Mary De La Rosa

Mary DeLaRosa, 93, loving Mother and Grandmother passed away peacefully at her home in Taylor, Texas on Monday, June 6, 2011 with her children, who meant the world to her, at her side.

Mary was born on July 22, 1917 in Thorndale, Texas and was a resident of Taylor for over 70 years. During her life she held many jobs which ranged from picking and chopping cotton to being a seamstress. Her final formal job was as a custodian with The University of Texas at Austin from which she retired on July 31. 1977. Mary never retired from the most important job that she felt she had the honor to hold and that was being a mother and a grandmother. She taught her children many valuable lessons which will be carried forward for generations to come. She also had a very adventurous trait and traveled as long as health allowed her to do so. At the age of 82 she traveled to Jerusalem, Israel, the holiest city in the world. Upon her return she informed her family that she would be packing her bags and traveling to Mexico City on another pilgrimage. She continued on her adventures closer to home until her health no longer allowed her to travel. Mary was an unselfish and kind soul and will be deeply missed by her family.

She is survived by her son, Raymond De La Rosa and wife Socorro; daughters, Amelia Castro and friend, Wayne Jenkins; Helen Carmona and friend, Pedro Moreno; Carmen and husband, Johnny Juarez, all of Taylor; daughter, Susie and husband, Francisco Gutierrez, of Pflugerville. She is also survived by nine grandchildren, twenty-four great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Domingo R. De La Rosa, parents, Sebastian and Sixta Rivera, brothers, Reynaldo and Frank Rivera, Sr. and grandson, Peter Carmona.

Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be prayed at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 10, 2011, at Providence Funeral Home in Taylor, Texas.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Taylor, Texas with Reverend Efrain Villanueva and Deacon Alfredo Torres officiating. Interment will be at the St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Honoring their great-grandmother as pallbearers will be David Chaidez, Michael Juarez, Jr., Daniel Duran, Gabriel Guerra, Thomas Castro and Ty Carmona.

Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Sociedades Guadalupanas.

The family wishes to express their special thanks to Dr. Quan Dang, Linda Lewis, RN and the other staff members of the Hospice Compassus that helped care for our Mother during her final days.