Guadalupe O Guerrero

Guadalupe Olivarez Guerrero 1927 - 2010 Guadalupe Olivarez Guerrero, "Malaca", passed away quietly at her home on September 7, 2010 after a short illness. At her bedside were her children who lovingly cared for her during her final days. She was born February 2, 1927 in Santa Rosa, Texas, where she was raised, and resided in Bakersfield, CA since 1962. She was a caring, loving mother. She is preceded in death by her beloved parents, Adan and Catarina Olivarez; 3 brothers, Roberto, Juan, and Arturo Olivarez; a son, Raul Guerrero and a daughter, Adelina Morado. She is survived by her children: 5 daughters, Elvira (Gary) Ivey, Berta (Phillip) Dorado, Magdalena Baier of Honolulu, Hawaii, Maria (Joe) McWhorter and Martha Guerrero of Bakersfield; 4 sons, Antonio O. Guerrero, Dr. Carlos Guerrero, Jose (Susan) Guerrero of Bakersfield, and Tomas Guerrero of San Antonio, TX; sister, Emma Salinas of Chicago, IL; 2 brothers, Gilberto of La Sara, TX, and Eliberto of Soledad, CA; 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Her absence will leave a big void in all our lives. We will cherish her memory and miss her always. Her parents were migrant farm workers who followed the migrant stream yearly to places as far away as Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri and Illinois. It was a hard life, but because of the love shown by her parents, she felt she had a happy childhood and never felt poor or deprived. She only had a third grade education, but made every effort to learn English. Her favorite pastime was doing crossword puzzles, watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune because they were her classroom, and her Spanish language programs. She had many talents and skills. She was the hardest working woman we knew. She instilled in us a strong unwavering work ethic, which has served us all well in our lives. Our mother was a fun-loving person, who loved jokes and comedies, both in English and Spanish. She loved being outside tending to her garden and yard. Most recently, she enjoyed the lure of the casino, where she would spend many pleasant hours pulling on the one-armed bandit. Although she had no religious affiliation, she enjoyed listening to religious programs, tapes and music. She was a spiritual person who possessed a special kind of "sixth sense" when it came to her children and their well-being. She was always there to lend a helping comforting hand, provided encouragement and support or to just listen to our problems. She loved and enjoyed her grandchildren, but also, she treasured the peace and quiet of her home. Special words of appreciation go out to the Hoffmann Hospice nursing and ancillary staff for their support and assistance which made caring for our mother a loving, bonding experience for our family. Next, thank you to Dr. Albert Peinado, who cared for our Mother for almost 20 years. She loved him and took great pleasure in teasing and joking with him at every opportunity. May God bring many blessings to our Aunt Emma Salinas, who traveled from Chicago and helped care for our Mother. Her love and devotion was evident in everything she did for her. A special word of thanks to all the friends, relatives and neighbors who visited our Mother during her illness and who provided words of comfort and support, food, flowers and assistance in caring for her. We could not have made this journey without you. Our mother now joins her beloved parents, brothers, son and daughter. Blessed be the memory of Guadalupe Gomez Olivarez Guerrero. Visitation will be Thursday, Sept. 9th and Friday, Sept. 10th, from 4-8 p.m., at Hillcrest Mortuary with Funeral services to be held Saturday, Sept. 11th, at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Union Cemetery. www.hillcrestmemorial.com