Teresa Olvera Castillo

She was the only daughter out of seven to her parents, Antonio and Ester Olvera. She grew up singing with her six brothers and her idol had always been Pedro Infante. She moved to Saginaw, MI with her family when she was 15 years old, but always desired to come back to her hometown to be around her half-sister. Her mother was the President of the Guadalupanas Association in Saginaw, MI where she became a Guadalupana when she was only 18 years old. She got married December 29, 1956 to Pedro G. Castillo Sr. in Saginaw, MI, whom she met through her brothers. Together they had ten children, nine daughters and one son. She moved back to Austin, TX in January 1979 with all her children as she had always desired. When arriving to Austin, TX, her first mission was to find a church she and her family could belong to. After attending multiple churches she finally found one she fell in love with – St. Julia Catholic Church. She was invited to become a Cursillista in 1985 along with two of her daughters.

Throughout the years, she raised her children to always have faith, attend church, and be involved in all the parts of the Mass, especially the choir. They all participated in a variety of events that included Las Fiestas Patrias where three of her daughters were voted for queen, los matachines and folflorico folk dance, La Rondalla de San Jose, where they were involved in the production of two albums and many more events. All of her children have continued to carry on the important traditions she has instilled in them and they have also passed those traditions down to their children. Her admirable strength, faith, and spirituality helped her overcome uterine cancer and has always held her family together in good times and in bad.

She is preceded in death by her husband Pedro G. Castillo Sr. in 1999, her grand-daughter Silvia Anne Lemus in 2001, her grand-daughter Angelina Isabel Castillo in 2012, and by her daughter Raquel Romero in 2014.

She is survived by her half-sister, Mary Murillo, her brothers Antonio Olvera, Lazaro Olvera and Jose Olvera, her daughters, Bernarda Jimenez, Isidra Castillo, Esther Castillo, Theresa Chavez, Christina Castillo, Rita Guzman, and Eva Castillo, her son, Pedro G. Castillo, Jr., step-daughter, Maria Guadalupe Molina, 27 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great-grandchildren.