Arcelia Flores Abeyta

Arcelia “Chela” Abeyta, 95, passed away Tuesday evening December 2, 2008 at her home in Santa Rosa. She passed away peacefully after a sudden illness. She was born July 3, 1913 in Puerto de Luna to the home of Cipriano Flores and the former Paublita Montoya. She was reared and attended grade school in Puerto de Luna. She married Lucio Abeyta on January 12, 1938 at Nuestra Señora de Refugio Catholic Church in Puerto de Luna. She was a housewife her entire marriage and enjoyed cooking and caring for their children and later helping take care of her grandchildren and great-grand-children. She also enjoyed going to the Campos Senior Citizen Center when her daughter, Margie, was the director. She loved cooking and sewing. She learned how to make empanadas from her mother and the empanadas were always a favorite with her brothers. She preferred enchiladas to turkey for the holidays. She also enjoyed shopping at K-Mart when she went out of town. She also liked to go for rides in Santa Rosa with Margie and Mary Rose. She liked to get cherry cokes at Sonic. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lucio, a son Jose Lucio “Chio” Abeyta and a son-in-law, Ray Lopez. She was also preceded in death by her parents and five sisters and four brothers, Beatriz Salazar; Amalia Dodge; Manuela Flores, Leontina Chavez; Adela Espinoza; Josefina Flores; Alberto Flores; Honorato Flores; Benny Flores; and Victor Flores. Also preceding her recently was a sister-in-law, Josefa Madrid. Survivors include five daughters; Margie Abeyta, Josie Pacheco and husband Orlando, Frances Lopez, Helen Abeyta, and Mary Rose Abeyta; and one son, Herman Abeyta and wife Violet; 12 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, 23 great-great- grandchildren, a brother, Filomeno and wife Erlinda Flores, a sister-in-law, Otilia Flores of Puerto De Luna and a brother –in-law, Blas Madrid of Santa Rosa. Rosary services will be held at Nuestra Señora del Refugio Catholic Church in Puerto de Luna on Friday, December 5, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. with her granddaughter, Donna Rivera, leading the prayers. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Nuestra Señora del Refugio on Saturday, December 6 at 11:00 a.m. with Father Nick Nichols officiating. Burial will follow at Nuestra Señora de Refugio Cemetery in Puerto de Luna. Serving as pallbearers will be Shawn Lopez, Isaac Abeyta, Raul Lopez, Jonathan Garcia, Julian Velasquez, Paul Pacheco, Joseph Esquibel, Gabriel Esquibel, Ben Rael, and Ricky Flores. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Filomeno Flores, Blas Madrid and all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. All services are under the direction of Chavez Funeral Home, Santa Rosa. www.chavezfuneralhome.com