much trouble, they said. But she actually had a preference for babies. She'd take them. She loved them all."
Estella was born in Washington state and was almost 6 years old when her mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving Estella and her four brothers without a Mother. Her father was unable to care for the children by himself, so he placed them with family members. Estella went to live with an aunt and uncle in Colorado. At 14, she left home to work as a nanny, and a few years later, the family she was working for moved to Riverside, bringing Estella with them. Estella continued to work as a nanny, but also took jobs at a local cannery, packing fruits and vegetables.
In Riverside, Estella fell in love, got married in 1925, had a son and moved to Oakland. But the marriage failed in 1930 and Estella searched for a way to provide for herself and her young son.
While working at a boarding house in Oakland, Estella was intrigued by a handsome young boarder, Gonzalo Flores. But there were problems. Gonzalo, who was from Mexico, didn't speak English and Estella spoke not a word of Spanish. Would-be match-makers at the boarding house taught Estella to speak Spanish and she taught Gonzalo to speak English. Love bridged the gap. They married in 1930 and had nearly 50 happy years together, raising their five children.
To supplement their income, Estella baby-sat. During World War II, Estella suddenly found herself a much sought-after baby sitter. While the men went off to war, the women went off to work, and Estella stayed home to care for their children. The house was always full of children, Linda says, as the women worked different shifts.
In 1950, Estella and Gonzalo moved to the suburbs, finding a nice home on a large lot in Walnut Creek. Because Estella had been raised on a farm, she lost no time installing chickens, ducks, geese and goats around the place. She also continued baby-sitting and started her own day care center at her home on First Street. When the county started licensing day care providers, Estella was one of the first approved. She kept her license current for 43 years. A full house was never too full for Estella. She took in three of her grandchildren James Flores and his two sisters, Patricia and Jackie, while their father served in Vietnam and was assigned to military posts throughout the world.
"She instilled a lot of good values in people," James says. "She taught us to be honest, be good to children, treat people the way you expected people to treat you. She was a good woman." Linda says Estella emphasized responsibility and believed in children developing that trait. It would seem that caring for her family, baby-sitting up to a dozen children at a time, five or six days a week, and tending her suburban farm would consume all of her time, but Estella also managed to find a few hours here and there for herself. She loved to crochet, sew and garden, and she kept scrapbooks. Almost everything that mattered to Estella went into those scrapbooks. If any of the family or friends managed to get their names in the newspaper, Estella clipped the article and pasted it in her book. There were items about honor rolls and Scout badges, clippings of the submarines Gonzalo helped to build at Mare Island, yellowed stories of weddings and deaths.
One scrapbook was devoted to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the two people Estella most admired. "They were her idols," Linda says, "because they took them out of poverty." Estella was a staunch Democrat, and most of the time, she didn't waste much conversation on Republicans.
Estella lived a simple life, surrounding herself with family and her babies. She never learned to drive a car, although she drove a tractor, James says. And she never traveled on an airplane. "She was very old-fashioned," James says. Age slowed her step, but not her ability. When she was physically incapable of caring for children, she lent advice and wisdom. In the spring, she contracted pneumonia and then in October, she suffered a fall that signaled a general decline in her health. She collapsed in her doctor's office last week while in for a routine checkup. Her heart simply gave out.
"She had a theory about life," Linda says. "She said everybody's life is as long as God wants it to be. You don't decide he decides. When I was young, she explained it to me in a way I could understand. She said that people were like trees. A tree grows from a seed, blooms and gets leaves, then the leaves dry up and wither away. People are the same. They wither away and fall like the leaves." Estella's time on this Earth is gone, her family says, but the seeds she planted continue to bloom.
Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
Monday, February 5, 2001Page: A05
Copyright (c) 2001 Contra Costa Times.
Estella Flores, a child care provider for 43 years, died in Walnut Creek. She was 94. The native of Stevens County, Wash., lived in Oakland before moving to Walnut Creek 52 years ago. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting and playing cards.
She is survived by her daughters, Aldora Farnsworth of Oregon, Wilda Martin of Fremont and Linda Bianchi of Walnut Creek; son, Rodney Flores of Washington; 21 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Clarence Oratio and Cora Maud (Fisk) Farnsworth, her five brothers George, John, Claude, James and Freddie Farnsworth, her second husband, Gonzalo Flores and her sons, Fred Clarence Moscon, Willie Marshall Flores and Wilber Gonzalo Flores.
Services: Funeral 1:30 p.m. Monday at Oak Park Hills Chapel in Walnut Creek, with burial at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette.
WOMAN NURTURED GENERATIONS ESTELLA FLORES, A LIFELONG CHILD CARE PROVIDER, ALSO RAISED SEVEN CHILDREN OF HER OWN SHE DIED JAN. 30 AT 94
Estella Flores spent a lifetime loving children.
For almost 80 years, she worked as a nanny, raised seven children of her own and baby-sat for friends and neighbors before opening her own day care center in her Walnut Creek home. Even when she "retired" at age 86 after almost 50 years as a day care provider she still baby-sat for her own grandchildren. And great-grandchildren. And great-great-grandchildren. She took in just about any age, but toddlers and babies were her favorites. "She loved babies," says Linda Bianchi, Estella's daughter. "A lot of day cares wouldn't take them they were too much trouble, they said. But she actually had a preference for babies. She'd take them. She loved them all."
Estella was born in Washington state and was almost 6 years old when her mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving Estella and her four brothers without a Mother. Her father was unable to care for the children by himself, so he placed them with family members. Estella went to live with an aunt and uncle in Colorado. At 14, she left home to work as a nanny, and a few years later, the family she was working for moved to Riverside, bringing Estella with them. Estella continued to work as a nanny, but also took jobs at a local cannery, packing fruits and vegetables.
In Riverside, Estella fell in love, got married in 1925, had a son and moved to Oakland. But the marriage failed in 1930 and Estella searched for a way to provide for herself and her young son.
While working at a boarding house in Oakland, Estella was intrigued by a handsome young boarder, Gonzalo Flores. But there were problems. Gonzalo, who was from Mexico, didn't speak English and Estella spoke not a word of Spanish. Would-be match-makers at the boarding house taught Estella to speak Spanish and she taught Gonzalo to speak English. Love bridged the gap. They married in 1930 and had nearly 50 happy years together, raising their five children.
To supplement their income, Estella baby-sat. During World War II, Estella suddenly found herself a much sought-after baby sitter. While the men went off to war, the women went off to work, and Estella stayed home to care for their children. The house was always full of children, Linda says, as the women worked different shifts.
In 1950, Estella and Gonzalo moved to the suburbs, finding a nice home on a large lot in Walnut Creek. Because Estella had been raised on a farm, she lost no time installing chickens, ducks, geese and goats around the place. She also continued baby-sitting and started her own day care center at her home on First Street. When the county started licensing day care providers, Estella was one of the first approved. She kept her license current for 43 years. A full house was never too full for Estella. She took in three of her grandchildren James Flores and his two sisters, Patricia and Jackie, while their father served in Vietnam and was assigned to military posts throughout the world.
"She instilled a lot of good values in people," James says. "She taught us to be honest, be good to children, treat people the way you expected people to treat you. She was a good woman." Linda says Estella emphasized responsibility and believed in children developing that trait. It would seem that caring for her family, baby-sitting up to a dozen children at a time, five or six days a week, and tending her suburban farm would consume all of her time, but Estella also managed to find a few hours here and there for herself. She loved to crochet, sew and garden, and she kept scrapbooks. Almost everything that mattered to Estella went into those scrapbooks. If any of the family or friends managed to get their names in the newspaper, Estella clipped the article and pasted it in her book. There were items about honor rolls and Scout badges, clippings of the submarines Gonzalo helped to build at Mare Island, yellowed stories of weddings and deaths.
One scrapbook was devoted to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the two people Estella most admired. "They were her idols," Linda says, "because they took them out of poverty." Estella was a staunch Democrat, and most of the time, she didn't waste much conversation on Republicans.
Estella lived a simple life, surrounding herself with family and her babies. She never learned to drive a car, although she drove a tractor, James says. And she never traveled on an airplane. "She was very old-fashioned," James says. Age slowed her step, but not her ability. When she was physically incapable of caring for children, she lent advice and wisdom. In the spring, she contracted pneumonia and then in October, she suffered a fall that signaled a general decline in her health. She collapsed in her doctor's office last week while in for a routine checkup. Her heart simply gave out.
"She had a theory about life," Linda says. "She said everybody's life is as long as God wants it to be. You don't decide he decides. When I was young, she explained it to me in a way I could understand. She said that people were like trees. A tree grows from a seed, blooms and gets leaves, then the leaves dry up and wither away. People are the same. They wither away and fall like the leaves." Estella's time on this Earth is gone, her family says, but the seeds she planted continue to bloom.
Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
Monday, February 5, 2001Page: A05
Copyright (c) 2001 Contra Costa Times.
ESTELLA ROSE FLORES Aug. 23, 1906 to Jan. 30, 2001
Estella Flores, a child care provider for 43 years, died in Walnut Creek. She was 94. The native of Stevens County, Wash., lived in Oakland before moving to Walnut Creek 52 years ago. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting and playing cards.
She is survived by her daughters, Aldora Farnsworth of Oregon, Wilda Martin of Fremont and Linda Bianchi of Walnut Creek; son, Rodney Flores of Washington; 21 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Clarence Oratio and Cora Maud (Fisk) Farnsworth, her five brothers George, John, Claude, James and Freddie Farnsworth, her second husband, Gonzalo Flores and her sons, Fred Clarence Moscon, Willie Marshall Flores and Wilber Gonzalo Flores.
Services: Funeral 1:30 p.m. Monday at Oak Park Hills Chapel in Walnut Creek, with burial at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette.
WOMAN NURTURED GENERATIONS ESTELLA FLORES, A LIFELONG CHILD CARE PROVIDER, ALSO RAISED SEVEN CHILDREN OF HER OWN SHE DIED JAN. 30 AT 94
Estella Flores spent a lifetime loving children.
For almost 80 years, she worked as a nanny, raised seven children of her own and baby-sat for friends and neighbors before opening her own day care center in her Walnut Creek home. Even when she "retired" at age 86 after almost 50 years as a day care provider she still baby-sat for her own grandchildren. And great-grandchildren. And great-great-grandchildren. She took in just about any age, but toddlers and babies were her favorites. "She loved babies," says Linda Bianchi, Estella's daughter. "A lot of day cares wouldn't take them they were too much trouble, they said. But she actually had a preference for babies. She'd take them. She loved them all."
Estella was born in Washington state and was almost 6 years old when her mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving Estella and her four brothers without a Mother. Her father was unable to care for the children by himself, so he placed them with family members. Estella went to live with an aunt and uncle in Colorado. At 14, she left home to work as a nanny, and a few years later, the family she was working for moved to Riverside, bringing Estella with them. Estella continued to work as a nanny, but also took jobs at a local cannery, packing fruits and vegetables.
In Riverside, Estella fell in love, got married in 1925, had a son and moved to Oakland. But the marriage failed in 1930 and Estella searched for a way to provide for herself and her young son.
While working at a boarding house in Oakland, Estella was intrigued by a handsome young boarder, Gonzalo Flores. But there were problems. Gonzalo, who was from Mexico, didn't speak English and Estella spoke not a word of Spanish. Would-be match-makers at the boarding house taught Estella to speak Spanish and she taught Gonzalo to speak English. Love bridged the gap. They married in 1930 and had nearly 50 happy years together, raising their five children.
To supplement their income, Estella baby-sat. During World War II, Estella suddenly found herself a much sought-after baby sitter. While the men went off to war, the women went off to work, and Estella stayed home to care for their children. The house was always full of children, Linda says, as the women worked different shifts.
In 1950, Estella and Gonzalo moved to the suburbs, finding a nice home on a large lot in Walnut Creek. Because Estella had been raised on a farm, she lost no time installing chickens, ducks, geese and goats around the place. She also continued baby-sitting and started her own day care center at her home on First Street. When the county started licensing day care providers, Estella was one of the first approved. She kept her license current for 43 years. A full house was never too full for Estella. She took in three of her grandchildren James Flores and his two sisters, Patricia and Jackie, while their father served in Vietnam and was assigned to military posts throughout the world.
"She instilled a lot of good values in people," James says. "She taught us to be honest, be good to children, treat people the way you expected people to treat you. She was a good woman." Linda says Estella emphasized responsibility and believed in children developing that trait. It would seem that caring for her family, baby-sitting up to a dozen children at a time, five or six days a week, and tending her suburban farm would consume all of her time, but Estella also managed to find a few hours here and there for herself. She loved to crochet, sew and garden, and she kept scrapbooks. Almost everything that mattered to Estella went into those scrapbooks. If any of the family or friends managed to get their names in the newspaper, Estella clipped the article and pasted it in her book. There were items about honor rolls and Scout badges, clippings of the submarines Gonzalo helped to build at Mare Island, yellowed stories of weddings and deaths.
One scrapbook was devoted to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the two people Estella most admired. "They were her idols," Linda says, "because they took them out of poverty." Estella was a staunch Democrat, and most of the time, she didn't waste much conversation on Republicans.
Estella lived a simple life, surrounding herself with family and her babies. She never learned to drive a car, although she drove a tractor, James says. And she never traveled on an airplane. "She was very old-fashioned," James says. Age slowed her step, but not her ability. When she was physically incapable of caring for children, she lent advice and wisdom. In the spring, she contracted pneumonia and then in October, she suffered a fall that signaled a general decline in her health. She collapsed in her doctor's office last week while in for a routine checkup. Her heart simply gave out.
"She had a theory about life," Linda says. "She said everybody's life is as long as God wants it to be. You don't decide he decides. When I was young, she explained it to me in a way I could understand. She said that people were like trees. A tree grows from a seed, blooms and gets leaves, then the leaves dry up and wither away. People are the same. They wither away and fall like the leaves." Estella's time on this Earth is gone, her family says, but the seeds she planted continue to bloom.
Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
Monday, February 5, 2001Page: A05
Copyright (c) 2001 Contra Costa Times.
Estella Flores, a child care provider for 43 years, died in Walnut Creek. She was 94. The native of Stevens County, Wash., lived in Oakland before moving to Walnut Creek 52 years ago. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting and playing cards.
She is survived by her daughters, Aldora Farnsworth of Oregon, Wilda Martin of Fremont and Linda Bianchi of Walnut Creek; son, Rodney Flores of Washington; 21 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Clarence Oratio and Cora Maud (Fisk) Farnsworth, her five brothers George, John, Claude, James and Freddie Farnsworth, her second husband, Gonzalo Flores and her sons, Fred Clarence Moscon, Willie Marshall Flores and Wilber Gonzalo Flores.
Services: Funeral 1:30 p.m. Monday at Oak Park Hills Chapel in Walnut Creek, with burial at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette.
WOMAN NURTURED GENERATIONS ESTELLA FLORES, A LIFELONG CHILD CARE PROVIDER, ALSO RAISED SEVEN CHILDREN OF HER OWN SHE DIED JAN. 30 AT 94
Estella Flores spent a lifetime loving children.
For almost 80 years, she worked as a nanny, raised seven children of her own and baby-sat for friends and neighbors before opening her own day care center in her Walnut Creek home. Even when she "retired" at age 86 after almost 50 years as a day care provider she still baby-sat for her own grandchildren. And great-grandchildren. And great-great-grandchildren. She took in just about any age, but toddlers and babies were her favorites. "She loved babies," says Linda Bianchi, Estella's daughter. "A lot of day cares wouldn't take them they were too much trouble, they said. But she actually had a preference for babies. She'd take them. She loved them all."
Estella was born in Washington state and was almost 6 years old when her mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving Estella and her four brothers without a Mother. Her father was unable to care for the children by himself, so he placed them with family members. Estella went to live with an aunt and uncle in Colorado. At 14, she left home to work as a nanny, and a few years later, the family she was working for moved to Riverside, bringing Estella with them. Estella continued to work as a nanny, but also took jobs at a local cannery, packing fruits and vegetables.
In Riverside, Estella fell in love, got married in 1925, had a son and moved to Oakland. But the marriage failed in 1930 and Estella searched for a way to provide for herself and her young son.
While working at a boarding house in Oakland, Estella was intrigued by a handsome young boarder, Gonzalo Flores. But there were problems. Gonzalo, who was from Mexico, didn't speak English and Estella spoke not a word of Spanish. Would-be match-makers at the boarding house taught Estella to speak Spanish and she taught Gonzalo to speak English. Love bridged the gap. They married in 1930 and had nearly 50 happy years together, raising their five children.
To supplement their income, Estella baby-sat. During World War II, Estella suddenly found herself a much sought-after baby sitter. While the men went off to war, the women went off to work, and Estella stayed home to care for their children. The house was always full of children, Linda says, as the women worked different shifts.
In 1950, Estella and Gonzalo moved to the suburbs, finding a nice home on a large lot in Walnut Creek. Because Estella had been raised on a farm, she lost no time installing chickens, ducks, geese and goats around the place. She also continued baby-sitting and started her own day care center at her home on First Street. When the county started licensing day care providers, Estella was one of the first approved. She kept her license current for 43 years. A full house was never too full for Estella. She took in three of her grandchildren James Flores and his two sisters, Patricia and Jackie, while their father served in Vietnam and was assigned to military posts throughout the world.
"She instilled a lot of good values in people," James says. "She taught us to be honest, be good to children, treat people the way you expected people to treat you. She was a good woman." Linda says Estella emphasized responsibility and believed in children developing that trait. It would seem that caring for her family, baby-sitting up to a dozen children at a time, five or six days a week, and tending her suburban farm would consume all of her time, but Estella also managed to find a few hours here and there for herself. She loved to crochet, sew and garden, and she kept scrapbooks. Almost everything that mattered to Estella went into those scrapbooks. If any of the family or friends managed to get their names in the newspaper, Estella clipped the article and pasted it in her book. There were items about honor rolls and Scout badges, clippings of the submarines Gonzalo helped to build at Mare Island, yellowed stories of weddings and deaths.
One scrapbook was devoted to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the two people Estella most admired. "They were her idols," Linda says, "because they took them out of poverty." Estella was a staunch Democrat, and most of the time, she didn't waste much conversation on Republicans.
Estella lived a simple life, surrounding herself with family and her babies. She never learned to drive a car, although she drove a tractor, James says. And she never traveled on an airplane. "She was very old-fashioned," James says. Age slowed her step, but not her ability. When she was physically incapable of caring for children, she lent advice and wisdom. In the spring, she contracted pneumonia and then in October, she suffered a fall that signaled a general decline in her health. She collapsed in her doctor's office last week while in for a routine checkup. Her heart simply gave out.
"She had a theory about life," Linda says. "She said everybody's life is as long as God wants it to be. You don't decide he decides. When I was young, she explained it to me in a way I could understand. She said that people were like trees. A tree grows from a seed, blooms and gets leaves, then the leaves dry up and wither away. People are the same. They wither away and fall like the leaves." Estella's time on this Earth is gone, her family says, but the seeds she planted continue to bloom.
Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
Monday, February 5, 2001Page: A05
Copyright (c) 2001 Contra Costa Times.
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