Elmeida González Vega passed away peacefully on September 22, 2018, at the age of 97. We will always remember her for her true grit, her unshakable faith in God, her incomparable love and commitment to children, and her boundless zest and enthusiasm.
Elmeida was born on June 23, 1921 in the small town of Encrucijada, Las Villas, Cuba, the fifth child in the humble home of Miguel González and Carolina Rey. She was s a graduate of La Progresiva Presbyterian School in Cárdenas, Cuba, a prominent school in the nation’s educational landscape of the time. She obtained her Doctora en Educación degree from the Universidad de La Habana and began her professional career as an elementary school teacher.
On October 7, 1950, Elmeida married Liberato Juan Vega y García. They were each other’s “love of their life” and they enjoyed sixty-four years of life together, until his passing on July 9, 2014. With Liberato, she was the owner and director of the Marta Abreu School in La Habana, an institution offering preschool, elementary and business education.
In 1961, as a result of the Cuban revolution, Elmeida, Liberato and their daughter Nitza emigrated to the United States, and after a brief two years in Miami, Elmeida and Liberato were appointed missionaries of the Presbyterian Church of the USA and assigned to work in Colombia. With this appointment, they became the first Hispanic missionaries of the Presbyterian church. During their 25 years of indefatigable service in Colombia, Elmeida engaged in the ministry of education initially in the area of teacher preparation, and later, as elementary school principal of various Presbyterian schools. Her dedication and commitment to children helped forge outstanding citizens in many generations of Colombians in the cities of Barranquilla, Ibagué, Girardot, and Bogotá.
Elmeida was preceded in death by her husband, Liberato; her brother Pedro; and her sisters María, Porfiria, and Angela. She is survived by her only daughter Nitza Beatriz and her husband Hermann Lahr, and her two beloved grandchildren, Alia Karina of Boston and Karl Alexander of Chicago.
The family appreciates immensely the bountiful thoughts, prayers, and expressions of kindness received from so many.
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