Natividad M. (Memo, Nettie) Lopez
Sept. 8, 1917 ~ Oct. 13, 2014
Resident of Fairfield
Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our mother, the matriarch of six generations. Born in Watrous, New Mexico on September 8, 1917 to Catarino and Senaida Dominguez, the second of six children, died October 13, 2014 in Vacaville, California. Her 97 years started with a humble beginning and ended filled with a family she was extremely proud of and loved so very much.
The love was returned and the loss is devastating.
She attended a very small school in Watrous and graduated from the eighth grade. The closest high school was quite a distance away and her mother did not want her children to be that far away from home. She worked at her grandparent's restaurant and that is where she met her future husband, Francisco Lopez. Frank said he would be back to marry that red headed girl when she turned 18. They were married in 1935.
The family started to grow with the birth of a baby boy who died at 6 months old. The arrival of Lucille was a blessing followed by Katherine, Frank, and Carolyn, all born in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Her life really changed when the decision was made to join her husband in Richmond, California, who was now employed by Kaiser Shipyards.
Mom packed and with 4 small children in hand boarded a train on Christmas Eve, 1943. She had fond memories of that trip and knew it would be a very different life. The arrival of her youngest child Filis in February of 1944 was a blessing. She stayed at home with her family until she knew she needed to help the family. And help she did. She applied at the cannery in Richmond, Ca. She loved her work and met many lifelong friends but again a new beginning started in December of 1958 when Francisco died.
Left with two young daughters at home she was able to raise them until they graduated from high school. Then it was back to work. Her final position was with Pacific Bell. She loved her work and retired after 25 years at the age of 72 only because she no longer wanted to commute.
She was immensely proud of her family. They have brought her such joy and the love she had for one and all could only be equaled by the love they had for her. She loved her siblings and parents and mourned their passing as though it had just happened.
She is preceded by her parents, her husband Frank, brothers Ike and Ernest, sisters Francis and Faye and her great-grandson Jimmie who she misses with all her heart. She is survived by her sister Loyola of Arizona, her children Lucille Thomas (Paul) of Texas, Katherine Sprau of North Carolina, Frank Lopez (Pat) Fairfield, Ca., Carolyn Ross (John) Graeagle, Ca., Filis Hyland (Dan) Nevada City, Ca. A visitation will be held on Sun., Oct. 19th, 3pm-6pm at Fairfield Funeral Home, 1750 Pennsylvania Av. Fairfield. A funeral mass will be Mon., Oct. 20th at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Church, 2700 Dover Ave., Fairfield, Burial will be at 2:30 pm also on Monday at St. Joseph's Cemetery 2540 Church Lane, San Pablo. Arrangements under the care of Fairfield Funeral Home 707-425-1041.
Published in Contra Costa Times on Oct. 16, 2014
Sept. 8, 1917 ~ Oct. 13, 2014
Resident of Fairfield
Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our mother, the matriarch of six generations. Born in Watrous, New Mexico on September 8, 1917 to Catarino and Senaida Dominguez, the second of six children, died October 13, 2014 in Vacaville, California. Her 97 years started with a humble beginning and ended filled with a family she was extremely proud of and loved so very much.
The love was returned and the loss is devastating.
She attended a very small school in Watrous and graduated from the eighth grade. The closest high school was quite a distance away and her mother did not want her children to be that far away from home. She worked at her grandparent's restaurant and that is where she met her future husband, Francisco Lopez. Frank said he would be back to marry that red headed girl when she turned 18. They were married in 1935.
The family started to grow with the birth of a baby boy who died at 6 months old. The arrival of Lucille was a blessing followed by Katherine, Frank, and Carolyn, all born in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Her life really changed when the decision was made to join her husband in Richmond, California, who was now employed by Kaiser Shipyards.
Mom packed and with 4 small children in hand boarded a train on Christmas Eve, 1943. She had fond memories of that trip and knew it would be a very different life. The arrival of her youngest child Filis in February of 1944 was a blessing. She stayed at home with her family until she knew she needed to help the family. And help she did. She applied at the cannery in Richmond, Ca. She loved her work and met many lifelong friends but again a new beginning started in December of 1958 when Francisco died.
Left with two young daughters at home she was able to raise them until they graduated from high school. Then it was back to work. Her final position was with Pacific Bell. She loved her work and retired after 25 years at the age of 72 only because she no longer wanted to commute.
She was immensely proud of her family. They have brought her such joy and the love she had for one and all could only be equaled by the love they had for her. She loved her siblings and parents and mourned their passing as though it had just happened.
She is preceded by her parents, her husband Frank, brothers Ike and Ernest, sisters Francis and Faye and her great-grandson Jimmie who she misses with all her heart. She is survived by her sister Loyola of Arizona, her children Lucille Thomas (Paul) of Texas, Katherine Sprau of North Carolina, Frank Lopez (Pat) Fairfield, Ca., Carolyn Ross (John) Graeagle, Ca., Filis Hyland (Dan) Nevada City, Ca. A visitation will be held on Sun., Oct. 19th, 3pm-6pm at Fairfield Funeral Home, 1750 Pennsylvania Av. Fairfield. A funeral mass will be Mon., Oct. 20th at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Church, 2700 Dover Ave., Fairfield, Burial will be at 2:30 pm also on Monday at St. Joseph's Cemetery 2540 Church Lane, San Pablo. Arrangements under the care of Fairfield Funeral Home 707-425-1041.
Published in Contra Costa Times on Oct. 16, 2014
Natividad M. (Memo, Nettie) Lopez
Sept. 8, 1917 ~ Oct. 13, 2014
Resident of Fairfield
Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our mother, the matriarch of six generations. Born in Watrous, New Mexico on September 8, 1917 to Catarino and Senaida Dominguez, the second of six children, died October 13, 2014 in Vacaville, California. Her 97 years started with a humble beginning and ended filled with a family she was extremely proud of and loved so very much.
The love was returned and the loss is devastating.
She attended a very small school in Watrous and graduated from the eighth grade. The closest high school was quite a distance away and her mother did not want her children to be that far away from home. She worked at her grandparent's restaurant and that is where she met her future husband, Francisco Lopez. Frank said he would be back to marry that red headed girl when she turned 18. They were married in 1935.
The family started to grow with the birth of a baby boy who died at 6 months old. The arrival of Lucille was a blessing followed by Katherine, Frank, and Carolyn, all born in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Her life really changed when the decision was made to join her husband in Richmond, California, who was now employed by Kaiser Shipyards.
Mom packed and with 4 small children in hand boarded a train on Christmas Eve, 1943. She had fond memories of that trip and knew it would be a very different life. The arrival of her youngest child Filis in February of 1944 was a blessing. She stayed at home with her family until she knew she needed to help the family. And help she did. She applied at the cannery in Richmond, Ca. She loved her work and met many lifelong friends but again a new beginning started in December of 1958 when Francisco died.
Left with two young daughters at home she was able to raise them until they graduated from high school. Then it was back to work. Her final position was with Pacific Bell. She loved her work and retired after 25 years at the age of 72 only because she no longer wanted to commute.
She was immensely proud of her family. They have brought her such joy and the love she had for one and all could only be equaled by the love they had for her. She loved her siblings and parents and mourned their passing as though it had just happened.
She is preceded by her parents, her husband Frank, brothers Ike and Ernest, sisters Francis and Faye and her great-grandson Jimmie who she misses with all her heart. She is survived by her sister Loyola of Arizona, her children Lucille Thomas (Paul) of Texas, Katherine Sprau of North Carolina, Frank Lopez (Pat) Fairfield, Ca., Carolyn Ross (John) Graeagle, Ca., Filis Hyland (Dan) Nevada City, Ca. A visitation will be held on Sun., Oct. 19th, 3pm-6pm at Fairfield Funeral Home, 1750 Pennsylvania Av. Fairfield. A funeral mass will be Mon., Oct. 20th at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Church, 2700 Dover Ave., Fairfield, Burial will be at 2:30 pm also on Monday at St. Joseph's Cemetery 2540 Church Lane, San Pablo. Arrangements under the care of Fairfield Funeral Home 707-425-1041.
Published in Contra Costa Times on Oct. 16, 2014
Sept. 8, 1917 ~ Oct. 13, 2014
Resident of Fairfield
Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our mother, the matriarch of six generations. Born in Watrous, New Mexico on September 8, 1917 to Catarino and Senaida Dominguez, the second of six children, died October 13, 2014 in Vacaville, California. Her 97 years started with a humble beginning and ended filled with a family she was extremely proud of and loved so very much.
The love was returned and the loss is devastating.
She attended a very small school in Watrous and graduated from the eighth grade. The closest high school was quite a distance away and her mother did not want her children to be that far away from home. She worked at her grandparent's restaurant and that is where she met her future husband, Francisco Lopez. Frank said he would be back to marry that red headed girl when she turned 18. They were married in 1935.
The family started to grow with the birth of a baby boy who died at 6 months old. The arrival of Lucille was a blessing followed by Katherine, Frank, and Carolyn, all born in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Her life really changed when the decision was made to join her husband in Richmond, California, who was now employed by Kaiser Shipyards.
Mom packed and with 4 small children in hand boarded a train on Christmas Eve, 1943. She had fond memories of that trip and knew it would be a very different life. The arrival of her youngest child Filis in February of 1944 was a blessing. She stayed at home with her family until she knew she needed to help the family. And help she did. She applied at the cannery in Richmond, Ca. She loved her work and met many lifelong friends but again a new beginning started in December of 1958 when Francisco died.
Left with two young daughters at home she was able to raise them until they graduated from high school. Then it was back to work. Her final position was with Pacific Bell. She loved her work and retired after 25 years at the age of 72 only because she no longer wanted to commute.
She was immensely proud of her family. They have brought her such joy and the love she had for one and all could only be equaled by the love they had for her. She loved her siblings and parents and mourned their passing as though it had just happened.
She is preceded by her parents, her husband Frank, brothers Ike and Ernest, sisters Francis and Faye and her great-grandson Jimmie who she misses with all her heart. She is survived by her sister Loyola of Arizona, her children Lucille Thomas (Paul) of Texas, Katherine Sprau of North Carolina, Frank Lopez (Pat) Fairfield, Ca., Carolyn Ross (John) Graeagle, Ca., Filis Hyland (Dan) Nevada City, Ca. A visitation will be held on Sun., Oct. 19th, 3pm-6pm at Fairfield Funeral Home, 1750 Pennsylvania Av. Fairfield. A funeral mass will be Mon., Oct. 20th at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Church, 2700 Dover Ave., Fairfield, Burial will be at 2:30 pm also on Monday at St. Joseph's Cemetery 2540 Church Lane, San Pablo. Arrangements under the care of Fairfield Funeral Home 707-425-1041.
Published in Contra Costa Times on Oct. 16, 2014
