Biography
Lupe Ortega Mejia was known as many things to many people. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a loved one, a friend, and someone very special. To family and friends who knew her best, our Mom will be remembered as a beautiful spirit with a kind heart who had "unshakable faith" and she was incredibly loved by all who were priviledged to know her.
She was the daughter of Miguel and Luisa Ortega. She was born in Whitman, West Virginia along with her brother Nick. Lupe grew up in Sacramento, California where she went to Catholic school up until she graduated from High School at St. Joseph's Academy.
Lupe was raised with eight siblings, four brothers, and four sisters. Siblings included; Annie, Nick, Manuel, Danny, Lola, Mike, Julia, and Josie. Lupe was usually involved in all sorts of activities with her siblings. She was close to each of them and even after she married and moved to Southern California, she managed to stay very close to all of them. She and her siblings experienced rivalries typical of a growing family, but they shared many life experiences over the years.
As a young girl, Lupe had a number of interests. Like most children, she enjoyed playing and making up games. She was curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. Lupe was an active child who took part in playing with her brothers and sisters. They were their own baseball team. In her spare time she liked to dance. However, to Lupe, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with her friends.
A typical teenager, Lupe had a fairly happy high school experience and she was proud to tell her children that she went to an "all girls" Catholic school until she gratuated from High School. She graduated from St. Josephs Academy, an all girls school, in 1950. She enjoyed some classes more than others, having favorite subjects and her teachers who were Nuns. Her favorite class in high school was Spanish.
Always considered a “good” friend to those she knew, Lupe enjoyed a broad group of acquaintances and several very close friends during her lifetime. While growing up, some of her best friends were Lupe Segura and Victoria Macias. Later in life, she became friends with Everyone, she never met a stranger, she was friends to all. Lupe, Victoria & Lupe loved to go to the dances and that is where she met the love of her life, our father, Manuel D. Mejia. She saw him at a dance and told her girlfriends, "see that handsome man, I am going to marry him".
On November 18, 1951, Lupe exchanged wedding vows with Manuel D. Mejia at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Sacramento, California. She was the only one of of all of her siblings to have a church wedding and she was very proud of that. That same day Manuel told her they were leaving to San Bernardino. Lupe didn't want to go, at first. She told the story to her children that she went to hide in the closet and her Mother, our Grandma told her, "Lupe, you are married now, you have to go where your husband goes". And with that Lupe left with Manuel to San Bernardino.
Lupe worked hard to be a good mother to her children and she did her best to fulfill their needs. Lupe was blessed with Four children, Two sons, Manuel Jr. and Mike, and Two daughters, Martha and Monica. Another blessing for Lupe was the gift of two grandchildren, Celia and Bret Jr. and one great-grandchild, Daniel. Family was everything to Lupe. Our family was so blessed that we had her home to take care of us from the time we were little till were were teenagers then young adults, then adults. Our Mom was so loved by all of my Dad's family, whenever we had parties, our cousins always wanted to spend the night, and they did but my Mother loved having family and lots of people around. She made barbie clothes for our barbies, she was a good little seamstress, we had the best dressed barbies on the block.
Fortunately, Lupe enjoyed what she did for a living. Showing a strong work ethic, Lupe worked diligently and did her best to succeed in her career. Her primary occupation was Avon representative for over 30 years, and a homemaker for 56 years. Our Mom loved selling Avon, and of course her daughters reaped the benefits, the cologne, makeup and it was also something also that we loved to share with her. She used to call us her "walking demos" because we wore the cologne and makeup always!
Lupe enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were bowling and sewing. She was content to enjoy her favorite pastimes alone but was also willing to share her interests with others. Mom so enjoyed bowling and had a beautiful blue bowling ball and even had bowling shoes. She was pretty good in her league and she has several trophys to show for it. She had to give up bowling when she was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in the early 1990's. She may have stopped bowling but she continued to go to her games for moral support and seeing her girlfriends, that was our Mom, such a trooper!
Lupe found pleasure in sports. Lupe was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite events whenever she had the chance to do so. Tops on her list were the L.A. Dodgers Baseball team. She loved when baseball season came because her & Dad would get such great enjoyment out of watching the games. Mom & Dad would each sit in their recliners in the living room and root for Dodger Blue. Mom always called the Dodger's, "her boys". She LOVED the Dodgers!
Lupe was a woman who took pride in upholding her beliefs. So it is little wonder that she took an active role in her community, serving on committees for the Handicapped children at St Catherine of Siena. Lupe's faith was important to her. She was a member of St. Catherines of Siena church for over 50 years. During that time, she was on the Alter Society and Dad was an usher for many years. She baked, cooked, and cleaned the church, even volunteering Dad's and her childrens' time. She was such an incredible example to her children and again, I have to mention the most incredible "unshakable faith" that Mom had. It never wavered. Regardless of what happened to our family, she never stopped believed and praying and telling us to never lose faith or hope. All families go thru hardships and trials and ours was no different. When we lost our beloved Celia in December of 2006, our family was devasted. It was Mom that got us thru her passing, Mom never questioned God or was angry, instead she told us not to be angry or mad at God but to pray that God gives us the strength to carry on for her son Daniel and each other because we were gonna need each other more than anything. She told us that Celia was an Angel in Heaven with God and how could we ask for anything more, and that we would see her again in Heaven and we will all be together for all Eternity. Mom told us that it was all right that we didn't understand God's will right then but promised us we would someday... Mom was our Angel her on Earth and we are all better children because she & Dad raised us.
Lupe enjoyed traveling and time away on vacations. It was a chance for her to renew and relax, to visit new places and experience new things. Favorite vacations included going home to Sacramento to see her family and camping. Our family looked forward to summers because we knew we would be going to Sacramento for a couple of weeks! And that meant seeing our Grandma, our Aunts and Uncles and our cousins. We had the best time and vacations in Sacramento. Our Uncle had a boat and we had picnics and there were parties and sleepovers with our cousins. And our Grandma cooked and cooked and cooked! I could just smell the aroma of chicken and mole and tamales - our Mom & her sisters could cook!!! Those were simply the best times ever and Mom even enjoyed camping at the lake with Uncle Nick & Aunt Esther and our cousins Nick & Mark, and of course us. We always stayed with Uncle Nick and Aunt Esther, who were our favorites.
Lupe passed away on November 11, 2008 at home, surrounded by her family. She is survived by her husband of 56 years Manuel, sons Manuel Jr. and Mike, Daughters and Sons-in-law, Martha Mejia-Reise (Paul) and Monica Lorenz (Bret), Grandson Bret Lorenz Jr. and Great-Grandson Daniel G. Montano, Sisters Julia Ponce, and Josie Melendez, and brothers Manuel, Danny, and Mike Ortega. Preceded in death by her beloved Granddaughter Celia M. Parra, and Siblings Lola Salcido, Annie Corona, and Nick Ortega. Services were held at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Rialto, California. Lupe was laid to rest in Green Acres Memorial Park in Bloomington, California.
Simply stated, Lupe was a wonderful and kind person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by her family and friends as being a caring and giving person, someone who was a vital part of their lives. Lupe leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life she touched will always remember Lupe Ortega Mejia.
**Nov.19,2008- Eulogy for Lupe O. Mejia from her daughter, Martha Mejia-Reise.**
This is the Eulogy that I wrote for my Mom and that I read during her funeral mass.
I was asked by Fr.Gomez to write a eulogy about our Mother, Lupe Mejia. Even tho my parents have been parishioners for over 40 years and at one time were very active in the church, due to health reasons, they have not been able to attend Sunday mass for a few years and Danny Lujan has gone every Sunday without fail to give them the Holy Eucharist and pray with them. He has been such a blessing to our family and my parents looked forward to him coming.
I gave Fr.Gomez some general information about my Mom and we talked about her and he asked me what was the one thing (out of many) that stood out in my mind about our Mom. Asside from telling Father that she was very Special, she was sweet and kind and loving and caring and she had the most wonderful sense of humor and she has the greatest "little giggle", she would always cover her mouth when she laugh. I knew what the answer to that easy questions was - I told Fr.Gomez that our Mom had the most "Unshakable Faith" that was unwavering! I have always told that to my friends and told tham that if I could have just a fraction fo the faith that my Mom had I would be happy. No matter what triabls or tribulations we faced as a family, no matter what crossed my parents' paths - they got thru it because of her faith! She always looked at the bright side of things and was positive about every situation, especially when it came to her health She taught us the importance of "prayer" and "never losing faith". She was always praying the rosary for everyone and especially her family. She used to tell me that she fell asleep saying her prayers because that is how many people she prayed for! She would say that God will always be there for us, no matter what and to pray and that He knows what is best for each of us, and it may be be what we want but she promised that we would eventually understand his way.
The greatest example of our Mother's unshakable faithe is when we lost our Beloved Celia almost two years ago. She was my parents first Grandchild whom they simply adored and halped raise. It was sudden and we were as a family "heartbroken and devastated". We got thru it with God's help and again our Mother. She never questioned God or was angry, instead she accepted "his" way and told us that Celia was with God and in Heaven and she knew that she would be with her someday... And she told us we would all be together one day and for eternity.
When our Mom had her stroke about 7 years ago, I truly felt it was God's way of preparing our family for what we are going thru now. Initially she lost some of her strength and the deterioration of her health was gradual. And we are all so blessed that we had her for as long as we did. Our roles in our family changed, we became more aware, more involved and learned to communicate witheach other as a family. Our goals were the same, and that was to take care of our Mom & Dad. We had to adjust, all of our lives changed but no one never complained. We disagreed, got mad sometimes and we got over it. Even my parents roles reversed, my Mom had always take care of my Dad and how he was making her lunch, he'd microwave a hot dog, give her some chips and a diet coke and serve it to her on her tray. That was the most precious thing to watch. They watched T.V. together in the living room each in their recliners. They loved each other in such a way that was so beautiful and inspirint. My Father is a man of few words but he loved my Mom and had always provided for her and our family. My Dad started a tradition in our family that we still do and that is on Birthdays and Anniversaries, he used to buy a cake from the bakery, Sierra Bakery in Rialto. And my Mom loved cake and sweets for that matter, especially M&M's and Uno bars. Every time I went to Costco she would tell me to pick up a big bag of M&M's and the funny thing is that she would hide them:-) And then she would break em' out at night when nobody was around, except me of course:-)
I believe that God has allowed each of us children to have our special time with out Mom. And we all know that not everyone is lucky enough to get this. If you ask each one of us who was Mom's favorite, I can tell you that Manuel Jr., Mike, Monica and myself will each tell you that "we each were". Our sister Monica went every morning sometimes with her young son in tow, regardless of the weather to take care of Mom & Dad in the morning. She had to get them up, change clothes, give sponge baths and showers and take their blood pressures, distribute meds, and cook breakfast and she juggled both of them at the same time. Her son Bret Jr. has grown up being around them and the routine that went with it. Because my sister called my Mom "Mom", Bret Jr. called his Grandma "Mom":-) And Grandpa was "Poppa". He helped his Mommy when he could or would just be a good little boy and watch T.V. or play with my brothers while she took care of my parents.
My brothers Manuel & Mike live there with my parents. And they basically took care of them 24/7. They are the biggest "Heroes" in my eyes... They saw a lot more than Monica & I did. I truly believe God gave them the strenghday after day to take care of them, regardless of how hard it got. They cooked, cleaned and did everything else between Monica going in the morning and me going in the evening. They simply adored our Mom... They were so loving and gentle with her. Towards the end I would watch them by her hospical bed and hold her hand and stroke it so gently and tell her that they loved her... They had to balance everything between my Mom & Dad and they did. I know that God will bless them in heaps and bounds for taking care of both my Mom & my Dad.
I went every night, well, almost every night to take care of my Mom & my Dad... And I think I had probably the easier shift because before my Mom & Dad got real sick, both she & my Dad were up and usually never wanted to go to bed... I would go usually between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. and that is because all of us Mejia's are night owls. My Mom loved it when I put lotion on her legs and then it got to a point where she just expected it, but I could never say no to her so it was fine. We would watch "Sex & The City" together before I would put her to bed, my brother used to tell me that it was me that wanted to watch it buy my Mom would tell him, "No Manuel, I like it too", with the biggest smile on her face... And sometimes I would have Daniel with me and would take him to my parents but that was usually on a weekend because if he had school, I would leave him at home with Paul. Sometimes we would go to McDonald's and pick up shakes for everyone and my Mom loved that! And towards the end when my Mom stopped talking I would put on the radio to this station called "Caliente" and my Mom would shake her feet and that was her way to communicate that she like it and we all got a kick out of that!
I just want everyone to know that it has been an honor and privilege to take care of our Mom and I say this on behalf of Manuel Jr. Mike and Monica and myself. I am proud of my brothers and sister because this has not been easy and I know we would do it all again in a heartbeat for our Mother. AndI know that we could not have done it without God or our Faith in Him that He would get us thru it. I used to tell my Mom that she should be proud of us and how she raised us and I know she is and so is our Dad...
What is getting us thru this is that we know our Mom is in Heaven with Celia and with God and all of our family and friends and without pain. She doesn't need a cane or a wheelchair anymore and we know she is literally doing sommersaults in the clouds! We are so grateful for all of the prayers and thoughts that have been with our Mom and our family as we took this final journey with our Mom to go Home. We are so grateful to Hospice and our Mom's nurse Liz and also Vashti who helped Monica with Mom in the mornings. And to our families, the Mejia's and the Ortega's, all of Mom's family in Sacramento and to our friends who have been there with us helping us along the way. We are forever grateful and we love you all.
With much Love and Respect,
Manuel Sr., Manuel Jr., Mike, Martha, Monica, Daniel, Bret Jr., and Bret Sr., and Paul.
She was the daughter of Miguel and Luisa Ortega. She was born in Whitman, West Virginia along with her brother Nick. Lupe grew up in Sacramento, California where she went to Catholic school up until she graduated from High School at St. Joseph's Academy.
Lupe was raised with eight siblings, four brothers, and four sisters. Siblings included; Annie, Nick, Manuel, Danny, Lola, Mike, Julia, and Josie. Lupe was usually involved in all sorts of activities with her siblings. She was close to each of them and even after she married and moved to Southern California, she managed to stay very close to all of them. She and her siblings experienced rivalries typical of a growing family, but they shared many life experiences over the years.
As a young girl, Lupe had a number of interests. Like most children, she enjoyed playing and making up games. She was curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. Lupe was an active child who took part in playing with her brothers and sisters. They were their own baseball team. In her spare time she liked to dance. However, to Lupe, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with her friends.
A typical teenager, Lupe had a fairly happy high school experience and she was proud to tell her children that she went to an "all girls" Catholic school until she gratuated from High School. She graduated from St. Josephs Academy, an all girls school, in 1950. She enjoyed some classes more than others, having favorite subjects and her teachers who were Nuns. Her favorite class in high school was Spanish.
Always considered a “good” friend to those she knew, Lupe enjoyed a broad group of acquaintances and several very close friends during her lifetime. While growing up, some of her best friends were Lupe Segura and Victoria Macias. Later in life, she became friends with Everyone, she never met a stranger, she was friends to all. Lupe, Victoria & Lupe loved to go to the dances and that is where she met the love of her life, our father, Manuel D. Mejia. She saw him at a dance and told her girlfriends, "see that handsome man, I am going to marry him".
On November 18, 1951, Lupe exchanged wedding vows with Manuel D. Mejia at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Sacramento, California. She was the only one of of all of her siblings to have a church wedding and she was very proud of that. That same day Manuel told her they were leaving to San Bernardino. Lupe didn't want to go, at first. She told the story to her children that she went to hide in the closet and her Mother, our Grandma told her, "Lupe, you are married now, you have to go where your husband goes". And with that Lupe left with Manuel to San Bernardino.
Lupe worked hard to be a good mother to her children and she did her best to fulfill their needs. Lupe was blessed with Four children, Two sons, Manuel Jr. and Mike, and Two daughters, Martha and Monica. Another blessing for Lupe was the gift of two grandchildren, Celia and Bret Jr. and one great-grandchild, Daniel. Family was everything to Lupe. Our family was so blessed that we had her home to take care of us from the time we were little till were were teenagers then young adults, then adults. Our Mom was so loved by all of my Dad's family, whenever we had parties, our cousins always wanted to spend the night, and they did but my Mother loved having family and lots of people around. She made barbie clothes for our barbies, she was a good little seamstress, we had the best dressed barbies on the block.
Fortunately, Lupe enjoyed what she did for a living. Showing a strong work ethic, Lupe worked diligently and did her best to succeed in her career. Her primary occupation was Avon representative for over 30 years, and a homemaker for 56 years. Our Mom loved selling Avon, and of course her daughters reaped the benefits, the cologne, makeup and it was also something also that we loved to share with her. She used to call us her "walking demos" because we wore the cologne and makeup always!
Lupe enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were bowling and sewing. She was content to enjoy her favorite pastimes alone but was also willing to share her interests with others. Mom so enjoyed bowling and had a beautiful blue bowling ball and even had bowling shoes. She was pretty good in her league and she has several trophys to show for it. She had to give up bowling when she was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in the early 1990's. She may have stopped bowling but she continued to go to her games for moral support and seeing her girlfriends, that was our Mom, such a trooper!
Lupe found pleasure in sports. Lupe was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite events whenever she had the chance to do so. Tops on her list were the L.A. Dodgers Baseball team. She loved when baseball season came because her & Dad would get such great enjoyment out of watching the games. Mom & Dad would each sit in their recliners in the living room and root for Dodger Blue. Mom always called the Dodger's, "her boys". She LOVED the Dodgers!
Lupe was a woman who took pride in upholding her beliefs. So it is little wonder that she took an active role in her community, serving on committees for the Handicapped children at St Catherine of Siena. Lupe's faith was important to her. She was a member of St. Catherines of Siena church for over 50 years. During that time, she was on the Alter Society and Dad was an usher for many years. She baked, cooked, and cleaned the church, even volunteering Dad's and her childrens' time. She was such an incredible example to her children and again, I have to mention the most incredible "unshakable faith" that Mom had. It never wavered. Regardless of what happened to our family, she never stopped believed and praying and telling us to never lose faith or hope. All families go thru hardships and trials and ours was no different. When we lost our beloved Celia in December of 2006, our family was devasted. It was Mom that got us thru her passing, Mom never questioned God or was angry, instead she told us not to be angry or mad at God but to pray that God gives us the strength to carry on for her son Daniel and each other because we were gonna need each other more than anything. She told us that Celia was an Angel in Heaven with God and how could we ask for anything more, and that we would see her again in Heaven and we will all be together for all Eternity. Mom told us that it was all right that we didn't understand God's will right then but promised us we would someday... Mom was our Angel her on Earth and we are all better children because she & Dad raised us.
Lupe enjoyed traveling and time away on vacations. It was a chance for her to renew and relax, to visit new places and experience new things. Favorite vacations included going home to Sacramento to see her family and camping. Our family looked forward to summers because we knew we would be going to Sacramento for a couple of weeks! And that meant seeing our Grandma, our Aunts and Uncles and our cousins. We had the best time and vacations in Sacramento. Our Uncle had a boat and we had picnics and there were parties and sleepovers with our cousins. And our Grandma cooked and cooked and cooked! I could just smell the aroma of chicken and mole and tamales - our Mom & her sisters could cook!!! Those were simply the best times ever and Mom even enjoyed camping at the lake with Uncle Nick & Aunt Esther and our cousins Nick & Mark, and of course us. We always stayed with Uncle Nick and Aunt Esther, who were our favorites.
Lupe passed away on November 11, 2008 at home, surrounded by her family. She is survived by her husband of 56 years Manuel, sons Manuel Jr. and Mike, Daughters and Sons-in-law, Martha Mejia-Reise (Paul) and Monica Lorenz (Bret), Grandson Bret Lorenz Jr. and Great-Grandson Daniel G. Montano, Sisters Julia Ponce, and Josie Melendez, and brothers Manuel, Danny, and Mike Ortega. Preceded in death by her beloved Granddaughter Celia M. Parra, and Siblings Lola Salcido, Annie Corona, and Nick Ortega. Services were held at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Rialto, California. Lupe was laid to rest in Green Acres Memorial Park in Bloomington, California.
Simply stated, Lupe was a wonderful and kind person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by her family and friends as being a caring and giving person, someone who was a vital part of their lives. Lupe leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life she touched will always remember Lupe Ortega Mejia.
**Nov.19,2008- Eulogy for Lupe O. Mejia from her daughter, Martha Mejia-Reise.**
This is the Eulogy that I wrote for my Mom and that I read during her funeral mass.
I was asked by Fr.Gomez to write a eulogy about our Mother, Lupe Mejia. Even tho my parents have been parishioners for over 40 years and at one time were very active in the church, due to health reasons, they have not been able to attend Sunday mass for a few years and Danny Lujan has gone every Sunday without fail to give them the Holy Eucharist and pray with them. He has been such a blessing to our family and my parents looked forward to him coming.
I gave Fr.Gomez some general information about my Mom and we talked about her and he asked me what was the one thing (out of many) that stood out in my mind about our Mom. Asside from telling Father that she was very Special, she was sweet and kind and loving and caring and she had the most wonderful sense of humor and she has the greatest "little giggle", she would always cover her mouth when she laugh. I knew what the answer to that easy questions was - I told Fr.Gomez that our Mom had the most "Unshakable Faith" that was unwavering! I have always told that to my friends and told tham that if I could have just a fraction fo the faith that my Mom had I would be happy. No matter what triabls or tribulations we faced as a family, no matter what crossed my parents' paths - they got thru it because of her faith! She always looked at the bright side of things and was positive about every situation, especially when it came to her health She taught us the importance of "prayer" and "never losing faith". She was always praying the rosary for everyone and especially her family. She used to tell me that she fell asleep saying her prayers because that is how many people she prayed for! She would say that God will always be there for us, no matter what and to pray and that He knows what is best for each of us, and it may be be what we want but she promised that we would eventually understand his way.
The greatest example of our Mother's unshakable faithe is when we lost our Beloved Celia almost two years ago. She was my parents first Grandchild whom they simply adored and halped raise. It was sudden and we were as a family "heartbroken and devastated". We got thru it with God's help and again our Mother. She never questioned God or was angry, instead she accepted "his" way and told us that Celia was with God and in Heaven and she knew that she would be with her someday... And she told us we would all be together one day and for eternity.
When our Mom had her stroke about 7 years ago, I truly felt it was God's way of preparing our family for what we are going thru now. Initially she lost some of her strength and the deterioration of her health was gradual. And we are all so blessed that we had her for as long as we did. Our roles in our family changed, we became more aware, more involved and learned to communicate witheach other as a family. Our goals were the same, and that was to take care of our Mom & Dad. We had to adjust, all of our lives changed but no one never complained. We disagreed, got mad sometimes and we got over it. Even my parents roles reversed, my Mom had always take care of my Dad and how he was making her lunch, he'd microwave a hot dog, give her some chips and a diet coke and serve it to her on her tray. That was the most precious thing to watch. They watched T.V. together in the living room each in their recliners. They loved each other in such a way that was so beautiful and inspirint. My Father is a man of few words but he loved my Mom and had always provided for her and our family. My Dad started a tradition in our family that we still do and that is on Birthdays and Anniversaries, he used to buy a cake from the bakery, Sierra Bakery in Rialto. And my Mom loved cake and sweets for that matter, especially M&M's and Uno bars. Every time I went to Costco she would tell me to pick up a big bag of M&M's and the funny thing is that she would hide them:-) And then she would break em' out at night when nobody was around, except me of course:-)
I believe that God has allowed each of us children to have our special time with out Mom. And we all know that not everyone is lucky enough to get this. If you ask each one of us who was Mom's favorite, I can tell you that Manuel Jr., Mike, Monica and myself will each tell you that "we each were". Our sister Monica went every morning sometimes with her young son in tow, regardless of the weather to take care of Mom & Dad in the morning. She had to get them up, change clothes, give sponge baths and showers and take their blood pressures, distribute meds, and cook breakfast and she juggled both of them at the same time. Her son Bret Jr. has grown up being around them and the routine that went with it. Because my sister called my Mom "Mom", Bret Jr. called his Grandma "Mom":-) And Grandpa was "Poppa". He helped his Mommy when he could or would just be a good little boy and watch T.V. or play with my brothers while she took care of my parents.
My brothers Manuel & Mike live there with my parents. And they basically took care of them 24/7. They are the biggest "Heroes" in my eyes... They saw a lot more than Monica & I did. I truly believe God gave them the strenghday after day to take care of them, regardless of how hard it got. They cooked, cleaned and did everything else between Monica going in the morning and me going in the evening. They simply adored our Mom... They were so loving and gentle with her. Towards the end I would watch them by her hospical bed and hold her hand and stroke it so gently and tell her that they loved her... They had to balance everything between my Mom & Dad and they did. I know that God will bless them in heaps and bounds for taking care of both my Mom & my Dad.
I went every night, well, almost every night to take care of my Mom & my Dad... And I think I had probably the easier shift because before my Mom & Dad got real sick, both she & my Dad were up and usually never wanted to go to bed... I would go usually between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. and that is because all of us Mejia's are night owls. My Mom loved it when I put lotion on her legs and then it got to a point where she just expected it, but I could never say no to her so it was fine. We would watch "Sex & The City" together before I would put her to bed, my brother used to tell me that it was me that wanted to watch it buy my Mom would tell him, "No Manuel, I like it too", with the biggest smile on her face... And sometimes I would have Daniel with me and would take him to my parents but that was usually on a weekend because if he had school, I would leave him at home with Paul. Sometimes we would go to McDonald's and pick up shakes for everyone and my Mom loved that! And towards the end when my Mom stopped talking I would put on the radio to this station called "Caliente" and my Mom would shake her feet and that was her way to communicate that she like it and we all got a kick out of that!
I just want everyone to know that it has been an honor and privilege to take care of our Mom and I say this on behalf of Manuel Jr. Mike and Monica and myself. I am proud of my brothers and sister because this has not been easy and I know we would do it all again in a heartbeat for our Mother. AndI know that we could not have done it without God or our Faith in Him that He would get us thru it. I used to tell my Mom that she should be proud of us and how she raised us and I know she is and so is our Dad...
What is getting us thru this is that we know our Mom is in Heaven with Celia and with God and all of our family and friends and without pain. She doesn't need a cane or a wheelchair anymore and we know she is literally doing sommersaults in the clouds! We are so grateful for all of the prayers and thoughts that have been with our Mom and our family as we took this final journey with our Mom to go Home. We are so grateful to Hospice and our Mom's nurse Liz and also Vashti who helped Monica with Mom in the mornings. And to our families, the Mejia's and the Ortega's, all of Mom's family in Sacramento and to our friends who have been there with us helping us along the way. We are forever grateful and we love you all.
With much Love and Respect,
Manuel Sr., Manuel Jr., Mike, Martha, Monica, Daniel, Bret Jr., and Bret Sr., and Paul.