Juana Alicia Cabrera

Juana Alicia Cabrera, age 94 was born on June 15, 1929, in Santa Tecla, El Salvador to Juan Salgado and Carmen Diaz. She passed away peacefully in the morning sunrise of October 5, 2023, in her home in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

She made a family with Carlos Secundino Cabrera of San Vicente, El Salvador who passed away in 1991. They Joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1968. Although later in life her husband became in-active in the church, she remained faithful and active throughout her life.

Juana was named after her father, Juan. She liked going by her middle name Alicia for a long time, but later in life she was both known by Juana or Alicia. She was a self-taught seamstress by profession in El Salvador. She loved to sew, and made all of her children’s clothes in El Salvador, especially the girls. She could look at pictures of dresses and make her own patterns with any paper she had on hand, and make the dresses just like on the pictures she saw. On two occasions, she helped two young girls who couldn’t afford weddings dresses and she told the first one, that if she bought the materials and give her a picture of the dress she wanted, she would make her the dress, and she did! The Second girl had an old cream color bridesmaid dress with a puffy skirt and asked her as well for a picture of what she wanted. The young girl showed her what she wanted, and she said she would try… she turned that puffy 80s style bridesmaids dress into a classy elegant straight cut Mermaid Hem dress. She loved to cook for her loved ones and anyone who came to her house, even when there wasn’t enough food, she always managed to feed everyone at the table, there was always enough. She loved puzzles, creating and building things, crafts, and she became good at whatever craft she set her mind to do.

Juana Alicia was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ. She had a simple testimony of the Savior and His Church, but it was a very powerful and strong one. Scared, but with faith and hope that the Lord would help her, she came to the United States with a Visa, and 50 Salvadorian Colones (Equivalent to about $16.00 dollars at the time). With the help of a friend, she was able to find work as a housekeeper and earned the trust and love of her employers who later helped her to stablish her residence in U.S.A. and with She was able to bring her children and husband from El Salvador with not Visas, but Green Cards. She worked very hard to earn the money to pay for them. That was a miracle. She trusted the Lord would help her do it, and He did! She attended a Spanish ward in Washington D.C., and when her children got to the U.S.A., she took them to church the very next Sunday. It took about two hours and three buses to get to church, but she took five of them every Sunday, rain, or shine. It was in a very sketchy part of town too, on 16th St, Columbia Rd in Wash. D.C.. Her English was very minimum, and when the Spanish ward was dissolved and directed them to an English-speaking ward, She didn’t waver, she took her children there too. This ward was closer to home. Sometimes, when she didn’t have enough money for the bus, she would walk to church with her five children, they would walk from Bethesda to Chevy Chase in Sunday clothes. She would go to all her meetings even if she didn’t understand the language. She expected her children to do the same. She knew that’s where the Lord wanted her to be on Sundays. She smiled a lot and tried to learn the language. She never held a calling other than Visiting Teacher. She was much too shy for anything else, and the Lord understood that. She had a giving heart. She faithfully paid tithing and offerings. She loved the scriptures. Even in her dementia state, there were three things she recognized till the very end, and never lost sight of it. They were: The picture of Jesus Christ, the Scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon, and the last prophet before her dementia took over, who was President Monson. These three things were imprinted in her mind and in her heart.

Beloved by her family, Juana A. Cabrera was preceded in death by her parents and her four siblings, her husband, Carlos S. Cabrera, whom she was sealed to in the Washington D.C. Temple on March 17, 1992; two grandchildren; three sisters in-laws; son in-law, David Quintana; and her son Carlos A. Cabrera (Daisy) who passed away on July 15, 2023. She leaves behind daughter, Maria del Pilar Diaz; son, Wilfredo; daughter, Blanca D. Romero (Luis); Sandra Quintana (David, deceased); Melvin A. (); Jessica Wheeler (Lawrence); Tito Cabrera; and 17 grandchildren; Jennifer DePollar (Steve); Giovanni Diaz (Sheila); Christy Wadley (Reggie); Karla Cabrera; Ashley Cabrera; Luis Romero Jr; Andrea Gamarra (Mariano); Vicki Guild (Misha); Danny Cabrera (Marta); Melvin Cabrera (Taine); Micheal Cabrera (Cherli); Marc Cabrera; Mila Cabrera; Michelle Cabrera; Alicia Weinberg (Paul); Alisha Wheeler; Alexa Wheeler; and more than a dozen Great-grandchildren.

A visitation and viewing with family and friends will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints, Kentlands Ward, 16 Kent Gardens Circle, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878 on Monday, October 9, 2023 from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. with a funeral service held at the church on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 11:00 A.M.

Interment will follow at All Souls Cemetery, 11401 Brink Rd., Germantown, Maryland 20878.