Manuela "NELA" Gutierrez

Gutierrez, Manuela G., “Nela or Nellie” 96-years old, passed away on Sunday, June 27, 2021. She was born in Tornillo, Texas, to a family of 9, but the oldest passed away at a young age. This loss made my mother the oldest in the family of four boys and four girls. Her father was a Spaniard, and her mother, a Mayan Indian. She was a migrant worker in the early years of her life, traveling from Texas, up through California, all the way, to Oregon following agricultural work during the depression. With only a grade school education, she was a lifelong learner, teaching herself many skills. She married Jose Alfredo Gutierrez (preceded in death) in 1942 and settled in Ysleta, Texas, in “El Barrio de los Indios.” She helped my father build their adobe home; she made her own adobe bricks and laid cement for the foundation of our home. She was very adept in carpentry, creating all the kitchen cabinets and closets for the home. She assisted my father in his mechanic work by taking apart the engine, involving us kids in the cleaning of parts, and making it a family affair. Manuela knew how to make memories; she would make KoolAid, potato, and bean burritos and then would take all us kids to the “Ascarate” Drive-In for a movie starring any number of Mexican actors like Cantinflas, Miguel Aceves Mejia, or Pedro Infante. She raised four daughters, Manuela Hernandez, Concepcion Muro (preceded in death), Carmen Villa (preceded in death), Patricia Garcia, teaching them the many skills of life. As a testament to her faith Manuela presented home grown flowers for the devotion of the Virgin Mary every year. It is that same faith and devotion that led her to make aprons for the Church ladies at Mount Carmel. She also volunteered at Saint Mary's Church Thrift Store in Escondido, California, where she resided with her daughter since 1992. Manuela was an honorable wife, a strict and loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and great-great grandmother. She touched the lives of all her grandchildren, leaving an indelible mark. She will be truly missed by all who knew her. Visitation 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM with Vigil/Rosary at 6:00 PM, Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at Sunset Funeral Homes- East, 750 N. Carolina. Funeral Mass 12:30 PM, Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, 131 S. Zaragoza. Graveside Service will follow at 2:00 PM at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.