Bertha Alicia Morales

To Bertha Alicia Morales, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Bertha, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. With just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Bertha really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Bertha was born on October 8, 1970 at home in San Ysidro, Michoacan, Mexico. Her parents were Rodolfo and Maria Morales-Tovar. Bertha was raised in San Ysidro, Michoacan, Mexico. Even as a child, Bertha had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

Always a good playmate, Bertha was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Bertha managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Bertha was raised with 5 siblings. She had one older brother, Sergio and four younger sisters, Esperanza, Lupe, Ana, and Elisa.

All of Bertha's playful good humor carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Bertha experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. She took part in soccer. She was a folclorico dancer. In her spare time she liked to sew and go swimming. Bertha's memorable achievements included being an honor student and participating in the honor guard.

Bertha never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Bertha to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Bertha was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Bertha utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of her best friends were Leticia Tovar, Emilia Tovar, Olga Sanchez, Roberto Mendez, Javier Morales,Agustin Tovar. Later in life, she became friends with, Martha Tovar, Rosa Aranda, Socorro, Josefina, Maricela, Felix, Juan Carlos, Ernesto, Luis Dorado. Bertha loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.

At work, as in life, Bertha was a real “people person.” She had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. When dealing with various projects and problems, Bertha was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Bertha's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Bertha as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was food processing. She was employed for 25 years by Beard's Quality Nut Company and 20 years by Stanislaus Food Products.

Bertha enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were dancing, working out, hanging out with family, and friends. Bertha was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Bertha recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church for 20 Years.

Living life in the fast lane suited Bertha just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Mexico.

Bertha was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, enjoying them almost as much as she enjoyed being around other people. One of Bertha's favorites was Coco and Chapo the family's chihuahua dogs. They were best friends for 7 and 2 years. Her family was rounded out by her fish and turtles.

Bertha passed away on December 29, 2012 at home (Modesto, CA) surrounded by her loving family. Bertha fought a brave battle against colon cancer. She is survived by her parents Rodolfo and Maria Morales; her sisters Esperanza, Lupe, Ana and Elisa; and her nieces and nephews. Services were held at St. Jude's Catholic Church. Bertha was laid to rest in Lakewood Memorial Park.

Bertha brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Bertha Alicia Morales lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.

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Born in San Ysidro, Michoacan, Mexico, Bertha Morales entered life on October 8, 1970.

She is survived by her parents Rodolfo and Maria Morales; four sisters, Esperanza, Ana, Elisa Morales and Lupe Olmos.

Visitation is 4-8pm, Monday, January 7, 2013 with Rosary at 6pm, Lakewood Funeral Home. The mass is set for 10am, Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Ceres. Burial following at Lakewood Memorial Park in Hughson.

Online guestbook available at www.lakewoodhughson.com