Celia Morales Bernal

A beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend, Celia Morales Bernal passed away peacefully on January 17th, 2026, at the age of 102 years. Celia was born on October 12th, 1923, in Cananea, Sonora, Mexico to Andres & Francisca Morales, and was the eldest of her siblings: Gilberto and Martha. After Celia's mother died when she was 9, her father moved the family to her beloved Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico to live near their paternal grandmother, Mama Serafina, who helped raise them. Growing up, Celia was a good student and excelled in mathematics. As a teenager she took shorthand & typing classes, and she enjoyed office work in her single years.

On January 18th, 1949 (at age 25) Celia married Heberto Bernal Laveaga; they were married for 48 years before he passed away in October 1997. Beto affectionately called her “Moralitos.” In the last 9 years of Beto’s life, Celia’s strength, dedication, and faith helped her care for her bedridden spouse after his stroke. Together they had 5 children: Heberto born 1950, Daniel Antonio born 1951, Beatriz Olivia born 1952, Monique born 1960, and Lourdes born 1962. Celia enjoyed being a working mother as business owner, entrepreneur, and caregiver. As “Grandma,” she was loving, encouraging, generous, and a source of great wisdom.

Celia was kind-hearted, tenacious, and unwavering from her goals! She migrated to the US, attained citizenship and initiated the same for her family. She bought homes in California. Her home was an open door and accommodated many relatives through the years.

In 2001, at age 77, she became a breast cancer survivor. That summer, she spent 5 weeks traveling across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East visiting 17 cities, and taking in the sights in New York City before the trip concluded. Celia was petite and unintimidated, wise and perceptive, gentle and strong. Her faith was steady throughout her life, she prayed daily; often requesting that God grant her 100 years of healthy life! One of her favorite prayers was Divine Providence and she revised it a bit to include “health” in the line: casa, vestido, “salud” y susteno.

Celia is survived by her children: Heberto, Beatriz Olivia, Monique, and Lourdes, 14 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 7 great-great grandchildren, and numerous beloved nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Heberto, son Daniel Antonio, and siblings Gilberto and Martha.

Celia will be dearly missed, but her legacy and spirit will live on in the hearts of all who love her.