Elena de los Santos Garza

In our eyes, the best Mother any one could have asked for, Elena S. Garza, age 91, peacefully passed away on Sunday, October 22, 2017. Elena was the only child of Petra and Pedro de los Santos. She was born and spent her formative years in the small isolated village of General Zuazua NL, Mexico with its traditional customs, beliefs and collection of eccentric residents.

As a young woman, she lived in Monterrey, Mexico where mutual friends introduced Elena to her future husband. As customary and after a long courtship, on June 14, 1958, she married Efrain Chavez Garza at the Church of Nuestra Madre Santisima de la Luz. The young couple subsequently relocated to San Antonio to start their new life. This union produced three children: Hector Efrain, Jorge Alberto and Lillian.

Elena was a dedicated wife and mother committed to providing a nurturing and supportive home environment for her husband and children to prosper. She was raised with limited education and her childhood was challenged, so she committed each day to give her children a brighter future through education and a stable home life. Mom was a wonderful, self-taught cook leaving us with endearing memories of her arroz con pollo as one of our favorite dishes. No one has mastered her fresh corn tortillas or one of our personal favorites, sugar tortillas.

As the years passed and we children moved on, she and our Dad, Efrain, enjoyed a life of traveling, grandparenting and cherishing each other's company. They shared 57 wonderful years together ~ always leading by example and constantly being there for each one of us.

In the final months of her life, Elena approached the challenges of declining health with dignity knowing her children were continually at her side. She felt solace in knowing she would eventually be reunited with her beloved husband, Efrain, who had preceded her in death earlier.

Elena is preceded in death by her husband, Efrain C. Garza, parents and her half-sisters. She is survived by her loving children: Hector Garza, Jorge Garza and Lillian Garza; grandchildren: Sarah, Eleanor, Alexandra and Josephine Garza and nephews and nieces.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017

1:30 PM

HOLY CROSS CEMETERY

17501 NACOGDOCHES