Olojia Abeyta

Olojia M. Abeyta, 88, a resident of Espanola passed away peacefully in her home of natural causes surrounded by her family on Thursday, December 5, 2019.

Olojia was born in Canjilon, NM on January 2, 1931, to Cristobal Martinez and Ascension Garcia. She attended school in Canjilon and Espanola.

She moved to Espanola with her family at a young age and later began working at a local restaurant. She also worked as a live-in nanny and providing care giving to children. Here she would meet and marry her husband Elefio J Abeyta Sr. on March 21, 1953. Shortly after they moved to Englewood, California to start their new life. With encouragements from her friends in California she began working with Hughes Aircraft where she trained to be an electronic technician. In California the young couple would welcome a daughter, Marie July 1955, and a son Elefio Jr April 1957.

During the summer of 1958 the family moved back to Espanola where Elefio would begin work in Los Alamos and Olojia would welcome another daughter Debbie July 1958. Later Olojia would continue working in the field of electronics working with small companies in Santa Fe. She would welcome a daughter Sarah in September 1960, daughter Veronica in January 1963, daughter Elenore (Leo) in February 1967 and finally another son Alfredo in September 1972.

In 1987 she would begin working in Los Alamos where she retired in 1991 to care for her daughter Sarah who proceeded her in death in 1993. In 2007 she would lose her oldest daughter Marie

Olojia was active in the Women's Veterans of Foreign Wars, Carmelitas, and the Union Protectiva. She enjoyed bowling crocheting and baking. She was well known for her tortillas, tamales, biscochitos and pastelitos.  She also worked with the elderly at Addus and the Amigos de Villa. A rosary will be recited on Friday, December 13, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Santa Cruz with a memorial mass to be celebrated at 12:00 p.m.  A private burial will be held.  Serving the family as pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family of Olojia M. Abeyta has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Espanola Valley.