when you go. He’s taking his hat!
Kettleman City resident Santos Muñoz, 95, passed away November 9, 2021 of natural causes. He lived in Kettleman City and the surrounding area since 1964. He was an irrigator for many years at Jack Stone Farms and a member of St. Cecilia Mission in Kettleman City.
Santos is preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Hilaria Muñoz, his children Nieves and Remedios and his grandson Arturo.
He is survived by his children Serafín Muñoz (Consuelo), Lupe Guzmán (Reyes), Lucina Myers (Bruce) and Ernesto Muñoz (Dorie); his grandchildren
Silvia Jonas (Chris), Juan Muñoz (Karla), Christina Muñoz, Jaime Muñoz (Christy), Cynthia Cazarez (Christian), Edward Muñoz (Maria Cerda), Javier Muñoz (Willetta Jo), Rene Muñoz (Karina), David Guzman, Joseph Guzman (Anna), Sheri Land (Michael), Sarah Myers, Sophia Wright (Dustin), Sean Munoz (Kristy) and Shelby Munoz; and his great grandchildren JuanCarlo, Diego, Mateo, Tomas, Cody (Kourtni), Christian, Sadie, Andrew, Isabella, Christopher, Rebekah, Richard, Isaac, Elijah, Franchezca, Margot, Kira; and his great great grandchildren Liv and Cash. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law Adela Muñoz.
Santos left his birthplace of San Gregorio, Cueramaro, Guanajuato, Mexico in search of a better life for his family. In time, with the help of his brother Jesus, we were able to reunite as a family. His work ethic is a big part of his inheritance to all of us. It allowed him to purchase a home in Kettleman City, a house in Hanford and property in Banning, all held at the same time! Although he never learned the language, he always tried to teach himself English by listening to tapes. At the age of 68 he and our mom both became US citizens.
We all wish we had inherited his green thumb, which he inherited from his father. He loved flowers and plants of all kinds, especially fruit trees as he always wanted to send visitors home with a bag of fruit from his garden. He believed the true meaning of life being in planting trees under whose shade he did not expect to sit. Just months before he passed away, he purchased a lemon tree.
He was happiest working in his yard. The day he went to the hospital, he spent the morning clearing weeds from the front of the house. He wanted to leave all in order.
His faith was visible in his daily life. Each year he would go back to Mexico to visit his family and to attend the many religious festivals, especially those for La Virgen de Guadalupe and La Virgin de San Juan. Whenever anyone in the family was sick, he would make an offering promising to visit one or other of these saints. In the morning when he woke, he always asked the Lord to guide him in all his actions. He would joke that he sang as part of the choir for Las Posadas just for the food, but we know it was more than that as we still have the headpiece that mom made for his costume.
Born on All Saint’s Day, he now joins the community of saints in heaven.
Vaya con Dios, Papa. (With a heavy heart, we also note the passing of Serafin on November 29, 2021. He, too, now joins the community of saints.)
Services for Santos will be at St. Cecilia Mission in Kettleman City. Rosary is Friday, December 3 at 6:00 pm; the Funeral Mass is December 4 at 9:00 am. Burial will be at Lemoore Cemetery.
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