Teresa Cazares was born on February 6, 1929, in Sultana, California and was one of 15 children in the Cazares family. Teresa and the Cazares family moved to Corcoran, CA where she and her siblings grew up and went to school. During school breaks she and her siblings spent their time working long and hard in the fields and orchards in Northern California. She was always proud to do such work alongside her brothers and sisters; it instilled in all of them valuable work ethics that made her strong. Teresa took pride in contributing to the "food basket of America"
Her picking years took her to the Bay Area, where she fell in love with the area and lived in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and finally Santa Clara, where she married, bought a home with her husband, John Balderrama, and raised her family. She was a devoted mother to her five daughters and one son.
In addition to being a wife and mother, Teresa worked at Libby's Cannery in Sunnyvale, California, for several years. Teresa enjoyed writing her own songs and playing guitar. She loved to sing at parties and weddings and with her family. She had such stage presence and recall to many traditional Mexican songs and lyrics, and she could hold her own as a true performer with any mariachi band or trio. Teresa loved her Mexican culture: the dress of her people, the food, music, and everything about it, (even the men!) Teresa had a fantastic sense of humor!
Teresa loved her family and was a loyal friend and sentimental person. She would hold on to gifts from family and friends that became outdated and of little value. As time went by, these gifts collected dust, but she still held on to them, no matter hard we tried to clear her home of them - they represented special memories of the person. Should we talk about her stubborn side now? Let’s not… but we all know she was!
Teresa will be deeply missed by all who knew her. She fell asleep in death on December 26, 2025, just shy of her 97th birthday.
Teresa is survived by her daughters, Hope Romero, Alice Turrey, Shirley Gonzales, and Rena Perez; her grandchildren, Richard and wife Juanita Rios, Gabriel Rios, Rudy Jacob and wife Griselda Gonzales, Bonnie and husband Marco Cassese. Teresa E. Cazares is preceded in death by her beloved son Mark A. Romero and beloved daughter Romelia Balderrama.
A graveside service for Teresa will take place on January 16th, 2026, starting at 1:00pm located at Belmont Memorial Park, 201 N Teilman Avenue, Fresno, California, 93706. All who knew and loved her are welcomed to attend.
“If a man dies, can he live again?
I will wait all the days of my compulsory service
Until my relief comes.
You will call, and I will answer you.
You will long for the work of your hands."
Job 14: 14,15
