Maria Herminia Aguila Setien

Maria Herminia Aguila Setien entered her new life on the 10th of March 2016, at 11:00pm in Houston, Texas, surrounded by her family-friends. Maria was born on the 23rd of July 1920, in a small town located in the heart of Cuba, called Placetas, a town belonging then to the province of Santa Clara (now Villa Clara).

Her mother, Herminia Setien, and her father, Eladio Aguila Machado had six (6) children. Maria was the second of three girls: Luisa, Maria, and Sonia Ysabel. Her three (3) brothers were Eladio, Pedro Antonio, and Julio. Her sisters, as well as herself, excelled in school. Maria obtained a bachelor degree in Science at the Institute Remedios in 1952. She also received a CPA degree at the University of Santa Clara, Cuba, in 1961.

During the Cuban Revolution, Maria worked hard with the rebels of the 26 of July. She was caught and put in Jail by the Batista Regime. In 1952 she founded and was the owner of the INSTITUTO AGUILA, in Placetas, Cuba. She supported her family by being the owner and principal of the Institute until 1960. Like many other Cubans, she became disenchanted with the Revolution in spite of the fact that all her family remained integrated in it.

She was able to escape with the help of a friend, Ada Cardella. Maria left Cuba and went to Spain where she stayed from 1964 through 1965.

With the help of her friend, Elena Mocega, Maria came to the United States. While in the US, Maria held multiple jobs, from accountant with the American Express, to Spanish professor at Judson College. Maria attended courses in Spanish Literature at North Western University in Chicago (1969-1972). She obtained a Master of Arts with honors at the Roosevelt U. in Chicago in 1968.

When it was time to move to warmer climate, Maria followed Elena and Elena’s family to Houston. While in Houston she taught at the University of St. Thomas, U. of Houston, and Houston Community College.

She was a devoted Christian and an active member of the South Main Hispanic Baptist Church, and Tallowood Hispanic Baptist Church. Prior to this activity, she was the Educational Director of the First Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois. In Chicago, she was also the Spanish adult classes instructor at the First Baptist Church.

Her beloved surviving niece, Sonia Pate Aguila, whom Maria managed to bring from Cuba and raised her for the last nineteen years, lives in Houston. Sonia has been living with another dear friend of Maria, Maria Teresa Rocha.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family beginning at two o’clock this afternoon, Saturday, the 12th of March 2016, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where the funeral service is scheduled to commence at half-past three o’clock in the afternoon.

A graveside service will be held at nine o’clock in the morning on Monday, the 14th of March 2016, at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Road in Houston. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601.