Josie Delgado

MRS. JOSEPHINE (JOSIE) M. DELGADO, 76, passed away at Guadalupe County Hospital in Santa Rosa, N.M. last Tuesday evening, January 11, 2005, with family at her side. The eldest of six children, Josie was born to the home of Benito and Mrs. Maria Baca Maestas in Colonias de San Jose on March 11, 1928. They moved to Santa Rosa when she was in the first grade and she attended Santa Rosa schools until graduation in 1946. Josie was working at Gamble’s (now Deli~Cioso) and Orlando at the Coury Bros. Store downtown when they were married at Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church on August 17, 1946. Orlando, Josie and their first three children resided in Borger, (Buenavista) Texas when a large number of Guadalupe County men worked for the Phillips Petroleum Company. They returned in the early-mid 1950s to operate the Magnolia Gas Station and Pueblo Grocery Store and Motel, then Delgado Bros. Shamrock and Texaco and the Skyline Drive-In during the heyday of Route 66 until the mid-1960s. Orlando and Josie were the parents of nine sons and one daughter. They lived in a neighborhood where the average family had at least ten children. She was a devoted homemaker who loved infants, children and those who gave of their time and talents to make this a better world. She enjoyed singing and compiling songs for the St. Rose Church Adult Choir and serving families when their loved ones were admitted to Guadalupe County Hospital. She also worked as a cashier at the Club Café and part-time at Town & Country Clothes before working at the front desk at the hospital. She loved reading the Bible and watching the sunrise each morning and noting Santa Rosa’s progress when out of town relatives and friends visited. (Her father was a carpenter for the Minor brothers, then Santa Rosa Lumber Company.) Josie was preceded in death by her husband, Orlando Rudolfo Delgado in June 1976; one son, Joseph Christopher Delgado in September 2004; her grandson Francisco Delgado on January 28, 1998 her parents; grandparents Aurelio and Nicolasa Chavez Maestas and Francisco and Candelaria Marez Baca; one sister, Lala M. Chavez; one brother, Horacio Maestas; father and mother-in-law Rudolfo and Ignacita Padilla Delgado; sisters-in-law Connie D. Baca and Lina D. Trujillo; brother-in-law Rudolfo Delgado, Jr. during the Korean Conflict; and many other relatives. Mrs. Delgado is survived by eight sons: Daniel L. and Cecilia Delgado of Cuba; Mark A. Delgado of Albuquerque; Orlando R. and Maida Delgado of Albuquerque; Richard R. and Julie Delgado of Santa Rosa; David A. Delgado of Santa Rosa; Steven R. and Geraldine Delgado of Albuquerque; Martin P. and Paula Delgado of Bowie, Maryland; and Dominic L. and Rebecca Delgado of Albuquerque; one daughter, Linda and Rayne Padilla of Albuquerque; and daughter-in-law Maria Chavez Delgado of Santa Rosa, 25 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two brothers, Benny and Dolores Maestas and Meliton and Rosie Maestas of Santa Fe; a sister, Gloria Rivera of Santa Fe; brother-in-law Lorenzo and Celina Delgado of Edgewood; sisters-in-law Mercedes Delgado of San Isidro; Carmen D. and Lonnie Stefan of Edgewood; Angelina D. and Benito Via of Santa Rosa; her sister in law, Sister Martha Delgado of Amarillo, TX; her brother in law Umberto Gurule of Las Vegas, NM. and many other close, wonderful relatives and friends. Rosary services will be held on Friday, January 14, at 2:00 from Chavez Funeral Home. Prayer services will be held Friday evening at 7:00 from St. Rose of Lima Church. Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by her first cousin, Father Bill Sanchez, on Saturday morning, January 15, 2005 at 11:00 am from Santa Rosa de Lima Church. Interment will be held at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Santa Rosa. Serving as Pallbearers will be her grandsons Benjamin Delgado, Adan Delgado, Carlos Delgado, Mario Chavez, Nicolas Delgado, Miguel Delgado, Lucas Delgado and Santiago Chavez. Serving as Honorary Pallbeareres will be all her many friends, co-workers and choir members. All services are entrusted to the Chavez Funeral Home of Santa Rosa.