Ruben G. Ortega

Adolfo Ortega was born June 15, 1917 in El Paso, TX to Adolfo Lopez Ortega of San Antonio, Texas, a blacksmith, and Adela Garcia of Sierra Mojada, Mexico, a school teacher. In approximately 1943, he changed his name to Ruben Garcia Ortega, taking his mother’s maiden name as his middle name.

Adolfo Ortega moved his family to California in 1926, when Ruben was nine years old. After his parents died in approximately 1935 and 1936, Ruben lived with his brother Leonard and his wife Rosaura Ortega in San Pedro, CA.

Ruben had five brothers and sisters from his father’s second marriage: Clara, Lenor, Modesto Robert, Adela and Beatrice. His extended family included nine children from his parent’s previous marriages: Bernardo, Pedro, Jose Maria, Leonardo, Maria de la Paz, Juan, Bonifacio and Manuela Ortega, and Florencio Joseph Garcia.

Ruben was married to Angela Maria Avila of New Mexico prior to 1940, and they had a son, Ruben Ortega, Jr. on December 18, 1940. They were later divorced.

On January 24, 1944, Ruben G. Ortega was inducted into the United States Army at Ft. MacArthur, California. During his service in the 253rd Infantry Regiment as a combat infantryman, he was wounded in Germany in 1945 and was hospitalized in Paris, France. Ruben was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the Purple Heart on March 6, 1945. He was honorably discharged from the Army on January 10, 1946. Ruben was later awarded the Bronze Star by President George Bush on April 24, 1994.

Ruben married Armida Juliana Perez in Los Angeles, California on January 11, 1947. During their 53 years of marriage, they had four children: Diana Dolores, Michael Gilbert, Carlo Steven and Cynthia Irene.

During his life, Ruben was a farm laborer, picking vegetables and fruit during harvest season; a US postal worker, a sign painter/illustrator for the military as a civilian employee at Ft Irwin, CA, a retail clerk selling paint at Standard Brands, and attended night school at various times to get his certification as a Psychiatric Technician and worked at Pacific State Hospital and then Patton State Hospital in Highland, CA, where he retired. Not being satisfied with retirement and traveling around the countryside visiting friends and relatives, he started his tamale business and sold tamales to Loma Linda Market and other small stores in the Riverside and La Sierra area.

Ruben and Armida moved to Barstow, CA in 1951, and became very active in community affairs and local politics. Ruben was a member of Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 2143, serving as Sr. Vice Commander in 1957 and later as Post Commander. Ruben and Armida helped establish the Community Service Organization, and were members of the Mojave Valley Associated Property Owners, Mojave Valley Coordinating Council, the Barstow Democratic Club, and the Barstow Community Action Group. Ruben was a member and President of the Barstow Union High School District Board of Trustees from 1960 to 1963, as well as a member of the Barstow Junior College District Governing Board which founded the college in 1960.

Ruben and Armida moved their family to Riverside, CA in the spring of 1966, where they resided on Hoyt Street until Armida passed away March 29, 2001. Ruben moved to a smaller residence on Doyle Street in 2002 and resided there until April 2011, when he was moved to Bothell, Washington to live with his daughter Diana. Ruben and Diana returned to California April 2012 to reside in Carlsbad.

Ruben is survived by his daughters Diana Ross of Carlsbad, CA; Cynthia Ellerbeck of Arizona; his son Carlo Ortega of Riverside; grandchildren Catherine Smith, Palm Springs; Donna Harkey, Carlsbad; Sharon Popovich and Amanda Lopez, Riverside; George Elder, Jr., AZ; Michael S. Ortega, Upland; great grandsons Earl Conner III and Zachary Conner of Hemet; Jeremiah and Jeffrey Popovich, Robert Elder of Riverside, and Michael S. Ortega, Jr, Upland; great granddaughters Ashley Obrey, WA; Sarah McCuskey, Samantha Partida, and Kristen, Eveanna and Lorren Popovich of Riverside; great great granddaughters Ava Mora and Emma Lynn Conner of Hemet, and Christine Partida of Riverside; as well as four generations of beloved nieces and nephews who reside throughout the United States, England and Spain.