Today we gather with heavy hearts, but also with deep gratitude, to celebrate the life of a remarkable woman. While we grieve the loss of someone so dearly loved, we also give thanks for the many years we were blessed to share with her and for the lasting legacy she leaves behind.

She was a woman whose life was defined by faith, love, hard work, and unwavering devotion to her family. She possessed a quiet strength that was evident in the way she lived each day. She believed in caring for others, putting family first, and creating a home where everyone who entered felt welcomed, loved, and at peace.

Her faith in the Lord was the cornerstone of her life. It guided the way she loved, the way she served, and the way she faced life’s joys and hardships alike. She trusted God through every season, believing that He would faithfully walk with her wherever the journey led.

Nothing brought her greater joy than her family. She loved her children wholeheartedly and found immeasurable happiness in her grandchildren. She treasured every opportunity to gather with those she loved, creating memories that her family will carry with them forever. Her home was more than just a house—it was a place of warmth, laughter, encouragement, and unconditional love.

She believed deeply in the value of hard work. Those who knew her knew she possessed an incredible work ethic. She approached every responsibility with determination, humility, and perseverance, teaching by example that integrity and dedication were among life’s greatest virtues.

She also demonstrated what faithful love truly looks like. In the final years of her husband Johannes’s life, she cared for him with unwavering devotion and remained faithfully by his side until his final moments. Her compassion, commitment, and selfless care reflected the vows she made and the depth of her love.

She dreamed big for her children and encouraged them to pursue lives of purpose and service. She built a foundation of faith, perseverance, compassion, and integrity that continues to shape their lives today. Her influence reaches far beyond her own family, living on through the lives her children touch and the values she instilled in them.

When cancer entered her life, it became one chapter of her story, but it never became the whole story. She faced every challenge with remarkable courage and determination. She fought with incredible strength, not because she feared death, but because she loved her family so deeply. More than facing the end of her own life, she struggled with the thought of leaving behind the people she cherished. Even in her suffering, her greatest concern remained those she loved.

Throughout her illness, she was surrounded by extraordinary love and care. Her sisters, Lupe and Orlina, stood faithfully by her side, as did her daughter Michelle and her dear friend Eppie. Their compassion, devotion, and unwavering presence brought comfort during her most difficult days. Their faithful care was a beautiful reflection of the love she had so generously shown to others throughout her own life, and her family will always be grateful for the kindness they shared with her.

Although today is marked by sorrow, it is also marked by profound gratitude. We are grateful for a life well lived, for a woman whose faith never wavered, whose love knew no limits, whose work was done with excellence, and whose greatest joy was always her family.

Her legacy is not measured only by the years she lived, but by the lives she shaped. It is found in the faith she passed on, in the strength she modeled, in the compassion she showed, and in the love she poured so generously into her family and friends.

Today, while our hearts ache because we will miss her deeply, we also rejoice in the hope she held so firmly throughout her life. Because of her faith in Jesus Christ, we have the assurance that her suffering has ended, her race has been completed, and she has been welcomed into the presence of the Lord she loved and faithfully served.

May all who knew her honor her memory by loving their families deeply, serving others selflessly, working diligently, extending kindness generously, and walking faithfully with the Lord. In living out those values, her legacy will continue for generations to come.

Well done, good and faithful servant. May she rest in the everlasting peace of her Savior.

There is a Public Visitation on Monday, July 13, 2026, at 9:00 am, with a Memorial Service to follow at 10:00 am in the Chapel of Peace at DeVargas Funeral Home in Espanola, NM.  Burial to take place at Canon Plaza Cemetery.