Matilde S. Mercado

Matilde Mercado was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt. She was fun, high spirited, clever, a multi-crafter, gardener, and assisted her husband in building their banana business. To her grandchildren she was known as, “Grandma Chickens,” because of the chickens she raised. To us, her children, she was our confident. Now that she has left to be with our Maker, she will be missed by many.

Ms. Mercado is preceded in death by her husband, Jose Mercado of 36 years; her daughter, Minerva M. Cantu; her parents, Tomas and Josefa Salinas; her brother, Raul Salinas; and her sisters, Maria Luisa Gonzalez, Eva Ramos, and Magdalena Rodriguez.

Ms. Mercado is survived by her daughters, Gloria Mercado, Hidalia (Luther) Thomas, and Mary Lou Mercado; her sons, Jose Mercado Jr., and Rogelio (Jaclyn) Mercado and her son in law Gonzalo Cantu, Sr.; her pride and joy’s, her 13 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; her sister, Celia Arzola; and her brothers, Gilberto G. Salinas and Ricardo Salinas; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Honored to serve as her pallbearers are her grandsons, Gonzalo Cantu, Jr., Alejandro Cantu, Reynaldo Solis, Jr., Jose Manuel Mercado, Marco Antonio Cantu, and Rogelio Aron Mercado.

Our special thanks go out to Dr. Juan M. Martinez, Dr. Ahmad Kharkoutly, and Dr. Alejandro Betancourt for all the loving care that they gave our Mother. To her friend and nurse, Judy Gonzalez, there are no words to describe the love and care you provided to our Mother for the past five years.