Hortencia "Tencha" Barbara Fierro

Hortencia Barbara Fierro was born to Maria Luz and Santiago Fierro in Orange, California on December 4, 1933. She was the eldest of five children. She had two brothers and two sisters. Hortencia died on December 19, 2023 in Ontario, California, at the age of 90.

She is survived by her children: Christine, Anthony, Lucy, Bernard, Wanda, Anna, Michael, Rudy, Richard and James as well as her sister Madeline and brother Christopher. She is also survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister Martha, brother Joseph and both of her parents.

Hortencia grew up in the old Fountain Valley neighborhood known as La Colonia Juarez. She grew up in a religious family and attended Holy Spirit Catholic Church as a child. Hortencia attended Ocean View Grammar School and Huntington Beach High School. When she was 17 years old, she was selected as the Queen of the Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade.

As a young mother, Hortencia worked endlessly to raise a large blended family. When her youngest children were teenagers, she took a position in the Food Service Department at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk, California. She worked at Metro for a total of 29 years. She was a busy woman juggling work and family but always found time to attend to her children.

As time permitted, especially in her later years, Mom liked to stay informed on current events. She would read books and newspapers. The Orange County Register was her favorite and she still considered it her local paper after relocating to the Inland Empire. In addition to watching news programs on TV, she also had an interest in watching sports and classic movies. She loved listening to a variety of styles of music, Glen Miller & His Orchestra were one of her favorites. She had a talent for cooking, often making the old homemade meals which she learned from her mom, Maria Luz (Grandma Lucy). She was proud to cheer for her children and grandchildren at sporting events. She enjoyed celebrating milestones with her family such as baptisms, birthdays, graduations, weddings and family reunions. She was also content to visit at home nice and cozy on the couch with her loved ones.

Mom would always ask how everyone was doing and say that she was praying for you. She would always bless you and give you a kiss before you said goodbye.

Hortencia was a very loving and giving person. She will be dearly missed by all her family and those who were fortunate to have shared time with her. May she rest in peace.

A visitation for Hortencia will be held Thursday, January 11, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Westminster Memorial Park, 14801 Beach Blvd., Westminster, CA 92683. A funeral service will occur Friday, January 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Holy Spirit Church, 17270 Ward Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92641. An interment will occur Friday, January 12, 2024 at Good Shepherd Cemetery, 8301 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92646.