Maria G. Benavides

Maria Benavides, beloved wife, caring sister, devoted mother, and loving grandmother joined her late husband Gipe on her birthday July 28, 2015. She will spend eternity with Gipe – her birthday wish granted.

Maria, the epitome of love and humbleness across nine decades, was flanked by three generations of family when she passed away at 9:30 p.m. at Resolute Health Hospital in New Braunfels. She very peacefully surrendered and took her final breath surrounded by her family who hugged her, kissed her, and told her everything was going to be okay.

She closed her eyes and set sail on the next journey with her late husband, leaving behind a legacy of hard work and selflessness.

The daughter of Andres Martinez and Dolores Garcia, Maria was born on July 28, 1924 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and later grew up in Tampico.

As a young girl growing up in Mexico, Maria was fearless and throughout her life she always believed no harm would come to her because of her strong faith in God. She was known as “La Polvora” because she was a very fast runner, outrunning even the young boys as she hopped onto moving trains. It’s safe to say that her drive for being ‘on the go’ never left her.

As a young adult and mother of Mari and Robert, she embarked on a new journey to America, leaving her young children behind with her mother “Mama Lola”, while she looked for better opportunities for her and her family.

She settled first in Harlingen, Texas where one of her first stops was Modern Shoe Repair, run by Gipe Benavides. The two would eventually fall in love and marry in 1958. She gained two stepsons, Damien and Richard. The new family moved to New Braunfels.

For nearly 60 years, Maria worked several jobs. There was no job she could not do. Her first was as a nanny and cook for a prominent family in Harlingen. Later, she would work as a service worker at laundry mat, newspaper delivery throughout the Canyon Lake area for the San Antonio Light, and helped Gipe run La Pequeña Grocery Store, Modern Shoe Repair, and Lucky Star Motel. She was a seamstress, handy woman, plumber, landscaper, carpenter, chef, hostess, pecan picker, tree climber and trimmer, dog sitter, grand nanny, family advisor and dutiful housewife. She worked seemingly around the clock because she had a need to take care of everyone, family and friends alike.

Maria really had a gift for giving and helping others. Her upbringing as a young girl and the sacrifices she made was what kept her humble and selfless to eventually provide for her family and friends. She made a better life for herself, her children, her mom, and step-children. She even raised two grand-daughters Norma and Patricia, doing all the things a mother does for their own – sewing their clothes – even stitching the most popular brands on their jean pockets like Jordache and Gloria Vanderbilt, cooking, helping with homework and guiding them through life.

She especially loved holidays and family get-togethers; any chance to spend time with her family was important to her. Maria always welcomed anyone and everyone into her home – no invitation needed. She was the life of the party and a great hostess. She would spend hours cooking for special holidays – turkey, brisket, ham, bunuelos, chicken mole, pumpkin pies, huevos rancheros, and her delicious French toast. As much as she liked cooking it, she liked eating with family too, whether it was at home for Thanksgiving or Christmas enjoying turkey and dressing, or at Golden Corral on Sundays taking in some crab salad. Perhaps the only time she was not fully devoted to family was when she was eating out devouring her barbeque ribs, crab legs, or honey barbeque chicken wings.

Maria was always full of energy and enjoyed having fun. She always made time to support her grandchildren and great-grandchildren at football games, dance recitals, band concerts, birthday parties, first communions, confirmations, weddings, high school and college graduations. In her earlier years, she enjoyed swimming at the lake and river, and often outswam her own children and grandchildren. She enjoyed packing the RV and going on trips throughout Mexico and the Southwest and even flew to visit northern states New York City, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Michigan, and New Jersey.

As much as she loved her family and traveling, she also loved spending time outdoors with her plants, banana trees, peach trees, fig trees and all kinds of plants and flowers. After retirement, she would spend entire days outside caring for her yard; always the giver, she would share her plants and often plant flowers for friends and family. She was so full of life, as were her plants.

She was a devoted wife to the end. She always cared for her husband Gipe from the beginning of their union until he left this life. She laid his clothes each day, loved him, and cared for him through sickness and in health. She never left his side. Even when Gipe became ill, she visited him when he was in and out of hospitals, nursing homes, and rehab centers during his last months. La Polvora, always fearless, never believed her dear husband would slip away. Even after death, she was by his side, visiting him often at the national cemetery and attending military memorials honoring him. She always provided him with love and encouraging words to the end. She depended on him for many things throughout their marriage, but she learned fast how to become independent. She became head of the household and took care of herself and others, just like Gipe did and a fantastic job she did indeed!

She gathered the strength to carry on without Gipe; however, her heart was too sad and her body too frail. Over the past few months she was torn between her family here and Gipe there – in afterlife. She was courageous and always wanting to please everyone, she wanted to stay here with family, but ultimately, she made her choice on her birthday – to be reunited with Gipe. Over the last few hours of her life here, as she slowly slipped away, she never complained of the pain she was enduring. We all lost the sound of her voice and only saw her frail body and peaceful expression. Those moments seemed to fog our memories a little. But now she is gone, and it hasn’t been that long, her voice is still here, in our minds and dreams. And so is the reminder of how truly, truly loved we all were, and how much we will miss it and miss her.

Maria was preceded in death by her parents Andres and Dolores, husband Gipe Benavides, stepson Richard, sister Agricola, and brothers Ascension, Geronimo, Fidel, and Victor. Maria’s greatest pride and reason for living was her family. She is survived by son Robert Benavides (Ymelda), stepson Damien Benavides (Aurelia) and daughters Maria Aguilar (Albert), Norma Benavides(Edward Rivera), and Patricia Benavides (Raad Alawan). She leaves numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and her dog Mimi.

A viewing will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2015 at Zoeller Funeral Home in New Braunfels, Texas from 5:00-9:00pm with a rosary to be recited at 7:00pm. A Holy Memorial Service will be held on Friday, August, 28, 2015 at 9:30am at Zoeller Funeral Home. Inurnment will immediately follow at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery. Arrangements directed by Zoeller Funeral Home.