At 8:00 am on the morning of August 20, 1923, Antonia Vallejo Cuevas was born in San Lorenzo Puerto Rico. She was the daughter of Emilia Cuevas and Jesus Vallejo. Descendant of paternal grandparents Juan Vallejo and Maria Lopez, and maternal grandparents Gregorio Cuevas and Natividad Sanchez. Antonia was the 3rd of 18 children. Of the 18 siblings, 12 lived a natural life, they were: Ana Maria Vallejo, Victor, Antonia, Maximino, Sergio, Macario, Casiano, Secundino, Marta, Feliciano, Jose Herminio.
During her childhood, she grew up in in the town of Cerro Gordo in a farm working the fields. Her chores included cleaning, cooking and washing clothes at the river helping her mother. When she was about 10 years of age; her mother allowed her to go to school, but eventually only until the 3rd grade because she was needed to take care of her siblings. That is precisely why her brothers and sisters all considered her as their second mother. The entire family tried to make life as best as possible: riding horses, farming, and playing on a giant rock still found on the land today.
When Antonia was about 14 years of age, she got very ill performing a common chore of sewing tobacco leaves, a splinter got stuck in her leg and she developed Tetanus. Coincidentally Members of the Church of Moral Council asked if they could pray for her. Once her health improved, Emilia, and her mother, joined the congregation: Chapter #6 of Cerro Gordo and has been a good standing member of the movement ever since.
Years later, her brother, Victor, decided to immigrate to the United States. He settled in the town of Indiana Harbor, Indiana where he worked at the steel mills. There Victor met Evaristo Rodriguez and became good friends. As destiny has it, in 1948 on a trip to visit her brother Victor and aunt Juanita, Antonia met Evaristo Rodriguez and they fell in love. Evaristo being of traditional values returned to Puerto Rico to ask her father for her hand in marriage. Soon after on November 25, 1950, they were married in Chicago where a simple celebration was done at their home. Out of this lovely marriage, they procreated two children, Maria Nely and Evaristo Jr.
Years later, Evaristo went on to become a milkman and Antonia worked at the Polaroid camera factory long enough to save money and purchased their first home at 2309 W Jackson Boulevard. This first home became the cornerstone for other family members to come to Chicago. In July of 1970, they moved to 920 N Fairfield Avenue where family members still reside. The Rodriguez family was known to open their arms and home to those seeking a better future. The family condition improved, and they purchased a grocery store at 1025 S Western Avenue and year later moved the store to 908 N California. She was known for her generosity and extending a hand to the community, including handing out candy to the children. After retirement, she enrolled and attended Wilbur Wright College to master English.
In conjunction with her family life, Antonia was instrumental in the founding of the local Church of Moral Council Chapter #19 in Chicago. A Christian woman adored not only by its members but also by all those who had the opportunity to have met her. Antonia would leave you with an everlasting imprint of the most genuine human being that encompassed love, kindness, and generosity.
Her moral teachings and family values bestowed to her by her parents were instilled in her children and instrumental in the raising of 6 grandchildren: Emily, Sonny III, Miguel, Anthony, Jenielle, Elias, and 10 great grandchildren: Gabriella, Sophia, Abigail, Evan, Miguel Jr, Isaac, Ethaniel, Madison, Lola, and Isaiah.
On March 29, 2021, approximately 2:15 p.m. Antonia Rodriguez joined the Lord and loved ones in heaven.
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