Manuelita Landazuri Perez

Manuelita, or better known to those closest to her as “Nellie,” was born on October 12th, 1928 in Kewanee, Illinois. She passed away on July 14th, 2013 after a long and hard-fought battle with Hodgkin’s Disease. Nellie was the 2nd of seven daughters born to Francisco Ruelas Landazuri and his wife, Catalina Zepeda Landazuri. Due to the hardships of The Depression, she and her family moved to Mexico in 1933. Then, in 1944 as the end of WWII was approaching, she and her family returned to the U.S. and settled in San Diego. Alongside three of her six sisters, she worked as a field worker in the farmlands of Mission Valley. In 1948, she began working for San Diego Packing Co., one of several local fish canneries.

In 1950, Nellie married Saturnino “Nino” Perez, who she met just prior to her employment with the cannery. They had been married for 63 years. She is survived by him; their three children, Rose Sebastian, Victor Perez and Irma Perez; grand-daughter, Laura Cameron; great-grand-daughter, Celeste Cameron; sisters, Dorothy Gonzales, Rosa Oriol and Emma Landazuri. Preceding her in death are sisters, Maria Munoz, Rafaela Landazuri and Matilde Cazares. Rosary, Funeral mass and internment were held at Holy Cross Catholic Mausoleum.