Angie N. Ponce

Born May 6, 1928 and passed away on September 19, 2011.

Youngest daughter of Jose and Ignacia Negrete, sister to Pasquale, Chema, Daniel, Lily, Tonia, Rachel, Jay and Carmen. She was married to Pepe and mom to Madie and Nena.

Angie was born right here in the San Fernando Valley but when she was young moved with her family to the Limonera area to work in the fields. Angie started working in the fields as a young girl and went on to several different jobs including being a Dental Assistant and ended her working life at Litton Industries working in production manufacturing. When she was a young mother Angie loved to do fun stuff with Madie and Nena. She would love to jump in the car and head off to the beach to get out of the valley heat. She was also the one who loved camping and would head out any time she could. Oftentimes it would become a big family gathering with the Negrete family taking over the campground.

Angie was also always willing to help out Madie and Nena with whatever they needed for school. Even though she worked the late shift and would often be asleep when the girls left if she found a note asking for cupcakes or a poster for school. she would always make them and she did not just make any old cupcakes or boring poster no she went to town and made everything special. Angie was an original Martha Stewart. She loved to decorate her house according to the season. Spring, summer, winter, fall Halloween all deserved to be recognized and the house was her campus. I know how sad she was as the neighborhood had fewer and fewer kids coming by on Halloween. Yesterday was the first day of Fall and it brings back happy memories of Angie's decorations. Even as she got older and had less energy to do all that decorating Angie would watch Martha Stewart and other design shows to keep up with the latest trends and ideas.

She did not start out the best cook but even after a full day of work she would make home made tortillas for Pepe and the girls. Over the years she honed her craft and made really tasty food. We think she made the best tamales and just remembering her rice and beans still makes our mouths water. Angie loved animals of all kinds, and a lot of them found a loving home on Jellico St. There were dogs and cats of course, but also lots of birds, chickens, doves, palomitas, and conyers just to name a few. Most folks did not even realize that Angie had two beautiful big tuxedo kitties until just a few years ago. These two cats were very shy, but when Angie was alone they would sit on her lap and love getting combed. And Angie loved all of Nena and Kate's dogs and cats. Everytime the girls would come over before she even said hello she would ask if they brought the dogs. None of the crazy dogs they brought over were ever too much for her and she was especially great with Nena and Kate's foster dogs who were often shy and fearful. It never mattered to Angie, she would just pull them up on her lap and stroke and comb them and you could see the dogs relax and begin to trust. Even the day before she died she was asking Nena when she was going to bring Maya the dog to visit her at the nursing home.

I know you all think that Pepe is the gardener in the family but most of the planting and landscaping at the Jellico house was Angie's doing. When they moved to the house decades ago it was just a dirt lot with a little house in the middle. Angie slowly but surely filled up that property with all the great plants you see there today. If it wasn't for the horse corral and the chicken coops Pepe would have even more plants to water and care for every day. All that planting was not with out it's cost. Angie's knees took the worst of it and she finally had to have both knees replaced.

Angie loved music an all that went along with it. When she and Pepe were a young couple they snuck out to a dance competition on the Santa monica Pier. They were so good they won the competition and could not even bring home the prize because they weren't supposed to be there. If it had not been for her arthritis I know she would have still been on the dance floor with Pepe at Tia Esther's 85th birthday party a few years ago. Angie also loved to sing. Whether they were at a restaurant singing along with the musicians or singing along to the radio at Christmas it was Angie who started it off. She even tried to get Kate involved by putting on English Christmas carols. Lucky for some of us, she did not care how you sounded, she just loved to have everyone join and have fun.

Over the past few years Angie did not get out as much as she used to. Her arthritis was very bad and her cataracts made it hard to see. We all missed her at family events. Angie we will miss you but we are comforted to know you are now at peace and safe in the arms of our Lord.