Cleofas Tostado Quiñónez

Cleofas was a dedicated wife and mother. At an early age she lost her own mother and helped raise her younger siblings. In 1959, she married Cruz C. Quiñónez in Inde, Durango. They raised three sons while working and living in New Mexico, Mexico, Nevada and California. In 1969, the family moved to Kern County. Cleofas was a homemaker and renowned local seamstress in the East Bakersfield area. She worked at a number of bridal shops and clothing stores before eventually working from her home for the remainder of her career. Her love of making and altering clothes found her a steady stream of work that included creating custom wedding, quinceañera, and formal dresses and accessories. Always impeccably stylish, she modeled her handiwork by making her own clothes. She worked joyfully and diligently, making countless friends along the way, until her hands could not handle the delicate work her craft required. She would later say that she retired because she did not want to provide her customers with anything less than her best efforts. After retirement, Cleofas went back to school at age 71, becoming a high school graduate at age 78.

As a wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Cleofas exemplified the warmth, kindness and love that her family came to admire and depend on. Her outer beauty was matched only by her inner beauty and it lead to a loving devotion by those who knew and cherished her until the end. Her final wish was to be united with the love of her life, Cruz Quiñónez, in that everlasting paradise that her Catholic faith promised. We, her family, have no doubt that she is walking hand in hand with her beloved husband, both of them glorifying God Almighty in Heaven.

Cleofas is survived by her sons, Macario (Dawn), Jaime (Lupe), Joe (Bonnie), and eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. The family would like to thank all those who befriended our precious mother along her journey in life, as well as those who guided and helped her these past few months. Our family is indebted to you for the friendship, love and kindness you showed to our mother, and we pray for God’s blessings on you.

Visitation will be on Friday, June 28th, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery, 9101 Kern Canyon Rd, with a Rosary starting at 7:00 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, June 29th at 9:30 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church with the burial to follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.