Isabel González

Ramona Isabel González was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this woman was an outstanding luminary and that her natural abilities served her well. She knew with certainty how she wanted to set priorities in all aspects of her life. She struck those who knew her as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what she expected from her day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. Ramona was a woman who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, she would set about immediately to create it.

Ramona was born on December 11, 1943 at home in Buena Vista, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Her parents were Manuel and Julia Hinojosa. She was raised in Buena Vista, Tamaulipas, Mexico, then moved to San Antonio, Texas and came to reside in McAllen, Texas for the majority of her life. Ramona was brought up to be reasonable in her actions and was taught to use her intellect wisely. She was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced her self-confidence. Even at a young age, she was credited with having a positive influence on those around her.

The positive atmosphere that Ramona generated as a child continued throughout her life and also spread to her family. Ramona was raised with four sisters and three brothers. She was the oldest of all of her siblings, which she had to serve as a catalyst within the family. She often found herself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, Ramona was able to demonstrate her uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.

In a group of friends and acquaintances, Ramona was typically the first person to take the initiative to go up and greet someone new. That quality made her very approachable by others throughout her life. This same quality brought Ramona the reward of having many friends. Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to her. She believed that she should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way she wanted to be treated. Ramona also showed a great deal of appreciation for the accomplishments of her friends. Throughout her life, some of her best friends included: Lupita Garcia, Janie Ibarra, Evie Cortez, Delia Arredondo, and Evangelina Reyes. Later in life, she became very good friends with Patsy Besa, Linda Alfaro, Terry Mares, Tere Valdez, Carol and Jerry Waddel, Kathy and Mike Bourne, Freda Monk, Pat Kirchner, Juan and Maria Luisa Madera, and Joe and Elvia Rodriguez.

As Ramona knew in other aspects of her life, she had a clear vision of what she sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. On December 8, 1966, Ramona exchanged wedding vows with Joel González at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas. Joel was a significant part of her life, and it wasn’t necessary for Ramona to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. Her secret to success was that she always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener.

Family and children were important to Ramona, even if she didn’t always show it. Ramona was blessed with two children: son, Joel González II and daughter, Rebecca Ann González. Ramona was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as she did at work. Ramona rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, she was subtle and patient in her dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

At work Ramona was viewed as a natural leader. She could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. She was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. Ramona was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. She was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although Ramona might have been described by some as an overachiever, she was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. Her primary occupation was Nurse's Aide and H-E-B Cashier and Trainer. She was employed for 15 years with McAllen General Hospital and 22 years with H-E-B.

Not only did Ramona find pleasure in pursuing her various hobbies, she also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. Her skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. Her favorite pursuits were various arts and crafts, floral design, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Ramona was a woman who took pride in upholding her beliefs. When she became active in community affairs, she did so in the same determined and forthright manner that she applied to other aspects of her life, she volunteered at her grandchildren's school, Atascocita Springs Elementary, selling ice cream during the lunch periods.

Ramona lived her life guided by a well-defined set of beliefs. Her faith and religion were important aspects of those beliefs. She was a member of St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church for almost 20 years. During that time, she was a Eucharistic Minister and worked in the church Nursery.

There were occasions in Ramona's life where she would find herself involved in a cause or leading an organization and event where her drive to complete the project or meet the established goal was more important than her concern for the philosophy behind it. It was this kind of commitment and drive that earned her praise and honors throughout her life. Some of her most prestigious awards included winning Cashier of the Year at H-E-B four different times during her career.

Traveling, especially vacations, was another way for Ramona to apply her exceptional leadership and organizational skills. She liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. She had real talent for developing the perfect itineraries. A few of her favorite vacations included two Caribbean Cruises and visiting family in California, Colorado, Arizona and visited her son when he lived in Wichita, Kansas and Grand Isle, Nebraska.

Ramona was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Ramona's favorite pets was Judy, a dachshund dog. They were best friends for seventeen years. Throughout the years, her pets included: a dog - Sonny, cats - Smokey, BJ, and Precious, and betta fish: Mickey, Henry, and Rainbow.

When Ramona's retirement from H-E-B finally came in January 15, 1999, she was well prepared. She had worked out all of the details well in advance and knew exactly what she was going to do. Her new life involved relocating to Humble, Texas. In retirement, she found new pleasure in making new church friends, baking, arts and crafts, and helping raise her grandchildren. Always a well-informed person, Ramona enjoyed adding to her wealth of knowledge. Retirement afforded her the time to enjoy that experience and provided one more opportunity to look ahead at what life might offer her.

Ramona passed away on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at home in Humble, Texas. She fought a three-year battle with liver cancer. She is survived by her spouse of 53 years, Joel González; her son, Joel González II, her daughter, Rebecca Ann González (Dagoberto, Jr); grandchildren Dagoberto III and Sophia Isabel; siblings Graciela De Leon, Olga Hinojosa, Juan Manuel Hinojosa, Martha Hinojosa-Campos, Artemio Hinojosa✝, and twin brother and sister; Hector Ramon✝ and Estrella Schrambeck. Services were held at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. Ramona was laid to rest at Houston National Cemetery in Houston, Texas.

Ramona Isabel González knew what she wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. She could be characterized as a driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. Ramona was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. She was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If she saw that something needed to be done, she was always ready to step up and actualize, organize, and implement a plan.