Angelina Martínez Alonzo

Angelina Martínez Nárez was born in Purépero, Michoacán, daughter of parents Jose Reyes Martínez and Maria de Jesus Nárez. Angelina grew up with siblings Jesus, Virginia, Jose, Antonio, Rafael, Javier, Eva, and Elidia. As the eldest daughter she helped her

mother raise her siblings, and so began her life of work and dedication to the family.

In the absence of their parents, Angelina and her sister Virginia cared of her siblings which, did not leave much room for schooling, nonetheless, as a young woman, she learned to administer injections, helped the poorest in her community, raised pigs and sold her cross-stitch projects to earn money for her young sons, Angel and Octavio; in other times, perhaps she would have been a nurse because she always spoke highly of this wholesome profession.

In 1970 she immigrated to the United States for the first time. Her siblings and parents who were already here helped her, and soon after she started to earn a living to support her family. She found work at a local restaurant called Hacienda del Rey where she was able to put her great cooking expertise to use and earn a living. After work she would arrive home very tired, but she was happy to find herself safe with her sons and able to count on the support of her family.

In 1977, Angelina met Paul Alonzo, they married, and together they made a happy home. Paul was a great support and example to her two sons and made it possible for Angelina to remain close to her family. By then, Angelina had started working with a catering business, which sent her daily on the bus to downtown Riverside. She spoke fondly of these busy times because she valued and enjoyed the work, earning a living and was able to contribute to the support of her family.

One of her most impressive accomplishments, in her heart, was that she took part in the founding of a new Catholic Church in her community. From humble beginnings in a garage in Home Gardens where local parishioners gathered to attend mass services, eventually the parishioners received support from the Diocese of San Bernardino and a new parish was born. Proudly, she recounted how she and other fellow parishioners advocated for a proper location and eventually helped raise the money for the construction of the Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in Corona, California.

Angelina once retired, took it upon herself to take care of her mother and her husband, Paul. When they passed away, her great faith in God sustained her and she dedicated more time to her church, serving as a Eucharistic minister for many years.

Angelina was an amazing woman, full of energy and a desire to serve. She loved her sons and grandchildren with all her heart, all she wanted to know was that they were okay. She encountered many challenges in her life, but her faith gave her strength and grace without resentment. She rarely dwelled in the past or worried about the future… she lived only in the present and was always grateful for the many blessings she received. We are so blessed that she lived many years, giving us examples of a good, faithful, and humble life. We miss her voice, her laugh, and her firm steps very much.

Forever we will carry her in our hearts.

Your fond memories as well as expressions of sympathy may be shared here at www.AchesonandGraham.com for the Alonzo family.