Maria del Carmen Jimenez Chapa

Maria del Carmen Jimenez Chapa was born in Brownsville, Texas on Friday, the 2nd of April 1943, to S/Sgt Alfonso and Carmen Esparza Jimenez. She passed away in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, the 14th of March 2012 at the age of 68.

Maria, also known as “Cookie” by her close friends and family, is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 47 years, Romeo Chapa of George West, TX; her cousins Miroslava (Mimi) Guajardo (George); Lizzie V. Martinez; Reynaldo Esparza (Fannie); Julian Esparza (Minnie) all of Corpus Christi, TX; Tony Esparza (Sandy) of Winchester, VA; Michael Esparza (Ronnie) Woodbridge, VA; Frances Shafer (Wayne) of Elk View, WV; Robert Esparza (Susan) McKinney, TX; Tommy Esparza (Marnie) Royal Palm Beach, FL; Jessica Jones (Lynwood) Alexandria, VA; Mary Elizabeth Conover (Brooks) of McAllen, TX; Diana Damron (Gary) Brownsville, TX; Sandra Schweizerhof, Houston, TX; Thelma Heinze (Bill) Silverthorne, Colorado; Rose Marie Cavazos (Luis) Brownsville, TX, other loving family members and her family in her Master Jesus Christ and in the sacred service of Jehovah God, too large to name, who took loving and tender care of her during her illness.

Maria, “Cookie”, being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses since the age of three, was a regular pioneer minister of Jehovah God for many years, having taught the Bible and made disciples for Christ in Corpus Christi, TX; Bed-Stuy Section of Brooklyn, NY; Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen Section of Manhattan in New York City; in New Orleans, La. from the Garden District to the French Quarter to the Mouth of the Mississippi River. She served at the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses from 1971 to 1977, when she moved to Houston, TX to care for her mother, Carmen E. Jimenez. These were very exciting, rewarding and fulfilling times for her doing what she knew was her purpose in life.

Although in Houston she worked in the medical field and as Vice-President of R. C. Shipping Company Inc., her first love was teaching the Bible to all but especially to children. Jesus told his disciples “you are the light of the world,” Cookie was and lit many lamps along the way.

Mr. Chapa and family received friends at a visitation on Friday, the 16th of March, in the chapel of Waltrip Funeral Directors in Houston, where a funeral service focusing on Maria’s hope of the resurrection was conducted by Mr. Victor A. Garcia at 7:30 PM.

On Saturday, the 17th of March, family and friends gathered again in the funeral home chapel where a bilingual funeral service was conducted at 3 p.m. by Mr. Felix Martinez. Graveside services and interment followed in Memorial Oaks Cemetery.