Elda Adelina Trevino-Bradshaw

Elda Adelina Treviño Bradshaw was a devoted mother and grandmother, a loving wife, a loyal friend, daughter and sister, an outspoken advocate for the Mexican-American community, and a retired federal employee of 30 years.

The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she was born in the house her father built in the tiny town of Elsa, TX in the Rio Grande Valley. The youngest of four siblings, Elda was remembered as being a goal oriented social butterfly.

Her parents, Juan and Petra Treviño, instilled a passion for education and she became the first member of her family to graduate with a college degree (B.S. in Home Economics from Texas A&I). In 1970, she started working with the federal government as a Nutritionist for Head Start starting a passion for early childhood education that she held for the rest of her life.

After encouragement from her mentor and a blessing from her parents, Elda moved to Dallas to work for the USDA as a Nutrition Educator Trainer. The Dallas area became her home from then on.

It was in Dallas that she made friends with a group of women who are still as close to family today. They say that Elda was both a friend, a teacher and an advocate, often helping them out when the need arose for someone who would not take "no" as an answer and gets things done.

Breaking with tradition, Elda purchased her own home before she had a husband because she was determined to have her best life regardless. She was active with Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral in Dallas, the Hispanic Organization of Women, and the Federally Employed Women. She also traveled to Europe and Hawaii as a single woman which made her seem really cool to her nieces and nephews.

She met her future husband while being squashed in the backseat of a friend's boyfriend's car next to two other friends. Keith remembers a loud giggle and a big smile coming from the back seat. After a few years of exchanging letters from afar while Keith was out on the boats, they were married in 1979 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elsa, Texas (another building her father helped build).

The ensuing years led to the birth of two daughters (Petra Ruth and Leslie Adelina) and a move to Garland, Texas. Motherhood fit Elda perfectly drawing upon her inherent sweetness and empathy and her fierce spirit. Both love and discipline were provided with ardent swiftness, sometimes at the same time.

Influencing each other in the best way throughout their marriage, Keith expanded Elda's adventurous nature and Elda drew out the goodness in Keith.

With a Volkswagen bus and later a motor home, the Bradshaws traveled to 38 of the 48 contiguous states. They crisscrossed the country while listening to Linda Ronstadt "Canciones de mi Padre" and We Sing tapes. Always a pragmatist, while at the Grand Canyon, when Keith was sitting on the edge, she yelled, "Keith! Give me the keys!" just in case he gracefully fell off into the canyon.

Outside of adventures, Elda created a Home filled with love and delight. She told her children "No one will ever love you as much as your family" as she made every day so good and nice that it is hard to differentiate the memory of one day from the other from the lovely haze. Dinners were always eaten together in the breakfast nook except for very special pizza nights in the living room.

Elda instilled Chicana pride in her children as a first generation American. She taught some of it through her talented cooking. Known throughout the Valley and Dallas as a "great cook," she made tamales, tacos, enchiladas all from scratch and all without a recipe.

In 1985, Elda became a stay-at-home mama for the next ten years. She was the leader of Girl Scout troop 233 and taught all her scouts how to be independent women. She worked tirelessly in PTAs and teaching CCD at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Garland. During this time she also wrote a syndicated Spanish language cooking column published throughout the country and did consulting work with Head Start.

When she returned to work in the '90s, Elda continued working with Head Start as a Children and Family Specialist where she would audit Head Start offices throughout the country to ensure they were doing the best for the children they were serving. She continued at that position until her retirement in 2011.

After her daughters graduated Garland High School (1999, 2003), they both used the wings that she had built for them and flew away ending up in New York (Petra) and in Chicago (Leslie). Elda had immense pride that both her daughters graduated college (BA in Political Philosophy, University of Dallas, and BA in Plawrighting, Columbia College Chicago, respectively) and that they were living such different and remarkable lives.

In 2012, Elda became a Huelita "Ita" when her oldest grandchild, Evelyn Adelina Fackler was born. She was smitten by the tiny babe who bears her middle name. On the last day of 2014 Keith Coleman Fackler, her second grandchild, was born and another Keith stole her heart.

Following an accident in 2011, Elda's health declined and Keith retired and took up the mantel of caregiver that Elda's lessons in compassion had prepared him for. They settled into a sweet routine as retirees, grandparents, parents, and role models for us all.

Knowing she was happiest when she was at home with her family, her two daughters returned home for her last few years.

Elda died on April 3, 2016 surrounded by her loved ones while wearing a bright yellow nightgown (her favorite color).

She will be missed by her husband, her daughters, her grandchildren, her siblings, and nieces and nephews, her extended family and friends, by lovers of food the world over, by people who love really bold colors in fashion choices, and unknowingly, by thousands of children who she helped in Head Start through the years.

Elda is survived by her husband of 36 years Keith, her daughters Petra Ruth and Leslie Adelina, her grandchildren Evelyn Adelina Fackler and Keith Coleman Fackler, her son-in-law Eric Fackler, her sister Rosa Campos, brothers Chevo Treviño, and Johnny Treviño, her sisters-in-law Maria Inez Treviño and Mary Treviño, many nieces and nephews, and many more friends whom she considered family.

Memorial donations can be made to St. Michael the Archangel Church in Garland, the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, and to the PBS Foundation.

an-Crane Funeral Home, Dallas, TX.