Eloisa Valenzuela Segura

Our heavenly father called a new Christmas angel, Eloisa Valenzuela Segura, on December 25, 2016, at the age of 98. A very special lady passed on a very special day. She was born on April 12, 1918 in Cedar Creek, Texas to Epifanio Valenzuela and Bernardina Reyes Valenzuela. She married Bonifacio E. Segura in 1941. They were married for 55 years.

Eloisa liked to describe herself as a “cotton picking woman’ because she was born into a farming family and later married a farmer. As a child and young woman she worked in the cotton and corn fields, chopped wood, and picked fruits and vegetables grown for the family. She attributed her longevity and good health to the fact that she didn’t drink, didn’t smoke and had to work hard during her lifetime.

Due to limited education resources available to Hispanics in her childhood years, she only got a 4th grade education. However, what she didn’t learn from books, she learned from life. She was a woman of many talents and learned to make do with what she had. She learned to sew and made clothes for herself and others; she cut family members’ hair; she was a fixer-upper and often fixed things that involved carpentry or plumbing. She made purses and teddy bears out of blue jeans. She made jewelry out of buttons. She did needlepoint and embroidery and made quilts. She was a wonderful cook and baker. She was known for her Mexican rice, oatmeal and sugar cookies, sweet potato empanadas and her pie crusts. In early years she make tamales on her own, and was joined by her daughter and son in later years.

She had two children, Eva Segura Anguiano and Pete Segura. Her family also included two granddaughters, Christina Anguiano Leeper and husband Jeff, and Melissa Anguiano Krueger, and two great-grandchildren, Zachary Leeper and Jordan Leeper. Her family was her pride and joy and she loved every minute spent with them.

Besides working in the fields, Eloisa worked as a housekeeper in the early fifties. In 1956 she began working as a seamstress at Economy Furniture sewing furniture covers and cushions. She was known for her speed and accuracy. She retired from Economy in 1982. She always enjoyed sewing, and after retiring, she continued to do part-time work at a foam shop and doing alterations at home.

Eloisa was a woman of great faith. She often told a story of one of her aunts giving her a prayer when she was young. She would pray this prayer on the way to school so the Lord would keep her safe. Her faith in God prevailed all her life. She read the Bible and prayed the rosary daily and also prayed for her family, friends and anyone who asked her to pray for them.

She credited her faith in God for giving her the strength to take care of her husband. He was an invalid the last few years of his life and she lovingly took care of him at home until the end. She also praised him for healing her when she was diagnosed with kidney cancer at the age of 80. One kidney was removed and she continued to live a full life.

Eloisa had a remarkable memory and was known as the family historian. She knew and remembered facts from early & current family history . If someone wanted to know about a person or event, it was always, "go ask Tia Eloisa". Even in her late years, she remembered family birthdays not only for her immediate family, but her siblings, nieces and nephews and family friends.

She never met a stranger and her house was always open to family and to the many friends she made throughout her life. She had the gift of love. She was very loving and always had a smile on her face. She would meet people and they would immediately become attached to her, both young and old alike. Though blessed with only two children, there are many who considered her their second Mom.

Eloisa liked to stay busy and have fun. She flew for the first time at the age of in 80, flying to Santa Clara, California, to visit her nephew. She later flew to Santa Maria, California to visit him again. At 83, she went to Las Vegas with her daughter and other family members on a tour bus. At the age of 90, she flew to Washington, DC to visit her niece and to tour the Nation’s Capitol. She loved to attend weddings, birthday parties and family fishfrys and other family gatherings.

Not one to sit at home, she was a member of the Dutch Dolls Quilting Bee, and attended weekly meetings. For several years she hosted a Rosary group at her house every other week, and attended weekly Prayer Meetings at St. Louis Catholic Church. She also attended Senior Citizen activities at the church.

Eloisa was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother, Pedro Valenzuela, sisters, Savina Hernandez, Nicolasa Torres, Reyes Luna, and Trine Valenzuela. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Cruz Rodriguez, Rebecca Barrera, brother, Epifanio Valenzuela; sisters-in-law, Sara Segura, Josephine Martinez (Jesse), brother-in-law, Alfredo Segura, and many other extended family members and friends.

Visitation will be held Thursday, December 29, 2016 at 5:00 pm, with a rosary at 7:00 pm at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 N. Lamar, Austin, TX. Funeral Mass will be Friday, December 30, 2016 at 10:00 am at St. Louis Catholic Church, 7601 Burnet Rd., Austin, TX, with Interment following at Assumption Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Robert Torres, Edward Torres, Michael Rodriguez, James Rodriguez, Abel Barrera, and Zachary Leeper. Honorary Pallbearers will be Lawrence Hernandez, Modesto Torres, Rudy Reyes, Oscar Segura, Michael Segura and Gilbert Vasquez.

Her family and friends will dearly miss Eloisa. But they are blessed with the knowledge that they have a new Christmas angel looking over them.