Alicia Villanueva was born Nov. 15, 1937 in Colonia Madero, Chihuahua, Mexico to Manuel Villanueva, a farmer, and Juanita Quesada, a school teacher. Alicia was the oldest of 11 children.
She was considered one of the prettiest girls in the colonia and was nominated to serve as the community’s “Reyna de la Primavera,” several times. Alicia attended a secretarial school and worked at a bank in Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, and later worked at a jewelry store in Ciudad Juarez. She saved her money to buy shoes, clothes and food for her brothers and sisters.
Alicia moved to El Paso, and through a cousin was introduced to Jesus Miguel Saenz, a retired Army Air Forces veteran who was working as an announcer at Juarez Racetrack, and also occasionally at Sunland Park Racetrack.
Alicia and Jesus were married soon after. They had two children: Grace Saenz Dickson, who now lives in Columbia, Missouri; and Mary Jessica Saenz, who lives in El Paso.
Jesus died in 1993 after a long illness. A few years later, Alicia, then in her early 60s, decided to go back to school and earned an associate’s degree in child care at El Paso Community College. She was an A student and graduated with honors.
She worked for many years at several childcare facilities in El Paso, including at the YMCA.
She enjoyed several arts and crafts hobbies, including coloring books. She loved to collect angel figurines and anything related to Frida Kahlo and Day of the Dead.
She lived very simply and was frugal to a fault. She cared about others, especially her family, and would come to anybody’s aid.
In her later years, she regularly attended events at a senior center, including line dancing and ballroom dancing. She loved to get together with the ladies there.
Alicia was a devout Catholic throughout her life and regularly attended Mass.
She was very affectionate toward her children, her son-in-law Gordon Dickson and especially her two grandchildren: Sentell Dickson, now living in Denton, Texas; and Marshall Dickson, now attending college in Dallas.
At the time of her death, she was greatly looking forward to the birth of Sentell’s first child (and her first great grandchild).
Other survivors include: sisters Rosalia Ramirez of Fontana, California, Magdalena Martinez of southern California; Lola Estrada of Monte, California, Hortencia Villanueva of El Paso, Socorro Villanueva of El Paso and Rebecca Parra of Ciudad Juarez; and stepsons James Saenz, Peter Saenz and George Saenz, all of El Paso.
Visitation will be held Sunday, September 18th, 2022 from 5p.m. to 8p.m with a Rosary reciting at 6p.m. at Martin Funeral Home West, 128 N. Resler Dr. in El Paso, Texas.
Mass will be held Monday, September 19th, 2022 at 11:30a.m St. Matthew Catholic Church, 400 W Sunset Rd. El Paso, Texas. Burial to follow at Fort Bliss National Cemetery, 5200 Fred Wilson Rd, El Paso.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MartinFuneralHomeWest.com for the Saenz family.
