Maria Victoria Silveira

Maria Victoria Avelar Silveira was born on September 6, 1938 in Rosais, São Jorge, Azores to João Borges Avelar and Maria Josefa Gonsalves. She was a resident of Merced, California for 54 years. Maria was the youngest of 13 siblings.

Maria was a retired farmer. She loved to garden and was known as a master gardener with a "green thumb". She took great pride in her yard as you could always find her there nurturing and tending to her plants and flowers. She also had a love for birds, especially Cockatiels. She would raise them, then sell them to feed stores throughout the valley. She enjoyed traveling, camping and vistiting with her family. Maria especially enjoyed storytelling with her siblings about her life on the Azores Islands. Maria was known as the matriarch and "peacekeeper" of the family. She loved to entertain and hosted the Avelar family reunions at her beautiful ranch home for over 25 years. She always put her family first. Maria and her late husband Joseph, helped many of them immigrate and settle into the United States by opening their loving home to them. They would take them to various appointments, and did whatever else was needed to insure that they were properly cared for until they could firmly stand on their own. She was a member of St. Patrick’s Parish, Fraternal Order of Eagles #2194 and the United Order of the Druids, Merced # 36.

Maria is preceded in death by her husband Joseph F. Silveira; her brothers Manuel, Miguel, Antonio, Jose and Antonio G. Avelar; her sisters Maria Nunes and Gerstrudes Avelar. She is survived by her children Fred (Sandy) Silveira and Danny (Lidia) Silveira; step-daughter Virginia Bachant of Kerman, California; brother Domingos Avelar; sisters Rosa Pereira and Ana Cunha; grandchildren, Ethan, Grace and Freddie Silveira.

There will be a rosary held for Maria on April 17, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Parish, Merced, California with a funeral mass following at 10:00 a.m.. Interment will follow mass at Calvary Cemetery, Merced, California.

Maria is loved greatly by her family and friends and will be missed but never forgotten. She will go on to live in all our hearts.