Emma Gomez Ortega

Emma Ortega, 84, of Oxnard, passed away on April 25, 2012, at St. John's Regional Medical Center.

She was born Feb. 2, 1928, in Waukegan, Ill., and was a resident of Ventura County for 18 years coming from San Jose, Calif. She worked as a fruit sorter for Contadina Cannery in San Jose and Dole Pineapple in San Jose.

She was very artistic and creative, from knitting to beading, and a good cook who fed us well and that is how we all got here. She loved painting her parrots on posters, and she had this family tradition where we would gather together for the holidays to make tamales.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jose Ortega; mother, Maria Guadalupe Padilla; son, Gene Ortega; brothers, Juan Velasco and Roberto Gomez; grandson, Raymond Partida, Jr. She had six children and is survived by five of them.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 6, with rosary at 6 p.m., at Funeraria del Angel Conrad's and James Reardon. Funeral service will be at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 7, also at Funeraria del Angel Conrad's and James Reardon.

Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Montebello.

Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society .