Robert Rey Garcia
Catalina Valdivia Yzaguirre, 87, of Santa Paula entered into eternal rest peacefully on May 21, 2023. She was born on November 23, 1935 in San Pedro Apulco, Zacatecas, Mexico to Adrian and Apolinaria Valdivia. She was the youngest of thirteen children. She came to the United States from Mexico at the age of 15. Once in the United States, Catalina was promoted from the sixth grade to the twelfth grade very quickly. However, she dropped out of high school before graduating.
Although our Mom was fluent in Spanish, she was less confident in her English language skills. In July of 1985 she took action by signing up for the Family Literacy Aid in Reading (FLAIR) program through the Blanchard Community Library. FLAIR was an adult reading program. Mom learned how to read with the help of her tutor Mrs. Kipp. She completed her reading course in February of 1986, but continued meeting with her tutor to continue to develop her reading skills. Mom then decided to enroll in the adult education program. Her teacher was Mr. Berg. She worked hard to earn her high school diploma, and received it in 1988 through the Santa Paula Union High School Adult Education program. She took a lot of pride in her educational accomplishments, and even enrolled in college classes after obtaining her high school diploma. She always felt that you could learn from every life experience.
Mom was an active parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Paula. It was at the church that she met the love of her life Eliceo, who she would marry on December 29, 1957. They were married for a total of 58 years, and together they would create our beautiful family of 11 children, 27 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren. Early on in her ministry, Father Veloz encouraged her to learn music. She served the church as a music choir director and organist, as well as a fundraising volunteer whenever needed. Dad and Mom helped to raise money for the church bells, stations of the cross, and the church remodeling project. She was well known for the red cinnamon candied apples and the bu?uelos that she sold at the annual church Jamaica. You would often see her walking to and from church every morning in her high heels praying her rosary. She adopted many members of the community, and was a very devout member of the Catholic Faith.
She dedicated more than 50 years of service to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Paula. She served her church community faithfully, and always with a smile. She last played the organ in Our Lady of Guadalupe church in 2019. Our love of music and diverse musical genres is due to our Mom exposing us to many different styles of music. You would often hear her singing as she did chores around the house. One of her favorite bands was The Eagles, with their hit "New Kid In Town" being one of her favorite songs. She had a beautiful singing voice. Our home was always filled with the sound of music. She never had a problem when we played our favorite music, whether it be classic rock, heavy metal or traditional Spanish music. She loved it all, and shared our joy in listening to it.
Mom was a caring woman with strong family values. She was a truly selfless person who always put others before herself. A real humanitarian in every sense of the word. She was a stay at home mom who helped to raise two generations of children and grandchildren. She had countless "adopted" children who she considered to be her nieces and nephews. Her door was always open to everyone, and you would never leave her home hungry. She was an excellent cook, and always made the best version of all of our favorite dishes. Mom always had a fresh pot of coffee on the stove. We all attribute our work ethic to both Mom and Dad's strong and enduring sense of purpose.
Catalina had a great love for nature and animals. On walks you would often see her admiring her surroundings. She had a special liking for green June bugs. When she came across one, she would often catch it and keep it as a pet. She would care for them, and she even had a special little cage for them. One memory that stands out to her grandchildren was the day she stopped her van to save a crow who was injured and being bullied by other crows. She saved the crow, brought it home, and nursed it back to health. The crow never left her house. He became her pet crow, and she gave him the name "Chucho." She also had a pet duck who was very protective of her. Mom saved many animals over the years, and never lost her love of the natural world. Mom was a confidante to many. She always gave the best advice, and often used proverbs to get her message across. She had a real passion for reading and writing. She had several pen pals, and kept in touch with many of them throughout the years.
Catalina was preceded in death by her husband, daughter, father, mother, 4 sisters and 7 brothers. She is survived by, and will be dearly missed by, her 10 children, 27 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, and her remaining brother and sister. On behalf of our family, we wholeheartedly thank you for the prayers, love and support you have all shared with us during this time of mourning for our family.
A rosary will be recited at 12:00pm Friday June 16, 2023 with the Celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial to begin at 1:00pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 427 North Oak Street, Santa Paula. Committal and Interment will then follow at Santa Paula Cemetery, 380 Cemetery Road, Santa Paula.
To sign the family's online guest book, share stories and post pictures please visit our website at www.santapaulafuneralhome.com and locate Catalina's name under Recent Obituaries.
Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of the Family Owned and Operated ROBERT REY GARCIA JR FUNERAL SERVICES, SANTA PAULA, CA 805.229.7054
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Ventura County Star
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