Elvira Esparza Rodriguez

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 23, 2012, at the Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Memories, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, January 22, 2012, at the funeral home.

Elvira was born April 25, 1927 to Augustine and Juanita Esparza in Kingsville, Texas. On August 31, 1945 she married the love of her life, Francisco Rodriguez. Elvira is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 53 years; and one brother, Augustine Esparza II.

Elvira was a dedicated wife and caring mother. She loved caring for her family and holding down the fort while her husband was away serving our country. Elvira was very active in the lives of her children and in her community. She was enthusiastically involved in several church projects including the Jail Ministry, and she received the Volunteer of the Year Award from Mann Middle School in 1995. She also really enjoyed the outdoors and had a natural knack for gardening. Her green thumb could grow anything from fruits and veggies to lilies and rose bushes.

Since she was a young girl, Elvira had a spunkful spirit and a strong personality. She didn’t know the meaning of the word “stranger.” She would talk to anyone and would make friends everywhere she went. She taught all five of her daughters a lot about life, love, and loss. When she lost her husband in 1992, we all learned a lot about our mother: her resilient nature, her perseverance, her undeniable strength, and her enduring grace.

Elvira is survived by her five daughters, Susie Bauccum and Julie Arispe, both of Abilene, Sylvia Flores of San Antonio, Sandra Valdez of Abilene, and Crystal Rodriguez of San Angelo; her sisters, Clara Gonzales and Juanita Gomez, both of California; her brother, Daniel Esparza of Rosenberg, Texas; her five granddaughters, Debbie Evans, Lisa Barrera, Galena McTaggart, Ashli Arispe, and Diana Boughton; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Elvira will surely be missed by all those who were fortunate enough to have met her.