Manuela “Nellie” Valencia was born on June 5, 1926 to Librada & Enrique Hernandez in El Paso, Texas and died peacefully on September 26, 2023 at her home in La Puente. She had five siblings, Henry (Mary), Ray (Kathy), Robert (Lupe), Larry (Bea), and Henrietta (Frank). The family moved from El, Paso to East Los Angeles in 1928. Nellie met her husband Edward “Ed” in Jr. High School when she was 14 and he was 16. They later married on May 29, 1943, one week shy of her 17th birthday and were married for 78 years at his time of death on August 12, 2021. Nellie and Ed moved to La Puente in 1956. They had five children, Terry (Manny), Ed (Hilary), Lydia (Gary), Joe & Kathy (Steve), and have 10 grandchildren, and many great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Nellie was a devout catholic for her entire life and served as a catechist for over 20 years at St. Louis of France Catholic Church. She was well-read and a lifetime learner, having received her high school diploma in 1970 after completing her GED. She loved to cook and travel and in later years she and he husband bowled in the Senior League at West Covina Lanes, well into their mid-90’s. She was also driving until December 2019 when she suffered a stroke. Throughout her illness, she remained positive and her faith saw her through. Her loving caregivers were by her side day and night and the family will forever be grateful to them. Nellie will be remembered for her love of God, love of family and friends, her kindness, her vibrant smile, her sharp mind and for being the BEST wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, sister-in-law, auntie, and friend to everyone. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, beloved daughter Terry, beloved son-in-law Steve, and her beloved brothers, Henry, Larry, and Robert. We thank you all for loving her as we loved her and for the visits, phone calls, text messages, cards, letters, gifts, and flowers over the years, which always put a smile on her face and warmed her heart. As our beloved Mother & Grandmother would always say, “May God Bless Us All.”
