Ofelia Fernandez

Ofelia Fernández

Ofelia passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on March 22, 2021 surrounded by her family.  She was preceded in death by her husband Marcial, her daughter Noemi, and six siblings.  Ofelia is survived by her seven children: Alma, Rosalia (John), Elena, Ofelia (David), Margarita, Bernardo (Sugey), and Alicia (Carl); her 14 grandchildren; her four great-grandchildren; and her sister Victoria.

She was born in the small town of Santa Ines, Michoacán, Mexico. While growing up, she loved school, participating in school plays, going to “el rancho” to visit her grandparents, and playing with cousins and friends. She was able to go to school in San Luis Potosi and then to Zamora to study accounting. She later moved to Cuautitlán and helped her brother at his store for several years before she married.  She enjoyed working at the store because she met so many people.

She married Marcial Fernández in 1957 and later moved to the California Delta. They had eight children over a nine-year period, and made the farmworker salary stretch by doing all the cooking, looking for bargains, and mending and keeping clothes (even the socks) from one child to the next.  A faith-filled woman, she impressed upon her kids the value of faith, education, and hard work, and was known to often hand out prayer cards and scapulars.

Her children had families of their own, giving Ofelia 14 grandchildren:  Daniel (Trisha), Sara, and Emma Merwin; Amanda (Omar), Rebecca (Nick), and Angelica Favila; Andrea Gutierrez (Scott); Elisa, Alejandro, Marcela, and Nicolas Cuomo; Juan Pablo Fernández; and Marcial and Vicente Lamera.  And, eventually she welcomed four great grandchildren: Gabby and Ellie McGowan; Abigail Jensen; and Jackson Merwin.

Ofelia enjoyed gardening, crocheting, knitting, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and just seeing people. She took any opportunity to make friends and socialize, whether it was picking up groceries, getting the car fixed, or attending or hosting a gathering. You would see her work a room at a gathering to greet, talk, and crack a quick joke with everyone.  But mostly, she loved having the family around—the sounds of laughter, conversation, and fun.  Every Sunday, the family would gather at her house for dinner, fresh homemade tortillas, and paletas.

She was formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012 and had various ups and downs after. The last seven months were especially difficult for her as the effects of the illness dealt several health complications. Through it all, she never lost her sense of humor, was always happy to see you, had a kind word to say, and never wavered from her faith. She will continue to live in our hearts.

Recordar es vivir   – Ofelia Fernández